Having goals in your life is as essential as having a purpose for your existence. As a sales leader, defining a goal early on enables you to gain clarity and steers you towards it through the right actions and behaviours. Goal setting does not mean scribbling resolutions at the end of the year, only to regret not having achieved them the next year. Stretching yourself is good but sometimes over-stretching a goal and dwelling in the guilt of not being able to achieve it can take you down the wrong path. The famous words of W. Clement Stone, “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star”, reminds us to aim for something higher than what we think we can achieve. This makes you strive harder than usual, and you may end up achieving more than you could under different circumstances.

GOAL SETTING FORMATS THAT WILL HELP YOU ATTAIN SUCCESS

1. SMART – Specific, Measurable, Actionable /Achievable / Aspirational, Result Oriented, Time Bound
2. Critical Thinking Format

Once you have your goals ready in any of the above formats, Leadership Coach Venkataraman Subramanyan believes that the lens of A B C can be used effectively to achieve those GOALS.

With clarity comes conviction and one needs to apply a growth mindset to achieve them.

A – ASPIRATION

Aspiration is all about challenging yourself. For example, what will you grow 3x and 10x this year?

It is all about building a multiplier mindset. Allow us to share a few ideas around how you could become a multiplier.

1. Manage your energy, not your time

Are you doing your proactive and important tasks when you are at your intellectual best?

If not, this is the time for you to become selfish with your calendar. Block periods of time when you are at your best. Spend one portion of that time period on self-reflection, planning, and preparation. Spend the balance of those time periods with your team – ideating, challenging, and executing.

2. Invest in 80/20 activities

• If you set aside some time for reflection, you would have noticed that 20% of your activities get you 80% of your results. Identify these activities and focus on these.
• Set aside another 20% of your time to satisfy your Multiplier mindset.
• Block out another 20% for learning. Without consciously learning every week, you run the risk of becoming irrelevant.
• Block out another 20% to spend time with people better than you.
• By now, you would have realized that you have only 20% left. It is best to run with an 80% full calendar so that you have the time and space to react to the urgent.

Another powerful 80/20 activity is to create an Emotional Bank Account. Make someone great every day and the universe will conspire to make you greater. No time guarantees but it will happen.

3. Invest in Visualisation

There is a saying: Success is created twice- once in the head and the second in reality!

If you want to achieve more, visualise powerfully on how you would feel if you actually achieved the goal. Become one with that feeling and let that power be your motivator for your achievement. Breakthroughs are “break-with”s – therefore, think about what you would stop doing for you to achieve more. Let your visualisation become your North Star to empower you to become who you could be.

B – BALANCE

Balance is all about getting the two ends of the pivot right in our lives – the balance between physical and spiritual and the balance between mental and emotional. The first balance is intrapersonal, while the second is interpersonal.

1. Balance between the Physical & Spiritual

These two are intertwined – in fact, we have learnt that it is best to meditate first thing in the morning and then engage in balanced exercises that stress the 5 components of fitness – strength, endurance, flexibility, balance and breath. The rest of the day can then unfold.

Think about meditation and exercise as two oxygen tanks that you will fill up in the morning akin to the mobile phones we charge through the night. Those oxygen tanks once filled properly will stay with you right through the day and late evening when you could spend meaningful time with your family and loved ones. Without those oxygen tanks, your day rapidly deteriorates into presenteeism and neglect.

2. Balance between the Mental & Emotional

This is the dance between EQ and IQ, and it is played out in the minds of the people we interact with. They assess our intent and where we lead from. As a leader, you would certainly be aware that EQ trumps IQ. It is all about connecting with humility, speaking with authenticity and building synchronicity in how we communicate. Those who get this balance right are rewarded with rich, meaningful relationships and a network that works for them.

C – CONTENTMENT

Contentment is all about looking back at the previous year with gratitude and acknowledging all the people who have made a difference. It is also about reflecting on the past year and capturing all your learnings.

Specific questions you might want to ask yourself:

1. What can I not afford to forget in 2021?
2. What was my biggest mistake and what is my learning from that mistake?
3. Who are the 3-5 people whom I have learnt to respect?
4. How have I exercised my right brain in the previous year?
5. Who have been my force multipliers last year?

In a nutshell, having a ‘big picture’ of what you want to do with your life and then breaking it down into smaller goals gives you a clear plan of action to execute on a daily basis. Repeating the same process each week, each month and each quarter can yield expected results in the set timeline.

Your goals must be realistic, aimed to be accomplished with the simple frameworks elaborated in this article. These will help you achieve Balance and Contentment, leading you towards the fulfilment of your Aspirations.