Thinking Big, Thinking Small
There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. - Nelson Mandela
The start of the year often means that we have new goals to achieve. Some goals we set for ourselves such as getting in shape or buying a new house. Others are set for us by others – your boss wants you to close two mega accounts this year, or your spouse wants to take at least two family trips abroad this year. Here are a few ideas top performers find helpful in achieving goals:
- Ask Why? Take a few minutes to analyze your goals. Why is it important for you to achieve it? What will you get from it? How will that impact your life? A few questions to dig deeper often help us realize exactly why we are hungry and willing to do what it takes to achieve our goals. Or you may realize it isn’t that important in which case you saved yourself the hassle altogether.
- Think big, (then) think small. As H.G. Wells put it, “There is no upper limit to what individuals are capable of doing with their minds. There is no age limit that bars them from beginning. There is no obstacle that cannot be overcome if they persist and believe.” You should indeed think big; challenging yourselves, existing business models, and the status quo. Once you have your goal in mind, it helps to start thinking small. Ask yourself, “What is the very next step that you need to take towards this goal?” Often you will find that the next step can be as simple as making an appointment with a trainer, or looking through your LinkedIn contacts and finding 10 contacts to speak with this month. Getting through a few small next steps builds momentum to carry you forward.
- Don’t do it alone. Working with others helps create accountability and makes your effort more fun! Even if the goal is something that you need to accomplish by yourself, involving others is beneficial. If your goal is to make three calls this week to former clients, you are more likely to make those calls if you let your manager know that you are planning on it and would appreciate 3 minutes at the end of the week to share the results.
Need more inspiration to achieve your goals? One of our all-time favorites is Jimmy V’s 1993 ESPY speech. Click here for a condensed version compiled by some successful athletic goal achievers.
Find the real meaning behind your goals, take it one step at a time, and bring others into your journey.