3 Ways to Advance Your Goals

Advancing your goals isn’t hard, but it does require focus and smart decision-making. Here are there ways you can use to advance your goals:

Work with the end in mind- or focus on success

Beginning with the end in mind is the endowment of imagination. If you are the programmer, write the program, says, goal expert- Stephen R. Covey. Goals help us to focus, and the quality of our attention is enhanced by having a project so cool and interesting that we can’t help but make a leap. Let’s say, you want to organize your workspace so that everyone is inspired to do their best work. The in-between steps: like ergonomic concerns and planning comfortable lighting, in-and-of-itself can seem mundane, but joined together they name a bigger accomplishment and by doing so, asks us to spice up our expectations and upgrade who we are. Focus on success and keep in mind how you want things to end up–And you’ll soon enough be successful.

• name the accomplishment
• give your project a title
• what needs to be done by when
• how would you like things to end up
• identify upbeat reasons for pursuing the goal

Raise the bar-or shoot for the moon

Define greatness, challenge the limits, double the goal, or try something new. These are just some of the sentiments that put our plans into action and move us towards revolutionary results. Look around and witness the very essence of commonplace activities being tested and re-imagined. Such as schools re-defining Physical Education by bringing in activities ranging from kickboxing to more esoteric offerings like tai chi and yoga. And with the introduction of blogs and social media, an international conversation is in full swing with millions of links and a central clearing house inspired by immediacy, intrigue and tension. Raising the bar on a project can simply mean taking one extra step, having an allegiance to a weird idea, or devoting to a regular practice. Commit to a goal in a meaningful way, personalize it and make it your own, and then watch an otherwise sleepy project wake up and give way to newfound energy, creativity and distinction. Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

• double the goal
• challenge the limits
• create a regular practice
• raise your standards, values or beliefs
• make it a game

Go the path of least resistance-or show me the shortcut

Sometimes a goal deserves a break. Time Magazine reported that after 8 hours of sleep you’d be more than twice as likely to find a shortcut for solving a problem. This suggests that taking it easy is good for the brain, and what’s good for the brain is good for the overall psyche and soul. Are you doing too much, not getting nourished and being exhausted? Well, perhaps it’s time to consider another path. Don’t re-invent the wheel. Pick up a book written by an expert, join a group that’s geared around your project, sign up for an informational newsletter, or ask someone to buddy up and help. For instance, if I was writing a screenplay and struggling with a self-imposed deadline, I could simplify my project just by signing up for a writing class. What with weekly writing tasks and in-class exercises this alone would expedite the development of my script. Another overlooked shortcut is to consider smaller steps. The smaller the increments the easier the goal. Deng Ming-Dao writes in Everyday Tao, An inch in one direction, then an inch in another already makes a span of 2 inches. Gradually we can improve on that. Go the path of least resistance, it’s a gift of energy.

• don’t reinvent the wheel-find someone who’s done it before
• slow down or change the pace
• keep to minimum daily standards
• write everything down–loose ideas vs. lost ideas
• the smaller the increments the easier the goal