“I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realise I should have been more specific.’’ – Lily Tomlin
Specificity, or the act of being specific, allows you to know exactly what you want.
This is how to set goals and achieve them:
• Identify the goal you want to achieve. Let’s say being a good public speaker, for example.
• Identify the strategies, methods and processes you need to take. Strategy is what you need to do to achieve your goal. Read books on public speaking and practice it. A method is how you will do it, get a mentor/coach or join a Toastmasters Club near you. And a process is a system you’ll use in executing your how.
This is how you should schedule your activities in a day:
• Write down the behaviour required for you to execute and achieve the above, this includes the disciplines you need to have. Self-awareness is very key here. Understand your habit loop. Your habits drive your behaviour.
• What beliefs must you hold true for you to have the behaviour required. This is important to know because your behaviour is driven by your beliefs. You may want to achieve a 100 but if you only believe that you are only capable of achieving 50, then you will be out of sync with your goal. This is where doubt comes in and sabotages your goals. You firstly need to believe that you are worthy and capable of achieving your goal; it’s a journey not an event.
• What is your big why? You need to identify the reason you want to achieve your goal. I always liken the why to fire and heat. Small fire produces small heat and big consistent fire produces big heat. So, the size or strength of your why determines your resilience and persistence, that ‘I’ll do whatever it takes’ attitude.
