Goals - Writing them is the first step

So why am I such a fan of setting goals? Because I've seen, heard and felt the impact. With a goal, you create a foundation upon which you:

• Move with direction and focus
• Avoid being side tracked by urgent but unimportant matters
• Develop a brand that others can recognize
• Communicate effectively
• Help others help you
  

But setting a goal is just the beginning. Here are some goals you may recognize:

• Pat: My goal is to become VP at XYZ.
  
• Sam: My goal is to own my own company.

Here's some goal statements you probably hear less often:

• Terri: I'm excited about working with teams and tackling huge challenges like helping a faltering business get back on track. I'm currently doing that at XYZ pharmaceuticals, a ## employee business with $$ revenues. Our goal is to increase revenue by #% in 2009. Once I've achieved that goal, I hope to take on an executive role there or at a bigger company, say ABC, DEF or GHI.
  
• Jan: I work at XYZ in sales. In my off time, I've also been working on developing a business plan and proto-type for a new product. The product is designed to help parents teach their children to self-manage their diabetes. I've always had a passion for business, health management and technology. I'm excited to create my own company and bring on others that share this passion.
  

Pat and Terri have essentially the same goals, as do Sam and Jan. What makes the differences?

• Terri and Jan moved beyond just setting a goal to creating a strategy for communicating it
• Terri and Jan helped you understand how they are working toward that goal (doing the work already)
• Terri and Jan tell you how they help others (help faltering businesses get back on track, help parents of diabetic children)
• Terri and Jan told you the types of organizations and the level that they are interested in (an executive role at XYZ, ABC, DEF or GHI, owner of her own company)
• Terri hasn't told you she has limited her goal to VP at XYZ. Jan has told you precisely the type of company and work she’s passionate about.
  

Ask yourself, if you met these women, which would you:

• Be able to help achieve her goals?
• Feel most comfortable referring?
• Want to call to discuss opportunities? (if you were an executive at a faltering business or knew one)
• Expect to be most successful in reaching her goals?
  

I'm pretty sure I know the answer.

Goal Setting - Where did I go wrong?

Ok, it's admission time. I set goals in 2008 for myself and achieved only one - continue to build Polish Your Star. What made the difference between achieving one goal and not the other 2 (eating 3 fruits a day and attending weight watchers every week)?

• I didn't have an outside accountability for 2 of the 3 goals - No one kept me on track to eat 3 fruits a day & attending weight watchers every week. They were relatively SMART RRR goals but were not ones that I told others about or for which anyone held me accountable. In contrast, I set goals for Polish Your Star and relied on quarterly meetings with the Polish Your Star Advisory Board to keep me on track and honest. As a result, we've expanded our customer base, increased our revenue and are building a strong foundation for success.
• I created 2 goals because others told me I "should," 1 goal for me based on my purpose. Don't get me wrong, I did continue to exercise regularly and eat healthier. I had regular check ups and maintained my overall health. (Turns out I have the genetic disease hypothyroidism and I'm getting treated for that.)
• I neglected to practice what I preach - Get a good coach and involve others in helping you succeed.

So what am I going to do about it? I'm going to hire a coach to help me set the goals I help others set.