Monday, March 23, 2009

4 step process to achieve what you want!

Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

In times like these when the media is talking about recession, doom and gloom, it’s more important than ever for us to keep focused on what we want to achieve and be the leaders we want to become.

One of my Clients said yesterday, “I don’t like my job, but at least I have a job.” People are feeling scared, insecure, and unmotivated. The future seems more uncertain than ever. This made me contemplate how to help people be motivated and inspired to do their best, when there is so much negativity around us. Energy flows where attention goes.

So it’s time to focus on what we want, and what actions we need to take to achieve it. Most people don’t know what they want. They just know what they don’t want. They can tell you quite clearly what they don’t want, but when asked what do you want? Their mind goes blank. Are you one of these people?
If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there? Have you stopped to think recently about what you want? What is your vision for what you’d like to achieve in your life, and in your career? Are you willing to put the effort needed to get you there?

Many people complain about their job, and don’t do anything about it. They moan about not having responsibility and accountability, or that they were passed for a promotion, or that the politics in the organisation block them from moving forwards. They feel powerless and they don’t realise they could take control of the situation if they chose to.We always have a choice in how we view a situation. Even when we think we don’t, we do. The problem is that we don’t like the alternatives and pretend they are not there.

Here is my 4-step process for achieving what you want.
1. Define what you want
You must create a compelling picture of what you want in your life. What will you see hear and feel when you have achieved it? How will you know you have achieved it?

2. Take responsibility for your current situation
The next step is to take responsibility for the current situation. What is the current situation? And ask yourself how have you contributed to it and how have you created it? What is stopping you ( within you) to achieve it?This is quite difficult to do; it’s much easier to blame others for our current situation. However when you take responsibility and control of your life you can take action to correct it.
3. Create an action plan

After you take responsibility for your situation, it’s much easier to see the steps to take to get the results you want. Write the steps into a SMART action plan.

4. Take action
The last step is to take action. Start acting as if it was already true. Be that person you are becoming. And keep visualising yourself having already achieved your goal.

Case Study

I had a Client who was a Finance Controller, and he was upset that he had not been promoted to Finance Director. Many of his colleagues in similar roles were Finance Directors and he felt that he was being taken advantage of.I asked him what stopped him being a Finance Director, and he came up with a long list of reasons why the company wasn’t promoting him. We worked on him taking responsibility for his current situation and after talking for a while he realised he wasn’t stepping up to the challenge.Through our work together he realised that he had been acting as a Finance Controller – waiting to be promoted. He started focusing on what he wanted, and started behaving and acting like a Finance Director. He started being the change he wanted. The result was that he was promoted in less than 3 months.Inspiring Potential can assist you in clarifying your goals and taking the steps to achieve them. Talk to us today!