To hit Your Goal...Set a deadline!

One of the most overlooked areas in goal setting is attaching a time by which your goals go from paper to reality. By first writing down your goals and then by attaching a date by which they will be accomplished, you set a deadline for your success and thus necessitate that a plan of action be created in order for you to hit not only the goal, but also to hit the deadline! For all of you that have accomplished a goal outside of your scheduled timeframe, you know what I mean. It’s kind of like kissing your sister: It’s nice, but not thrilling!

Have you ever noticed how often it is that the majority of the sales that get done each quarter-get done in the last month of the quarter? Have you ever noticed that the end of the fiscal year finds amazingly high sales results when everyone is stretching to meet projections? Have you ever wanted to “bottle up” the enthusiasm and efforts that are put out by the entire team towards the end of any particular sales cycle when things like bonuses (or sometimes jobs) are on the line? You can!! And you don’t have to use a carrot OR a stick…you simply need to use a CALENDAR!

This year as you set you goals out for the year, do so by quarters or even by months. Start by figuring out what it is that you truly want to accomplish this year sales-wise, income-wise, relationship-wise, family-wise, and more. Tie your success to as many areas in your life as you can. What are your “quality of life” goals? Will you take a vacation this year? If so, where? With whom? How? And most importantly, WHEN?
Take out a calendar and get a big marking pen. Start writing in the deadlines for your accomplishments this year. WHEN will you have that new car? WHEN will you break the sales record for the company? WHEN will you land the “whale” account that you have been courting for two years? WHEN will you weigh your ideal weight? WHEN will you take your children to Disneyland?

If you truly want to make a difference this year in your career and/or or your personal life, attach dates to all of your desired accomplishments. Make sure that your goals are written down with a deadline and a game plan. Get “a win or two” every month instead of trying to accomplish them all by the end of 2010.

An amazing thing happens to you when you set a goal, plan your attack, attack your plan, and accomplish what it is that you wanted. It will change your life forever. In my opinion though, it all starts by giving yourself a deadline to your dreams.