How can we inspire ourselves, our team or an organization to stay focused and accountable on the daily actions steps that helps us reach our goals? This is something I struggle with personally as well as with my team. It hard enough to stay focused and inspired yourself… let alone trying to keep others focused, accountable and inspired every single day. Let’s face it… most people will not be laser focused every single day… because shit happens. Things pop up… challenges arise … our kids distract us… and life isn’t always perfectly planned out and go our way. Unless we are cyborg robots and programmed to perform only focused activity that brings results 100% of the time… it is difficult to focus and get it all done. Even as I am writing this blog… I scheduled and set time to focus on this activity at my home office… planned a play date for my son who needs 100% attention from me when I am home… still I am experiencing distractions as my wife asks me questions this exact second.
(Even though she knows I am in the office working for only limited time today… maybe that’s where my son gets it?) lol kidding
So how? How can we do our best to stay focused, accountable and complete actions steps that will generate results? I believe there are a couple different strategies that come into play that could help in this area. It may not be perfect all the time… but it can help you… your team… or your organization to become more productive this year. Obviously, I wont have the time to discuss all of my secrets in this one blog… so I will share as much as I can over the next couple of blogs I post. 😉
KNOW THE… WHAT?
Before we can even get into action steps or activity… which is the HOW. .. we first need to know WHAT specifically the goal is. For most people they set goals that are very general such as:
- Losing weight
- Making more money
- Spending more time with their kids
This is bullshit! That’s like me punching in the GPS… New York. Where they hell could I end up? Buffalo? Montauk? Manhattan? Even if I punch in the city… such as Briarcliff Manor, NY. That still doesn’t work. I could end up anywhere in that city or town. Okay… let’s put in the road too. How about North State Road Briarcliff Manor, NY? Nope… you are still lost and driving up and down the road like a complete idiot. Wait… how about we punch in the number ? Let’s try… 528 North State Rd Briarcliff Manor, NY? Great! Now you pull up to this building and you walk in and still don’t know what room the meeting is in? You are there… but still need direction.
I remember a time not to long ago before GPS was created… attempting to drive to places and getting so frustrated and scared I wouldn’t arrive. This is how most people run their business and live their life. They are driving blind, feeling frustrated and don’t know where the hell they are going. To be inspired and focused… you need to know exactly what your goals are. Get specific! Your mind is just like a GPS … it will help you get to the destination you type in.
Also… any goal you set should scare and excite you at the same time. Are you setting goals that you know you could hit? Are you being comfortable or challenging yourself? I am consistently asking my team and my coaching clients the question… “Do you want to be common or uncommon?” Stop being a baby and set goals that take you outside your comfort zone… that is the only way you and I will grow and improve.
BE UNCOMMON AND SET GOALS THAT EXCITE AND SCARE YOU AT THE SAME TIME!
Once we know specifically what the goal is… then ask yourself four questions:
- Is this goal aligned with one of my core four Areas of Life?
- Is it aligned with my Worth Ideal?
- Am I able?
- Am I willing?
In our book, YOU Have Infinite Power… we identify fourteen different areas of life. But let’s keep it simple today. Most people want to focus on their career, relationships, family and health. What is the Core Four? It is your four most important areas you either want to improve or the four areas that are most important to you in life. Why is this an important question to ask if the goal is aligned with one of your core four areas of life? Well… when you set goals… if that goal isn’t aligned with your top four most important areas of life… I bet you will not be inspired to attain it. If that area of life is important to you… that goal will be too.
For most professionals… career or work usually falls into their core four areas of life. That is why we ask the next question: Is it aligned with your Worthy Ideal? Now most people may not know what a Worthy Ideal is? This is what defines the success of an individual or an organization. Any goal you set must have a bigger meaning… it must be aligned to a Worthy Ideal. Goals come and goals go… but to really be fulfilled professionally… you should have a Worthy Ideal. When setting goals for yourself or your organization… this creates a deeper meaning for you and your team. It is identifying why you do what you do… and why you are working so hard to accomplish a goal. Making it become bigger than you… most people will be driven to accomplish something that is beyond there own selfish reasons.
A WORTHY IDEAL is so much more powerful than a goal. All successful (uncommon) people throughout history had a WORTHY IDEAL that drove them.
Your Worthy Ideal is your “Big Picture” and should also be bigger than you. If you really think about it, your Worthy Ideal drives almost every action you make and every goal you set. Any action steps that you take and most of your personal or professional goals are really just a by-product of your Worthy Ideal. The coaching program we created and our best selling book, YOU Have Infinite Power™, are just by-products or goals that are aligned with our Worthy Ideal. That’s really why most people don’t accomplish their goals…because their goals may not be aligned with their Worthy Ideal; or some people may not consciously know what their Worthy Ideal is.
I recently was giving a seminar for a financial service agency in Manhattan… and this was the first step we went through was identifying and building out their company’s Worthy Ideal. The entire management team collectively gave input in creating the Worthy Ideal. The Worthy Ideal helps create a culture of unity and teamwork that inspires everyone to hit their goals and take massive action because there is a bigger picture that the team is all working towards. The Worthy Ideal is something that everyone in the organization can be apart of and take ownership in and contribute towards. I encourage my clients to create an individual Worthy Ideal as well as an organizational Worthy Ideal. This concept wakes you up in the morning… sometimes keeps you up at night. We may get paid for it… sometimes we don’t get paid for it. It energizes us into action… drives and inspires us to persevere regardless of our surroundings.
Take a moment and ask yourself the following questions:
- WHY do you do WHAT you do (for a living)?
- Can you truly say that you have a burning desire to succeed in life? YES or NO
- Is it a desire you are willing to make great sacrifices for? Why? Or why not?
- Is this burning desire bigger than you are? Why?
- Does it serve for the betterment of the good and create value to others? Why?
- What is your ultimate inspiration for fulfilling this desire?
- What do you think your Worthy Ideal is?
Once you know what your core four areas of life are… and identified a Worthy Ideal… now you are well on your way to become more inspired towards your goals. I think I have given you enough to think about in this segment. In the next couple of blogs… I will talk more about a Worthy Ideal and how to continue to inspire you and your team to continuously be focused towards reaching goals.
Please be sure to leave a comment and I will reply as soon as I can. Remember to share if you care. I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to share on Facebook or LinkedIn. If you have any questions, you can always email me at pmelella@empoweredmastery.com and it will be my honor to serve in any way I can.
If you would like to find further information about how Empowered Mastery can help your personal life or business… please visit our website at www.empoweredmastery.com.
Live Life to the Fullest!
Master Paul Melella Jr.
Tips from this article
- Set clear and specific goals
- You should set specific goals that scare and excite you at the same time
- Ask yourself :
- Is this goal aligned with one of my core four Areas of Life?
- Is it aligned with my Worth Ideal?