First and foremost, developing an effective plan for success isn’t easy. It takes out-of-the-box thinking and a 
personalized approach to set a course for real success. However, when you work hard to develop attainable yet worthwhile milestones for success with effective objectives, you significantly increase your likelihood of reaching your highest potential. So how, exactly, might one go about doing this? While the process will be a bit different for each individual, there are four things that should be done for optimal success. Check them out then get to work on making things happen!
1. Ditch the word “goal”
There is a big difference between a goal and a commitment. A goal can be stretched and unattainable. It can also be brushed off when unsuccessfully attained because it was “just a goal” to begin with. We all had big goals like becoming a professional athlete or musician growing up, but only those who were still interested and committed to it as they got older were successful. On the other hand, commitment demands accountability and action. When you’re committed to something, nothing happens by chance. It happens because you’ve taken the time to carefully plan and practice for results.
2. Make a real plan
As mentioned above, nothing happens by chance. If you’re committed to completing a successful project on time, you must lay it out in a strategic plan. All of the steps that must be taken to achieve success must be put in the proper order. Include dates that each step will be completed by while making the layout clear and realistic.
3. Keep it simple
When we first decided to write this post, we talked about having five steps to “goal” setting. There were only four steps I was passionate about, so instead of making up a fifth, I kept it simple.Something that is simple is more likely to be accomplished than something more complex. Some issues we’re committed to successfully handling can be complex, but when you break it down to simple steps, you increase the probability that it will happen.
We’ve all been to conferences or trainings where we’ve come out with 15-20 goals. From here, I think we all know what usually happens. Rather than try to tackle these all at once, divide your list into sections with the goal of achieving one or two items at a time.
4. Develop a habit for success
Our commitments can revolve around one of two areas: something we’re committed to doing or something we’re committed to becoming. Commitments to “become” take different planning than those that are made with the intent of “doing. In order to “become” something better, we have to create habits that lead us in that direction. This concept is beautifully laid out in the book “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg.
For example-if you’re committed to being a better spouse, identify 1-2 things that, if done, will make you a better spouse. Perhaps you identify “being a better listener” as an example. From here, you break it down to a specific action that will make you a better listener. Maybe you commit yourself to three, thirty-minute periods during a week where you will turn off the TV, put away the smartphone and iPad, and communicate with your spouse. Over a span of a few weeks, this will turn into habit that ultimately leads to you becoming a better listener, contributing to your efforts to become a better spouse.
Post by: Taylor Cotterell, Executive Vice President of NaviTrust
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