Ten Ways To Ensure Your Goals Are Leading You To Success

Success, energy, passion and commitment are created by success - success at accomplishing the goals we have set for ourselves, and the goals that others have set for or with us. Nothing is more powerful than accomplishment.

Many of us never seem to complete all the goals and tasks we set for ourselves on a daily and weekly and monthly basis. We tend to focus on what we didn't do, rather than on all the things that got done. The effect of overbooking ourselves is that we probably get more done, but the price of never meeting all of our own commitments can be very high.

The price is high if the effect of constantly falling short of our own goals and expectations results in self criticism and a feeling that we don't measure up. And the result is less energy, less commitment, less goal setting. And we did it to ourselves.

It's a balancing act between - on the one hand, stretching and keeping a high level of energy and commitment and confidence in ourselves and - on the other hand, getting discouraged because of our own self imposed failures.

That's why the goal formula - SMART - is so important in setting goals. SMART, it stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time specific, helps us protect against the burnout and discouragement of setting goals that are beyond stretch - that are out there with dreams and ideals - nice to think about but no help when it comes to accomplishment - today.

Here are ten ways you can ensure that your goals are leading to your success, and not to your discouragement:

1 - If you constantly end the day with a sense of frustration because you didn't meet all your goals and plans for that day - and celebration of what was accomplished is pushed aside by frustration - it's time you changed your thinking. And working harder isn't the answer.

2 - Few goals, no more than three to five, are better than many. Having many goals is often the result of confusing intention with action. Many goals can be a sign of not wanting to make the har.d choices required by priorities.

3 - If you use a daily task/goal list, after completing it, take the least important third of the items and put them in the trash. Stop overbooking and when you do get all the things done you committed to do, treat a "fun to do" as a reward for a day well done.

4 - Create short term goals that represent progress and then focus on it. The problem with the big, long term goals is that they are so far away that progress is hard to sustain. Example. If you want to do 12 pullups as a goal, and right now you can't do one, perhaps a short term goal of one will set you on the way to 12.

5 - Treat your goals as mileposts on a journey, rather than a destination. Every step can be celebrated; every step gets you closer to your dream; but celebrate the journey to keep commitment and energy positive.

6 - Don't be reluctant to modify your goals when your instincts and actions tell you that that is a wise thing to do. Remember, insanity is continuing to do the same things and expecting a different outcome. That's true with goals. Maybe the goal of pushing for 15 sales calls in a day is less important - and attainable - than 5 quality interviews in a day. Realize it's the results that count.

7 - Give yourself, and others, credit and recognition for small victories. You know, the call you made that you had been dreading; the presentation that your team gave even though they dreaded having to give it; the analysis that wasn't good news, but had to be reported; the irate customer that was helped. Others may not know the price you paid to do those things, but you know it. Give yourself a pat on the back for courage and commitment.

8 - Be flexible. In a perfect world we may have control of our time and how it is spent. In the real world, stuff happens. Deal with it - don't see "stuff " as an imposition, just do it. Then get back on track, even if the track has taken a sudden right turn.

9 - Realize that you are probably your own worst critic. That's good - that's bad. Use your self criticism constructively - that's good. Hand wringing and regret for things not done is bad - real bad. And while I'm not a student of the brain, have you ever noticed how we tend to soak up the things that didn't go right much easier than we reward and recognize ourselves for the good stuff?

10 - Keep an Accomplishment Log or Journal. Every day write down what you accomplished and feel good about it.

Goals guide us and help us succeed - and help us know what success is. Keep them positive and reinforcing, and watch your own success grow.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com; Website: http://www.coxconsultgroup.com/; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com/

Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved

How Leaders Increase Their Personal Energy

I recently posted a blog titled " How Leaders Create The Energy Essential To Success." It dealt with ways leaders create energy in their organizations through their beliefs and behaviors.

This blog deals with how leaders sustain and increase their personal energy.

In our discussions, leaders divided energy into two dimensions - external and internal. The external dimension is what's seen - what's perceived by others through behavior. Internal energy is what occurs as a result of internal attitudes, values and beliefs - elements like optimism, curiosity, sense of self, opportunities. Many highly successful, highly energetic people don't appear energetic in the external, Energizer Bunny, kind of way. But what they possess is the kind of internal energy that keeps them moving and asking and discovering and recharging their batteries through action.

Most leaders we talked to agreed that part of high energy, both internal and external, is probably genetic - some people's motors just run faster. But having said that, they all said the biggest elements of energy creation and renewal are passion, commitment, focus and accomplishment.

Many of the leaders we talked to used exercising as an example of how the two dimensions of energy work with - or against - each other. They described times they forced themselves to exercise even though they were angry, or frustrated, or disappointed. The effect of forcing themselves to meet their commitment to themselves lifted them up, and renewed their energy. They were proud that they fought through the negative emotions to do what they had committed to do. And even though their level of performance may have initially suffered because of the negative emotions, the action of keeping a commitment energized them - internally and externally. As one leader joked about exercise " It feels so good when I'm finished."

Leaders increase personal energy by pressing on, even when obstacles and emotions would make it easy to stop, pull back, defer. Action creates energy.

Leaders create and renew energy through accomplishment. The saying " Nothing succeeds like success" is so true - at all levels. And it's not just personal accomplishment that creates energy - it's accomplishment at the organizational, individual, workgroup and family level. Leaders look for accomplishment as a means of sustaining and growing their energy, as well as the energy of others.

Leaders take inspiration from the pleasure and achievement of others. They know there's plenty for everybody.


Leaders say breaking out - doing something they've never done before, can be terrifying, exhilarating, but always energizing. It doesn't have to be climbing Everest - it can be much more down to earth. The important thing is that it's new - new sports, new places, new physical challenges, new mental challenges. As one former teacher put it - "the only difference between a rut and a grave is a rut's longer." Ruts don't create energy - they pull it down at all levels.


Leaders like to travel to new places that test their assumptions. Going to a place where they're not in a position of leadership, where the language is different, the food is different, the culture is different, and observing and embracing it without comparison, is a great way to feel more alive - more energetic.

Leaders create effective, productive routines for the day to day things they need to do. They know weaving the important things into day to day routines is liberating. The fewer exceptional efforts required to complete the day - to - days, the more energy available for the creative, new, challenging, accomplishment - directed things.

Leaders find sources of inspiration - and are energized by them. Challenges in their enterprises, biographies of people that have overcome challenges, self help and motivation books, music, poetry, speeches, seminars, relationships with successful people, all add energy.

Leaders find a way to give and give back. They give their talent, their energy, their passion, their experience to others, and are energized by the experience. Thry give without calculating or expecting a return. And they're richer for it - renewed energy is just one of the rewards.

Leaders treasure small victories - they know they lead to big victories. Small victories, well celebrated, have an enormous impact on energy. And there are so many more of them than just waiting for the few big victories. It goes without saying that the big victories really get celebrated.

Finally, leaders cultivate optimism - in themselves and in others. They start each day with the belief that soemthing special is gonna happen - if they make it happen. And leaders use that optimism to think the best of others - they know negative expectations of others results in low energy .

Leaders we talked to offered many more ways they sustain and develop their personal energy. No single person does all of them. But they all agreed action is the basis for energy. While on the surface it might appear that action takes energy away, in reality it's the exact opposite. Effective action adds energy.

Your personal energy is a critical part of your success. Without a high level of both internal and external energy success is hard to find. Use the methods described in this article to help you create and sustain your own high level of energy. Act - today.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com; Website: www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved

How Leaders Create The Energy Essential To Success

Leaders know high energy individuals, workgroups and organizations create success. How to create and sustain that high energy is the key challenge leaders face every day.


The following behaviors and beliefs are keys that leaders we have worked with have found work to achieve consistent high energy with their people.


Leaders start with the belief that commitment unleashes energy and that compliance reduces energy. To the extent that their people feel committed to the goals of the organization, they will work harder, produce more and accomplish more than any group of people waiting to be told what to do. Compliance keeps people waiting for direction - it keeps them asking " What do you want me to do now?"


Leaders share knowledge and information, they don't hoard it. They want their people to know how things are going. They believe 90% of their people can handle the truth, but that 100% of their people are turned off by half truths and secrecy. Leaders practice the exact opposite of the "if knowledge is power, than the sharing of knowledge is a reduction in power" behavior of high control managers.


Leaders work with their people to create goals that align with the organization's goals. Then they keep the goals as simple as possible and work to have their people align their personal goals with the goals of the organization. And they fight to keep the goal process as simple and free of bureaucratic stuff as possible. They want goals to create energy, and not have process destroy it.


When leaders think they've communicated enough - they know they need to communicate more. Effective communication creates energy.


Leaders protect the time of their people. There are always distractions that can take the energy out of any endeavor. Leaders keep their people protected from the low value, time and energy eating things that invariably show up. Just as individuals need to keep their eye on the few important things, so must leaders keep their eye on the same few important things,


Leaders define what having "your eye on the ball " means. The purpose of goals - solid, real goals focused on contribution and accomplishment - keep the main things the main things - and make it easier for everyone to be energized and focused.


Leaders know action creates energy - lack of action sucks the energy out of any enterprise. Ever been in a restaurant when it's not busy? Bad time to be there - you might expect the best service and the best food, but it rarely works out that way. Come back when the place is really busy - and see a high level of service and energy and focus. Focused busy has a power all its own.


Leaders have high expectations of all their people - and they hold them to their expectations. Nothing is more demoralizing and sapping of energy than to have a manager indicate by words or actions that not much is expected. And guess what? When that belief is communicated - not much is accomplished. Nobody ever did anyone a favor by telling them to "take it easy."


Leaders demand that their people know what their contribution to the enterprise is and how it is measured, and how they are doing. And not just at the annual performance review. Leaders hold performance reviews all the time.


Leaders know the more open and communicative their behavior, the more authority, power and energy they and their people have. High control managers, on the other hand, fail to see that, and hold as much power as possible to themselves, and in doing that, they actually cede power to others, and don't tap the potential energy of their people.


Leaders protect the energy of their people from the negative 5 percent that show up - in even the best organizations. They protect them by taking swift action to either remediate the negative behavior, or, failing that, by getting rid of the negative 5 percenters. And not by simply palming them off on the next manager or leader.


Leaders incorporate these beliefs and behaviors into their every day work and play. They know that anything that requires constant special attention to keep going will fail. Only imbedded behaviors and beliefs have lasting value.



Review the behaviors and beliefs that leaders have shared in this blog, and see where you can add to your impact and create more energy with your people - and the people around you. Do it through action - today.

Written by Andy Cox, President

4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Phoenix: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com; Website: http://www.coxconsultgroup.com/; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com/

Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved