Are there pitfalls in your approach to get your goals met? Maybe its time you squarely face what gets in the way and do the opposite. Here are the five most common goal pitfalls. You can make needed corrections, or pat yourself on the back if you manage these pitfalls in your life planning. * Pitfall #1Worry Over Time
Instead of worrying about not being where youd like to be, accept where you are. Whether you like being where you are or not, the acceptance of it is crucial to assess what is important next for your life. Let those answers guide your choices and your planning phase. Dont live life making up for lost time to finish unimportant projects, or allow your attention to be diverted to whatever comes up next. Ask yourself what is most important and work toward those goals. * Pitfall #2Compare Your Progress With Others
Is your approach to goals from a mindset of shoulds or comparisons, rather than a heartfelt place of what fits your deep interests? If so, its time you stop that self-sabotaging behavior. Review your recent accomplishments to keep you present and in touch with your values, not someone elses. A sure way to correct comparative behavior is to ask yourself if you want the whole package of those you envyyoud rarely agree to the tradeoffs. * Pitfall #3No Clear Direction
People often approach their future as if they were adding squares to a quilt one patch at a time, but not knowing if each piece fits an overall theme. Fully visualize the future youd like so you have a congruency in each aspect of your work and a clear direction its building towards. Be sure to include what you may have to give up or change to get there. Your minds camera will reveal a picture that either inspires you, or will cause you to move on to something you feel is worth the effort. * Pitfall #4Take Too Long to Complete Goals
Chances are youre juggling too many goals. Start with the most important goal and order the rest behind it. Revisit your goals list regularly, as your interests may have shifted or youve completed a goal and now need to reprioritize your list. Dont wait until you have completed a goal before you plan the next one. Work on correlate objectives to move goals along, i.e. write a report and prepare your speech outline on the same subject, since they are two related goals you could tackle together. * Pitfall #5Trouble Staying Focused and on Task
You are likely unpracticed in the following areas that successful, consistent achievers excel in. They a) commit outright for the duration of a project, (b) make clear choices, (c) narrow their projects scope, (d) say no as needed to other projects or activities and (e) stay intent on accomplishing each activity till their task is completed. Through these, along with step-by-step planning, prioritizing and timely initiation, your actions will be productive. You will be able to eliminate distractions, and stay on course. Be wiseadd in trustworthy support from someone who will hold you accountable to action steps that meet your objectives. Turn your pitfalls into springboards by doing their opposite and you will launch a successful strategy for a winning goal performance. ===============
Laurie A. Sheppard: 12-year master certified Life Coach and Career Strategist to mid-level professionals and small business entrepreneurs who want to make quality career and personal changes. Laurie is author of the double-audiotape, The 3 Cs for Effective Living: Change, Creativity and Communication and eBook, Achieving Selfhood Through Self-Esteem. She offers complimentary coaching sessions, giveaways and numerous resources including her monthly ezine, Change-makers Career Tips, at http://www.creatingatwill.com. You are welcome to publish this article in its entirety, electronically, or in print free of charge, as long as you include my full signature file for ezines, and my Web address in hyperlink for others sites. Please send a courtesy link or email where you publish to Laurie@CreatingAtWill.com. ======
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