The Success Train - Or What Station Do I Get Out At?

Goal Achievement is like a speeding train, you need to map your trip and remember to get off at the correct station. So, knowing this, are you unknowingly holding up your own success, are you getting off at the wrong station?
Statistics show that less than 26% of people turn their dreams into tangible results. Which means that 74% of the population never allow their dreams and goals to come to fruition; they just swirl around in their minds and always remain what ifs, should have’s, and could have’s. The importance of turning your hopes, dreams and wishes into a series of clear, action oriented goals cannot be overstated.
Goals must have a measurable result with a timeframe for completion. A measurable goal is quantifiable. It is described in such a way that the actual result cannot be disputed. If you cannot measure something, chances are you cannot effectively manage it.
Using the train analogy...
1. Set your goals so they are directly aligned with your life purpose (buy the correct ticket!).
2. Create goals high enough to excite you and inspire you to take action.(make sure this is a trip you want to go on!)
3. Set a whole series of related daily, weekly and long-term goals, complete with starting times and completion dates. (read the train schedule!)
4.Write your goals down!(Circle the stops you want to get on and off from!)
5. Take time every day to imagine how terrific it will feel when your goals are actually realized.(Buy film to take pictures of your destination!)
So what happens if you do all of the above and you still aren’t achieving your goals? Sometimes we get sidetracked by life and end up having to take a detour. I hate it when that happens don’t you? Why does that happen so often?
An experience I had one day made me think about why the straight and narrow track you try to stay on when you are going for your goal, all of a sudden veers off for no apparent reason!
As I thought about my experience, I realized that sometimes the road to goal fulfillment can take a detour. Instead of cursing the detour, look out the window at the scenery and try to figure out why the detour occurred. Think instead, “What did I gain from the detour”? Maybe it wasn’t a detour, but actually the way you were suppose to go? What did you learn from the detour? Sometimes, we learn something, sometimes we pass on knowledge, and sometimes we learn patience.
Sometimes, we just wonder, “ok what did I do wrong?” But, as a very wise friend once told me, “You made the best choice you could with the information you had!”, or a quote from my favorite movie, The Lion King, “Forget about it, its in the past!”
Whatever the reason for the detour, take the knowledge you gained and apply it towards your future.
Contact Susan@coaching4tomorrow.com, to receive the free e-book that this article is an excerpt from.
Susan Feder is a certified Life Coach, and owner of Coaching4tomorrow. She currently is offering individual and group coaching, and personalized "Find Your Joy" workshops and retreats.
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