Envisioning Success

Before you read the next sentence I need you to stop, close your eyes, and think about what your goals are for the rest of the year.  You didn't cheat did you?  Okay, let's move on.  We've now got a little more than four and a half months till the year ends.  Are your goals SMART?  I've talked about goals before and you need to understand that I will continue to harp on them because they are essential to success.

Goal setting is a part of a process that, with mental and physical dedication, will eventually lead you to be in a better position than you were before you embarked on your personal quest.  In order to set more effective goals, check out the SMART protocol, and check on my goal setting post.  I want to move a little bit further along to a point where your goals are already set (like the ones you have for the rest of the year).

Between setting the goal and the end result there is the process of building the vehicle to get you to your destination.  Imagine that the goal is point A, the final result is point B.  There are many ways to get between the points, and equally as many ways to get off course.  One could ride a bike, or one could take a jet between the points.  Which do you think yields a quicker path?  Now obviously that is just an illustration and not truly how the process works, but you get the point.  You need to figure out the best course of action.  

Which path will you take?

So what can you do to make sure you are on the proper path?  Well, envision ahead of time the requirements for success, as well as potential obstacles you may have.  If I think ahead of time about issues that will certainly come up, already have an idea of how to deal with those issues in a timely manner.  If I know that fundraising for my team will be an issue, do I really want to wait till the team bank account is down to zero before I think of a fundraising event?  If I feel that at a certain part of the year my team gets stale in their training, do I really want to happen again without a well thought out response to the problem?

The ability to foresee what can inevitably derail you from the path to success should also be coupled with the ability to foresee what actions you can take to to ensure you reach your potential.  What strengths of yours will you take advantage of to see your goals achieved?  What positive aspects of yourself or your program do you know will be the deciding factor in your path to the top?  That is how you envision success.  Have goals, plan ahead, think positive, and work diligently to finish strong.