How to set and achieve goals in 2013

Before 2013 gets into full swing, it’s essential to set aside some time to make goals for your work and personal life.

It’s important to remember that a goal is a commitment and not a half-baked attempt. We have all seen Star Wars at some stage of our life, so you might remember Yoda’s words to Luke Skywalker: “Do or do not, there is no try”. We either do and win or do not. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War also talks about the need to win in the mind before the battle – in other words, be clear and committed to what you are embarking on.

So what are you going to commit to in 2013?

Goals are broadly categorised into 3 main areas:

1. Business/Financial
2. Family and Relationships
3. Health and Fitness (plus Spiritual for some)

Writing down goals is the easy part, committing to them is hard. And translating the goals into action is even harder. Covey shared 4 Disciplines of Execution being:

Here are some tips that will help you achieve your goals:

1. Ensure the goal has meaning and limit the number to only what is important and achievable. Don’t set yourself up for failure by having too many goals.
2. Have clear measures that lead to goal success.  People play differently when they’re keeping score.
3. Break each goal down into sub-tasks that can be achieved daily.
4. Be passionate and emotionally connected to your goals.
5. Enlist the help of others to support your achievement e.g. a daily walking routine with a friend is a great task for a get fit and lose weight goal.
6. Forget noble intentions – don’t just talk about your goals, act on them. Hope is not a methodology. Be consumed with achieving them.
7. Mistakes are ok, so long as you learn from them.
8. Take time out to celebrate your achievements of major milestones along your pathway to success.

Sun Tzu said we must train our mind to succeed first. The best way to do that is to forge a habit to create our new destiny. Mark Devine, a former Navy Seal talks about three habits or values that need to be developed over time:

Discipline	Learn to master the skill set that you need Be a disciple to something bigger Try to do things 1% better every day towards our goals
Drive	Positive drive toward fulfilling your purpose Backs up your discipline and leads to mastery Esprit de Corp – spirit of the team Drive leads to mastery Keeps you on track
Determination	Keeping you on guard against all odds Chase your goals and dreams – the worthy ones Quiet determination

Sometimes it is as easy as showing up every day with the right mindset – focus on being 1% better each day and forge ahead with a sense of ‘can do’. Be the agent of change in your life with every breath, thought and action that you take.

Wishing you all a successful 2013!