Goal setting- The habit of successful people.

In this series of blog articles, I am helping you look at setting goals and resolutions for this year that you feel are achievable?

Before we start it is useful to consider what are your biggest challenges are at the moment.

These some of the things that dentists I am meeting are saying to me at the moment,

· “I have so much to do and not enough time to do it”

• “I have completed my CQC registration and now I have to action all the things I said I would do and I don’t know where to start”
• “January is looking really tight and I am worried about how I am going to pay my bills”
• “My key receptionist has just handed her notice in and I don’t know how I’m going to manage without her”
• “Why is it I have to keep telling my staff the same thing over and over again and still they don’t do what I ask them to?”

Which of these sound familiar?

To recap on the previous blogs the steps to creating a well formed goal that is manageable

· State your goal in the positive.

· Make your goal sensory specific.

The next step is to identify what are the factors that will enable you to start and maintain your progress towards successful completion of your goal?

Having identified a goal that you would like to achieve it is useful to consider the following questions;

• What skills and capabilities do you already have that will mean that you will achieve this goal?
• What skills and capabilities do you need to learn to ensure that you will achieve this goal?What resources do you need to start and maintain this journey
• Who do you know that can help?
• What training, skills or resources does another person need to support you?
• What books, technology, or other information sources will help you achieve it?
• Who are your role models for achieving this goal?
• What time do you need to allocate to achieving this goal?
• When can you allocate the necessary time to achieving this goal?
• How will achieving this goal affect your relationships, personal and professional?
• How will achieving this goal affect you socially?
• How will achieving this goal affect your health and fitness?
• How will achieving this goal affect you intellectually, spiritually or emotionally?
• How will achieving this goal affect others around me?
• How often are you going to measure your progress?
• How are you going to measure your progress?

For example if like many dentists who are asking me to work with them January is looking very tight financially, you may now be recognising that there are things that you can do to take control of the situation, you may know how to use an excel spreadsheet to construct a 12 month budget projection for your income and expenses, and that you could organise your diary to give you an hour’s protected time to review your accounts. If finances allow you could recruit a book keeper who will have a greater degree of skill than you and work more quickly saving you time and money in the long run. You are already beginning to imagine many ways that you will choose to measure your financial position day by day, week by week and month by month, to give you a feeling of control and security.

Take some time to consider the things that you want to achieve in 2011 and define them in terms of

• Stating them in the positive
• Describing the in sensory language
• Defining what you need to start and maintain your progress

In the next blog I will be discussing how the context of goals is important for success.

If you would like some specific help in creating a compelling vision for your practice and life, call me to discuss how you can achieve it. 07989 757 884 or e mail jane@healthyandwealthy.co.uk