This month’s Goal Setting Tip is: The more powerful the REASON you have for achieving your goal, the easier it is to keep going, when the going gets tough. When you have just had a fall, or a setback or a rejection it is the power and size of your reasons that will have you straight back up on your feet, dusting yourself off and planning your next move.
It works like this: emotion drives behaviour. So the more emotion you have the more ‘drive’ you will have to achieve your Goals. Emotion is created by having a really compelling reason why you want to achieve something.
Here’s two scenarios to explain it further. The goal in this case is to learn to speak conversational Italian. Which of these individuals are most likely to achieve the goal the quickest?
- Person A is an unskilled immigrant from Africa who has moved to Italy to leave behind the poverty and negativity of his country. His reasons for learning Italian are: 1) I need to learn Italian so I can get a job, 2) I need a job so I can support my family, 3) If I don’t learn the language my family will starve.
- Person B has a management degree, numerous diplomas, worked in high paying jobs, and has a great job in Italy for a year. His reasons for learning Italian are: 1) It might be fun, 2) I would like to learn a foreign language, 3) I may as well, while I am in the environment.
I am tipping that you picked Person A as well. So it is not about the ‘education’ or ‘access to money’ or ‘past experiences’ – it is about how emotionally powerful is your reason for wanting what you want.
The Take away lesson: always, always, always when you are Goal Setting, get clear about the REASONS why you want the goal. If the reasons are not strong enough, it might just be the wrong Goal anyway.
Obviously for a deeper dive on all things to do with Goal Setting and achieving your deepest desires, check out the very strategic and scientific ELITE Goal Setter Program. Go well beyond SMART goals!