Accelerating Your Goals in 2019

A common theme for Igniters members is setting goals and working to be more successful in life.

On January 8, 2019 I attended a though provoking presentation by Steve Osmond (Rhapsody Strategies) a life and business coach. Steve is an excellent presenter, he connected well with the audience, he is funny and personable, he is a great story teller, he used very few slides and the ones he did were sparse and effective. Steve shared some great arguments for where people go wrong with their goal setting and posed some excellent questions. After the session I spent an hour thinking about and answering the questions included below. I think they may be helpful to you. Below I include some of the highlights of his hour long talk (I you have questions please speak with me). The best part of his talk was the “Impact Interview Questions” he posed which I include at the end of this post.  

Q: Why don’t goals work?

A: They are mostly to do lists. Goals can place limits that may keep us from reaching our full potential. (excellent example of a marathon trainer training for a goal time 4 hrs to 3:29 vs training capabilities improved to 3:16).

There are three dimensions of life:

Being Doing Having

Most people live in the have world. Have a career, have a vacation, have a house. That requires us to do.

You need to Do more to have more.

Busyness is the new stupid.

Q “How are you doing?”

A: “Busy” is the common answer. If I give my normal answer: “good, balanced” then people will try to force “yes but you are busy too right”?

If you really want to become more successful you need to focus on your “Being”.

Be is about Personal Transformation and what competencies and beliefs I need eg. More effective organization, overcome procrastination etc.

As a coach I see people in a place in their life and they set goals and they have a vision of success. However, they operate in a circle of habits and mindsets and scripts that limit them and hold them back unless an outside force intervenes.

Make a habit of listening to your voice and asking yourself if you are exhibiting “Leader Behavior” or “Victim Behavior”?

Leader Behavior: Facing reality, problem solving, ownership, visible commitment, and taking determined action.

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Victim Behavior: Excuses, finger pointing, blaming, helplessness, selfishness. Meanwhile others succeed.

Ask yourself “am I above or below the line”? Keep pushing yourself up.

How are you sabotaging your efforts? What new scripts will you embrace in 2019? What is your inner voice saying? Your chance of success goes up with a better script.

 

Gleicher’s Formula for Change:

DxVxF>R                    

and they told us there would be no math!

Dissatisfaction with the current state.

Steve uses a hilarious whiny victim voice and gives a rant “nothings ever going to change…Nenshi, the Economy, bla bla bla”.

We are motivated by Pain or Pleasure. Do you ever say to yourself “I know that I am Meant for More”.

Vision of what is possible. Paint a Clear Picture. If you aim for nothing you will hit it every time!

First Concrete Steps. What are you going to do in the next 7 days towards that goal?

Steven presents the “Wheel of Life” a multidimensional life model (emotional, intellectual, relationship, family, spiritual, health, career, financial) and asks us to reflect on our success in each dimension of our life. He suggests we set goals in the weakest areas first.

Impact Interview:

1.       “When you step back from your life what do you see? (3^rd person)”.

2.       “In what areas of your life are you getting ready to get ready? Stalling, procrastinating, waiting for conditions to be just right before taking action”.

3.       “What good advice are you ignoring?”

4.       “Where are you leaking energy because you are preoccupied with something on your mind that is undone?” great example of driving around avoiding cops due to registration not being renewed. “What loop needs to be closed?” Check out the book “The Power of Full Engagement”.

5.       “What five words would you like to describe yourself but can’t?” It should be more than an occasional practice it should be a part of who I am.

6.       “As the leader of your life WHO must you fearlessly (bravely, boldly, taking 2 steps out of your comfort zone) become?”

7.       “What will you stop doing?”

8.       “When I look back on 2019 what will you say you accomplished?” If it was one thing only? Priority used to be singular, now it is popular to say priorities as in my 10 priorities are: ____ If you have 10 priorities you have none.

9.       “What are you most passionate about in life or business?” If you align your goals to something you enjoy you are going to have more energy and success and happiness.

10.    “What are you grateful for?” Check out the TED Talk on Gratitude. (Takeaway: If you make a daily habit of focusing on what you are grateful for you will always be happy. If you focus on what you don’t have you will never have enough and your will only have fleeting periods of happiness).

11.   “What made you successful in the past and how might you bring more of that into your life and business this year?”

12.   “How do you stay inspired? How might you do more of that in 2019?”

13.   “What’s your gut telling you about the coming year?” Face reality. Don’t put the optimist lenses on.

Use the answers from these questions to create your:  2019 Impact Plan

1.       What matters most?

2.       What steps will you take?

3.       When will you take them?

4.       What resources will you need?

5.       Who will you need?