GOAL MINING

Amazing Strike-It-Rich Formula

for
Achieving Virtually Anything

GOAL MINING
Why Me? Why Not? ................................................................................... 3
What’s Your “Why”?................................................................................. 11
SMART Choice!......................................................................................... 41
The GPS (Goal Positioning System) for Success! ..................................... 69
Learn to Tame Time.................................................................................. 76
No “I” in Team - Build It and Success Will Come! ................................. 80
Mind Over Success..................................................................................... 94
Accelerated Results ..................................................................................106
Real Accounts -Real Results.....................................................................122
Take Flight!...............................................................................................133

GOAL MINING
 Introduction

Why Me? Why Not?

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 I grew up a skinny kid, who suddenly blew up into a fat kid, around the age of

14. I didn’t have the easiest time growing up. I was bullied, made fun of and

had to constantly protect myself both emotionally and physically or simply

run away and hide. I’d always wished that I had a bodyguard or someone to

protect me. I wished for a slim and muscled physique, but never had anyone

to explain why I was just getting fatter.

So, what’s a fat kid going to tell you about success? Not a whole lot… if the story

ended there. But it doesn’t. What would you say the odds are of that fat kid growing up

to become an International best-selling author, a success coach, a celebrity fitness

expert who’s been featured on Regis & Kelly and magazines from Cosmo to Muscle-

Mag International, who’s made appearances on every major network, and who’s sold

nearly a million copies of his books on fitness? Probably not great odds, right? But it

happened.

And if I could do it – and I did – anyone can do it.

What is it that you want? Why don’t you have it already? You know the definition of

insanity? It’s doing the same things over and over, expecting different results. If you’re

ready to kick your pursuit of your dreams up a notch, you’re going to have to do some

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different things, think some different thoughts, and use some different tools. It’s not

enough to set the same old New Year’s resolutions. It’s not enough to read a self-

improvement book. Achievement – outrageous, dream-come-true achievement

happens only one way. It’s by creating valuable goals and taking massive action to

make them happen.

Why are you reading this book? I can take a guess, and bet it won’t be far from

accurate. You’ve had dreams and desires in the past, but they kind of faded out for a

while. You put them on the back burner while you did what you thought you had to do

instead – work a job, manage a household, meet the needs of the people around you,

live up to other people’s expectations. You never quite forgot about what you really

wanted, but it’s always seemed like just a distant fantasy. You set goals, more like New

Year’s resolutions really, and let them slide away. Nobody held you accountable (not

even yourself), and their urgency faded as the weeks rolled along. Then something

happened to make you remember. You had a big change in your life. You succeeded,

or failed, at something big – and it made you remember. You geared up once again to

achieve your goal. You had commitment. You had a dream. You made a vow to do it

this time, for sure. But it slipped away again.

Why? Because you were missing something crucial to your success. You were missing

a system – a foolproof step-by-step method for success.

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What happened? It could be any number of obstacles that got in the way. You vowed

to lose weight – but then your schedule got out of control and “regular exercise”

became something that happened once in a while… and then once in a great while.

You planned to start your own business – but got frustrated when you couldn’t manage

to get your plan together. You didn’t have the support you needed. Your funding fell

through, and your comfortably secure 9-5 job sounded a lot better to you. Or, you

decided to once and for all beat some bad habit. Temptation knocked – you answered,

and you never quite got your head back in the game.

Hey, I completely understand. I’m no stranger to trouble. You see, I’ve battled so many

of the same issues you’ve faced. Obesity, a deadly eating disorder, being bullied in

school, academic struggles, loneliness, shyness, financial setbacks, and most recently,

my own dear father’s murder. Yet, along the way, I learned a goal-achievement system

so solid, so foolproof, so proven that I can apply it again and again and get whatever I

go after. Have I arrived? Of course not – but because of this goal-achievement system,

I can keep my eyes fixed on the prize, my head clear, and my jaw set in determination.

I’m James Villepigue, success coach, best-selling author, fitness guru, and former fat

kid. I’m here to share my fool-proof, step-by-step action plan for achieving any goal.

How should we work this? Read it, of course, but don’t stop there. Read it again and

dig deeper. Then take the next step. Get the help you need – a coach, a mentor, a

friend, an accountability partner – then get into action. Do the work you need to do to

GOAL MINING
set goals that’ll revolutionize your life. How badly do you want success? You can do

this.

You know, if just setting goals were enough to get everything you want in life, we’d all

walk around completely satisfied. We’d know what it means to win, to achieve, to

experience wild success. Who hasn’t set goals, made resolutions, or just wished life

could be different? We’ve all done it. Unfortunately, setting goals is easier than

accomplishing them. Even when we’ve got a strong desire and the necessary tools to

meet our goals, we sometimes fall short.

Goals, in and of themselves, aren’t the answer to achieving success. Meeting them is

what counts. You can think of goals as mile markers on our path to success. If you

don’t reach those markers, you’re not progressing on your journey. Arriving at these

mile markers is hard work. It takes commitment, concrete plans of action,

accountability, and follow-through. No one else is going to do what only you can do; the

responsibility is yours.

Our emotions, our philosophies on life—these are things that factor into everything we

do. But when it comes to meeting goals, action is what is most important. Excitement

plays a part, but eventually it dies down. Motivation matters, but it comes and goes in

tides. What you need is a plan that you can stick to.

In fact, the way you frame the goals themselves should be actionable. Steer away from

the vague and theoretical and move towards the specific and step-oriented. You’ll learn
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that meeting goals is all about doing. That’s what we’re going to work on right now –

how to do your goals.

Think it. Do it. Did it. Done!

First of all, what I’m going to share with you is a goal acceleration process that’s

different from any system you’ve ever seen. It’s a foolproof way to set and achieve

goals because Think it. Do it. Did it. Done! Is a precise step-by-step process. It’s like a

road map to get from New York to Florida – you go through the states in between in a

certain order. You’ve got to get all the way through each state before you get to the next

one. Each step is self-contained, compartmentalized. This makes it simple to learn. You

satisfy each step before you move on. Let’s take a quick overview of each of the steps –

think it, do it, did it, and done.

Think it – First things first. Think about and confirm what you truly want to achieve. It

can be yours. You can make it happen. You start by creating SMART goals that are

valuable to you. You set short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. You map out your

path from where you are to the fulfillment of your ultimate goals. Now, before you can

create a plan to achieve your goals, you really need to answer an important question –

why. You need to get very clear about what you want and why you want it. This clarity

will go a long way toward keeping you motivated as you go for it. Look at a few

examples.

GOAL MINING
 • Why do you want to stop smoking? Is the appeal having better health? Breathing

fresh air? Living a longer life with your loved ones?

• Why do you want to lose weight? Are you really looking for the boost in

confidence you’ll have? A better sex life? Higher quality of life?

• Why do you want to stop drinking? How’s a healthy liver sound to you? What

about improved consciousness? Better relationships?

• Why are you after a better job? Is the real goal having more money? A happier

life? Being more productive? Finding and fulfilling your purpose in life?

• Why do you want to start treating people better? Is it to grow as a person? To

make more friends? To discover greater opportunities?

• Why do you want to volunteer your time? Is it for the great feelings you’ll have?

How about living with a purpose? Discovering a connection with your

community?

• Why do you want to spend more time with your family? To grow your

relationships? To have a greater support system? To make sure your life never

includes would have, could have, should haves?

• Why do you want more money? To buy better toys? To take great vacations? To

be able to give generously to causes that touch your heart?

Before you get going on your goals, you’ve got to drill down and find the answers, find

your why. If you can nail this down, you’ll set off on your journey on the right foot. It’s a

step you can’t skip.

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Do it – Set a course for achieving your intended outcome. Using this goal acceleration

system, you discover and utilize the most valuable tool for managing and tracking your

goals. It’s a system of accountability that keeps your goals in front of your eyes. You

know exactly where you are, and what you need to do next. You develop action steps to

take you where you want to go, deciding what you’ll do, when you’ll do it, and how you’ll

do it.

Did it – Master the skills for accelerated results. Bring your goals to fruition. Maintain

organization. Be on top of every facet of the goal achievement process. After you

achieve your short-term goals, you’ve got a proven record which will help you tackle

your mid-term goals, and finally reach for and accomplish your long-term goals. You go

after each level of goals in the same, systematized way.

Done – Done deal! You’ve succeeded. On to bigger and better goals. Carry those

newfound goal-achieving skills forward. Watch your life change. Consistently achieve

your most deeply-desired goals. You’ve now got the road-map to follow for achieving

anything you want. You apply this same system to any goal, and know how to bring

about your success.

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 Chapter One

What’
What’s Your “Why”
Why”?

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VALUABLE GOALS

So, what’s your idea of a goal? What does “goal” mean to you? Lots of people set

goals, fail to accomplish them, then chuck the whole process out the window. “My goal

didn’t happen. So, obviously, goal setting doesn’t work,” they say. There’s nothing new

about setting goals – we’re not pushing goals as being the cure-all. Anyone can set a

goal. What happens next is the key to whether you experience success or a string of

failures. How do you work your goals? How do you stay accountable to the goals you

yourself have set? The success is in the follow through.

Dreams and wishes

Goals are only one level of desire. In addition to goals, desire comes in the form of both

dreams and wishes.

Dreams and wishes sound something like this:

• Life would be great if I were rich.

• If I were 10 pounds thinner, I’d be so much happier.

• I’d love to see the Egyptian pyramids someday.

• It would be really neat to write a book.

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Dreams and wishes are good to have. A bit of fantasizing does everyone some good.

The problem with wishes, however, is that the word itself signals that what you want is

unattainable. After all, if you could get whatever it is that you’re wishing for, you wouldn’t

have to wish. You’d just go out and make it happen. Wishing and dreaming is a

subconscious way of telling yourself that you’ll never get that trip to Egypt unless a fairy

godmother turns up on

your doorstep.
What happens if I’m really not sure what I want?
The first step in creating any goal, is to get specific about it – In
other words how can you expect something, if you don’t know
exactly what to expect – Have fun and go on a discovery of what
you truly desire. Remember, it’s not enough to say I want to lose
weight! How much? By when? Why? Once you know what you
want, getting it becomes much easier than trying to figure out
precisely what you desire. For example, if you don’t get specific
about your weight loss goal, and you manage to lose one ounce –
are you successful with your goal?

Valuable goals are specific

Dreams and wishes are vague. Being rich sounds great, and it’s pretty self-explanatory

- it means having more money than you currently do. But most people don’t just want

more money for the sake of having more money. Instead, more money might mean a

bigger home or buying the boat you’ve always wanted.

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You can see the difference. With just a couple of words, we’ve already made a move

from the vague to the specific. Specific goals can be achieved. Vague dreams cannot.

Wealth is a state of being, a noun. What you need are actions, verbs. “I am building a

successful business,” and not “I want a bunch of money.”

Switching from “I wish I were rich” to “I am going to get a good job” is a step in the right

direction. But you’ve actually got to take it one step further. Get as specific as possible

with your goals.

For example, what does “good job” mean? Is it:

• A job that pays more?

• Moving up to a managerial position?

• Advancing within your current company?

• Moving to a new company?

• Switching careers?

• Doing work that you find personal satisfying?

Just when you think you’ve gotten as specific as you possibly can, you can always

narrow it down more. Let’s take another run at the “good job” example.

Suppose that to you “good job” means doing work that you find personally satisfying.

Well, how do you know if the work you’re doing feels fulfilling?

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Should it:

• Involve helping other people?

• Challenge you?

• Allow you to be creative?

• Put your true talents to work?

We could continue down this road for a long time. Any one of the above characteristics

of satisfying work could be narrowed down even further. With any goal you set, you

should go through this narrowing exercise. The more specific a goal is, the more

valuable it will be to you.

Valuable goals translate into plans of action

A vague dream is not particularly valuable because the thought of, say, writing a book is

intimidating and overwhelming when it’s not broken down into manageable steps.

Instead, you should say to yourself, “I’ve always wanted to write a book. How can I get

started?”

The trick to making dreams and wishes useful is to see them as catalysts for actions.

Every time you say you desire something, follow up by asking yourself, “How can I get

it?” That’s how you start to set valuable goals.

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A valuable goal is essentially synonymous with a plan of action. A plan is made up of

small steps that you’re motivated and able to complete. Each step is a valuable goal in

and of itself. They’re actually going to take you somewhere. They have value because

they’re useful.

Valuable goals are goals that get the job done. Remember, fantasizing doesn’t make

things happen.

Many aspiring authors love the idea of signing autographs for excited fans at their first

book signing. What they often don’t love is the idea of pouring over stacks of research

for several months. But you’ll never find yourself at that book signing if you don’t do the

research necessary to write your book. The book-signing dream is useful in as much as

it keeps you motivated to stay on track with your plan. Dreaming alone doesn’t produce

results.

Valuable goals aren’t always exciting

Wishes and dreams can seem more attractive than goals because wishes and dreams

are exciting. Visualizing yourself standing in front of the Sphinx is fun; visualizing

yourself sticking to a budget to sock away money for the trip is not. It’s important to

accept upfront, however, that not all goals are fun. Some are mundane, boring even.

Not to sound discouraging. It’s just a reminder that staying grounded in reality is

necessary for achieving any goal.

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Remember, as we said before, valuable goals are useful goals. Saving x amount of

dollars for a trip to Egypt is useful. Plane tickets, hotels, taxi rides—they all cost money.

Even if sticking to a budget isn’t fun, it’s an absolutely essential step in achieving a goal

of seeing the pyramids. You can never reach your ultimate goal if you’re not prepared to

set—and meet—less than thrilling intermediary goals.

What happens if you can’t face the fact that boring goals are necessary? You’ll

procrastinate. You’ll ultimately delay your success – just because you couldn’t connect

these smaller goals to the bigger picture. You can’t meet your ultimate goal if you avoid

and put off meeting the smaller goals you’re dreading.

Think about it like a farmer. What’s the best part about farming? The harvest. That’s

when he gets to see the fruit of his labors. That’s when the payment comes, when the

dream is realized. So, is that all there is to farming? Of course not. There’s a series of

small, less-than-glamorous jobs to be done every day for months ahead of time. It starts

in with preparing the dirt and planting seeds. In the achievement process, we do this by

planting ideas, wrapping our minds around new paradigms, new ways of doing things.

Nothing happens until the seeds are planted and covered with dirt. But with a little

water, sunshine, and time, something miraculous happens. The farmer doesn’t pace

around the seeds he’s planted, wondering whether he’s done everything necessary. He

trusts his farming experience, his ability. He fully expects to see little green leaves

sprouting out of the soil when the time is right.

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It’s the same way when we get to work on any goal. It might not seem very powerful to

cultivate your mind, your perspective and attitude. It might not seem like much when

you plant some new ideas. But if you provide the right environment, you’re going to see

those seeds germinate, sprout up, and ultimately bloom. Each step along the way

contributes to the synergistic effect that drives you toward achievement. It’s a process

that can’t be rushed – it needs support and protection, but not an impatient horn-

honking deadline.

There are lots of faster ways to get something that looks like what you want, but a quick

fix is never the lasting answer you really want. A quick fix is like a big, puffy dream, filled

with hot air. What happens? They blow up, leaving us with nothing. Much as you might

hate to hear it, patience is a virtue. Good things take time. Lasting changes usually take

time. You will reap the fruit of your labor if you wait patiently and expectantly, watching

your labor transform into results.

I see this all the time. Whenever people ask me about getting into shape or building

their business, I explain to them that by getting started right now, rather than just

thinking about getting started, they’ll begin to see immediate results. Will all these

results be tangible and really noticeable? Maybe, but probably not. But they will be

results. As soon as you get started, you feel motivated, energized, successful, in

control, and empowered. Those are all results. Sure, they’re feelings – but these

feelings will help bring about greater results.

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Think about it. If you get started right now, in one week, you’ll look back and realize how

far you’ve come in only seven days. If you just sit back and only think about taking

action, nothing productive will ever happen. Once you get into motion, it’s amazing how

one week of progress turns into a month, then a year. You see, it’s all about getting

started. Time can be your friend or your foe. It’s all up to you to learn how to tame the

time you’ve got. In other words, you can’t control time, but you can take advantage of it

and make it work for you – right now.

Valuable goals have multiple outcomes

Another characteristic of valuable goals is that they have multiple outcomes. For

example, “I want to be rich” has only one outcome: having more money than you

currently do. On the other hand, setting a goal such as getting a better job has multiple

outcomes, only one of which is having more money. Here are some others:

• The personal satisfaction that comes with success

• Increased self-esteem and confidence

• The happiness you’ll feel when you’re doing something you enjoy

• Opportunities for advancement

• A sense of invigoration that can make you more productive in other areas of your
life

• Meeting new people

• More positive outlook on life that will improve your relationships with others
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 • Additional income that will help you meet other goals: travel, charitable
donations, new hobbies, etc.

Sure, having more money is nice. But it’s not the final destination. Achieving this goal

affects your life in numerous ways. Achieving multiple-outcome goals is like hitting the

achievement jackpot! Improvement in multiple areas of your life sure beats improvement

in just one.

Valuable goals are consistent with your values

Another characteristic of valuable goals is that they are consistent with your personal

values. Personal values come in many different forms, and they are drawn from just as

many places. To name a few, we might have values related to:

• Family

• Religion

• Personal morals

• Lifestyle choices

• Priorities

A goal that’s out of sync with your personal values can never be reached. Once you

realize you can’t reach the goal and still be true to yourself, you’ll quit. Or, if you

sacrifice your values to achieve a goal, you could someday regret that decision and feel

like a complete failure.

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Let’s look at how a goal could be inconsistent with your personal values. The goal of

running an outrageously successful business might be inconsistent with the value you

place on spending time with your family. If you have children, you might feel that nothing

is more important than being a good parent. Perhaps your family ranks far above work

in terms of priorities.

So how might the two conflict? Running a thriving business takes hard work and often,

long hours. You might need to travel. You’ll spend a lot of time networking. You’ll need

to do a lot of reading and research to stay on top of the learning curve – especially

when you’re just starting out. All this probably means less free time to spend with your

family. Achieving this goal might be inconsistent with your values if you prize family time

above all else. That’s not to say you can’t strike a balance so you can pursue both goals

at the same time. But for sure, you’ll have to be proactive about it. You’ll need to set and

keep boundaries so that neither area creeps into the other.

The good news is that you don’t have to entirely scrap a goal because it potentially

conflicts with your personal values. Instead, look at ways that you might adjust the goal.

If you’re interested in earning more money, you don’t necessarily have to lash yourself

to the helm of your new venture. Going after a goal doesn’t mean you have to abandon

everything else you hold dear. You just have to create a plan that keeps both goals in

mind.

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 I have a dream house that I want. It’s not a fantasy, it’s something I want
and will have. Why is that far-fetched?

Hey dreams are great, but dreams are like fantasies, not always meant to
come true. Luck might bring it to you, but it’s never guaranteed. If you desire
that dream house, what have you done to make it a reality? What does it look
like? How big is it? Where is it located? What is it made of? What are you
doing in order to secure the financing necessary for a down payment? If
you’ve considered all of these things and they are REALISTIC, than maybe “A
Dream House” is not the proper word to describe your vision. Maybe it’s your
“Future House”.

Innate talent vs. goals and practice

Some people are innately talented in certain areas. Celine Dion was born with a great

set of pipes. John Heisman was built to throw a football. Possessing a natural gift can

give you a head start. It’s enviable, but not necessary. In fact, there are two things more

valuable than a natural gift: goals and practice.

Even those fortunate folks who were “born with it,” so to speak, set goals and practice.

John Heisman wouldn’t have the most prestigious college football award named after

him if he sat at home waiting to be discovered. He had to try out for his high school

football team; he had to put in long hours at after school practices. He had to sweat,

run, lift weights, and drill his skills.

The same is true of the greats in any field or industry. Coasting on pure talent will take

you somewhere, but not to the top. Maybe you’re the next operatic ingénue. Maybe you

can’t carry a tune in bucket. Either way, achieving your true potential for success means

setting goals and practicing.

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Everyone’s got access to these two elements of success. Anyone can learn to set goals

and anyone can practice. But the question is: are you ready to dedicate yourself and

work hard?

Back when we were kids, not all of our hobbies were our ideas. The piano lessons were

probably mom’s doing. So every afternoon you put in the requisite hour of hammering

out Chopsticks. In other words, you were being forced to practice. You were being

forced to practice to meet a goal you didn’t even set.

Now things are different. These are your goals. It’s time to get excited about them. You

no longer have mom hovering over your shoulder with the metronome. No one else is

going to—or can—take responsibility for your goals.

The very act of setting a goal implies that it’s something you want. It’s something you’re

passionate about. And it’s that passion that will transform the way you conceptualize

practice. Practicing becomes enjoyable and meaningful. You’re not merely going

through the motions to appease someone else. You’re out there doing instead of just

dreaming.

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When I was growing up, my greatest passion was hanging out with my friends and playing

sports together. (Or, quite honestly, getting into lots of trouble.) I was a terrible student all

the way up to the end of high school. I went to school because I was forced. (Thank God my

parents did force me!) You see, there’s a great distinction here: my being forced to do school

might not have been fun, but it was totally necessary for me to be where I am today. It wasn’t

the diploma or the degrees per se, it was the fight, the perseverance to stay the course. My

mom instilled in me that “Villepigue’s aren’t quitters!” I hated hearing that then, because it

meant that I couldn’t just give up, which would probably have been my first choice.

It wasn’t until 1993 that I realized that I had some talent. Now I didn’t wake up one morning

and realize I had talent. In fact, I made this discovery at my Grandfather’s funeral. I had

written a poem for his eulogy. I hauled my very shy self up in front of hundreds of people and

began reading. Well, actually, it was more a mix of reading, sniffling, crying and stuttering. I

never took my eyes off of the page. When I finally finished, I looked up at the audience and

every single person was crying like a baby. And here I thought I was the big baby. As I walked

to the back of the church, one person after another told me how much they loved the poem.

Some even asked my parents, “Who wrote that? It couldn’t have been Jamie!”

This was the beginning of it all. Others discovering my talent? No – me discovering the

euphoric feelings that come with accomplishment. I loved it!

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Intensifying your practice

Meeting your goals means taking your practice to a new level of intensity. If you want to

become a better singer, humming a few bars in the shower won’t cut it. Instead, you

need to seek out a professional vocal teacher. You need to spend at least an hour every

day working on your technique. You might even join your church choir for extra practice

and experience.

Another way you need to intensify your practicing is to continuously push yourself to do

better, to meet new standards. Basically, you can’t let your progress become stagnant.

You’ve got to set the bar higher and higher as you improve.

For instance, let’s suppose your ultimate goal is to run in your first marathon. The first

time you run a mile, it might take you 13 minutes. Next week, shoot for a 12-minute

mile. Once you can run a mile in 12 minutes, try for 11 minutes. You’re less likely to

succeed if you go into the training process with a generic concept of “improving each

week.” Instead, you need to define what improvement means.

Applying ‘heat’

Now I’m going to share with you a way to kick your practice into new levels you never

imagined. It’s one thing to practice. Practice is doing something over and over until you

get it right every time. It involves hard work, dedication, and persistence. There’s no

substitute for practice. But it’s not the whole story.

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Combine practice with ‘heat’ and you’ll find results that will astound you. Here’s how it

works. Imagine you’ve set a goal to be able to run a mile in under eight minutes. You’re

not aiming to break a world record or anything; it’s just something that’s a stretch for

you. You could go to the gym every day – and you should, because practice is

important. You follow the same procedure – tighten your shoelaces, warm up a little,

stretch your muscles, then hop onto the treadmill. Day after day. Your persistence is

admirable. What if instead of running at the gym, you decided one day to run through

the park? You’ve just finished stretching, and set out on a good jogging pace – when all

of a sudden, a bear pops out of the woods behind you. It doesn’t take a close look to

see he’s hungry, and he’s discovered a craving for “fresh jogger.” Immediately, you’d

run faster than ever before. Why? Your whole system experienced some heat. Your

emotions are now engaged. You’re now completely committed to your outcome –

running faster than you’ve ever run before.

Depending on where you live, you might not have access to bears. But that’s okay –

you can manufacture the same catalyst. If you trap yourself into a situation where your

only escape comes from success, you apply heat to your practice. Some people have

done this very creatively. They tap into the “Fight or Flight” response and work it to their

advantage. In any situation like this, your physiology tells you to make a quick choice –

stand your ground and fight, or run like crazy. Whichever way you go, you’re going to be

a lot more effective because you’re doing it like it counts – and it does! There was the

struggling salesman who purposely leased a very expensive vehicle – one he could

never cover the payments for if he didn’t produce sales. Rather than face the threat of
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having the car repossessed, he set and achieved his new, higher sales goal every

month. There was the network marketer who consistently scrambled the final week of

each month to meet her goals, because she’d put off doing the work (practice!) she

should do during the first three weeks. She booked a vacation for the final week of the

next month, forcing herself to get done in three weeks what had taken her four before.

Heat gives teeth!

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 I cannot hold myself accountable. Why would I? If I don’t reach my goal, I
don’t reach my goal. What do I have to lose?

Recently Christopher Oliver (Pioneer in Achievement Technology) and I created

the very first and perhaps the absolute most powerful goal achieving tool in
existence. We call it the Goal Fund – [Link] - Coming Soon!

After years of coaching experience, we discovered the missing link between people
setting goals and achieving them. People simply cannot hold themselves
accountable to their goals. That’s why we formed the “New Years Resolution
Extension Bureau.”

When and only when you have set a solid, value-oriented (answer the “WHY”
question) goal, you visit our website and immediately deposit $500 into your
personal “Goal Fund - Escrow Fund.” You have a choice of having your loves
ones, friends and family involved, or, you can have one of the website’s community
group council’s members mediate your progress and achievement. Together, we set
the Time Specifics for you to achieve your goal. Together we position mile markers
and set the pace for the challenge. If you reach your goal in the time specified, you
are self-rewarded with your achievement, you will receive a very special gift from
the Goal Fund Team, and you’ll GET YOUR $500 back, less a nominal fee for our
service. If you do not reach your goal in the time specific period, your $500
escrow deposit is instantly sent to your charity of choice.

It’s a stunningly effective way to apply accountability and heat to your practice.
There are people who can’t seem to follow through with agreements they set with
others - let alone the agreements they set for themselves. Through a team effort,
together you will reach your goals or Lose your Dough!

New Year’s Day creeps up on us every year, and most people fall into the same traps

year after year. If you’re like most, you set your New Year’s Resolution, a.k.a. “goal” for

the year ahead. This is a pretty admirable feat, to either resolve, hence Resolutions, or

achieve a goal. But why is it that we always seem to come up with the same resolutions

and goals that we tried the year before and the one before that?

We wish so badly to stop smoking, lose weight, stop drinking, get better jobs, treat

people better, volunteer our time, spend more time with family, or make more money.
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Wouldn’t it be fair to assume that if we are constantly re-setting and recycling the very

same resolutions and goals year after year, that we obviously aren’t successfully

sticking to our plans? Where then do we become disconnected in this weak chain of

goal setting and giving up before we successfully achieve our goals? That disconnect’s

name is accountability!

How does accountability affect our ability for achieving success? If you don’t hold

yourself accountable, who else will? When you give up and fail on your quest to hold to

your resolutions and goals, who really cares other than you? No one! Even when most

people give up on their resolutions and goals, they simply shrug it off and say

something like, “Oh well, there’s always next year. I have nothing to lose!”

Maybe we should begin changing this vicious cycle by first looking at resolutions and

goals as things we’ll gain from, rather than things we couldn’t care less about?

Putting your goals down on paper

Perhaps you’ve heard of the famous Harvard goal-setting study. Here’s how it worked:

Members of the graduating class of 1979 were asked about their goals—specifically, did

they have any? Of those asked, only 3% had written out specific goals for their post-

graduation lives. Another 13% had set such goals but had not written them down. As for

the remaining 84%, they reported having no real goals beyond having a fun summer

after graduation.

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Fast forward 10 years. In 1989, the class was evaluated. The 13% that had goals, albeit

unwritten, were earning twice as much as the 84% who reported having no particular

goals in 1979. The real shocker, though, is the 3% with written, specific goals. They

were earning ten times as much as everyone else. Remember, the only difference

between the 13% and 3% was that the 3% had taken the simple step of writing their

goals down. That is pretty powerful evidence of the importance of written goals.

Why is writing down your goals important? One reason is specificity. A clearly defined

goal is easier to achieve than a vague goal.

I use my computer for everything – can’t I just ‘write’ my goals that way?
If you read the Harvard study, you see evidence of how powerful the written word is.
In a high tech society, we have been moving further and further away from our
creative roots – away from thinking for ourselves. Technology is great, but the act of
writing creates a mind-to-body connection. That connection will boost your progress
by getting you to truly and deeply think about what it is you desire to achieve. It
makes all the difference in the world! You don’t have to go haywire over this. Simply
write a short description of your goal (everyday if possible) and look at it frequently.
This will keep your awareness high and your productivity at peak levels.

Additionally, there’s a general consensus that putting something down on paper makes

it more real. Ideally, you actually write it the old fashioned way, with a pen or pencil, on

paper. But if that just doesn’t work for you, at the very least, get it down on paper some

other way. Write it, type it, dictate it to someone else – just get it on paper. It’s a mental

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trick. A written goal can be placed in front of you as a reminder and as motivation. Type

it up and print out a few copies. Hang them up where you’ll see them each day. You

should always keep your goals in the front of your mind with anything you do.

Is there magic in writing your goals? Yes and no. No, because you’ve still got to make

them happen. It’s not a magic wand. But there is something pretty amazing that

happens when your goals are written. Writing them over and over each day imprints

them on your mind in a powerful way. You get to the point where you can recite your top

ten short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals as easily as you could say your name and

address. Having your goals in the forefront of your mind helps you tie them to your daily

activity. You see the connection between each task and the outcome you’re working

towards.

Why can’t I just go by the goals I have already in my head –

I don’t really need to write them down, right?
Wrong! Goals in your head are meant to stay there. The act of
taking the time to write down your goals is in and of itself, a
success strategy. In other words, you are helping to program
(Scientifically) your sub-conscious mind to begin taking action
and putting your goals into solid motion.

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Acting with intention

Now that you’ve set valuable goals for yourself, it’s time to act on them. More

importantly, it’s time to act with intention. Acting with intention means having a reason

for everything you do as your work toward your goal.

To act with intention, you must first have a plan of action in place. Going with the flow is

great in many areas of our lives. But going with the flow doesn’t cut it when it comes to

goals. What works is plotting your steps in advance; it keeps you from getting side-

tracked and distracted. It prevents you from doing things that don’t advance your goal,

things that are counterproductive.

Intentionality works sort of like Global Positioning System (GPS) in your car. You punch

in a few numbers and take off down the road. At every turn, you hear a voice reminding

you of your destination, urging you to turn here and there. If you get off course, it

corrects for your detour and directs you from where you are. Now when you’re working

on your goals, you’ve got a different kind of GPS built in – a Goal Positioning System.

Let’s see how the Goal Positioning System works. Going on a road trip is a good

metaphor for acting with intention. Say you’re starting out in California, and you’re

headed for the city that never sleeps. That’s a cross-country trip. New York is a long

way away.

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How are you going to get to New York? You can’t just mosey along, meandering across

the entire continental United States. You’ve got to buy a map and set a route. Your

roadmap and your route represent your written plan for arriving at your goal. Without a

map, it’s hard—if not impossible—to wind up where you want to be. At a minimum,

you’ll spend a lot of time wandering around lost.

Acting with intention takes advance preparation

And what about your car? You should have it tuned up. Change the oil, have the tires

rotated. You’ll need a full tank of gas, of course. Tuning up your car is like preparing

yourself mentally and physically for the journey ahead. The necessary mental and

physical preparation is going to be different for each person and also depends on the

nature of your goal. Whatever fine tuning your car needs, though, make sure you’ve

included it in your plans.

Additionally, you’ve got to stock up on all the necessary supplies. You’ll want snacks, a

stack of good CDs to listen to, and an emergency roadside kit, to name a few. When

you’re setting out on a journey to achieve a goal, you also need to arm yourself with

certain supplies. Depending on the nature of your goal, you might need to go out and

purchase specific equipment. The person who wants to run their first marathon needs a

good pair of jogging shoes and some exercise clothes. A budding entrepreneur needs a

great team in place – a coach, an accountant, an attorney.

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Advanced preparation will also help you cope with unexpected road blocks along the

way. It’s almost impossible to set out on journey and not hit at least a few bumps in the

road. The beauty of a plan is that you can use it to get right back on track. Sometimes a

detour can leave us a bit disoriented. It can be hard to remember where we were going

or how to get there when we get distracted. A quick glance at your written plan will help

you pick up where you left off.

Creating a plan of action takes time and energy. However, in the end, that plan will

actually save you a great deal of time and energy. It will keep you on task and help

steer you away from activities that don’t really further your progress.

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Not long ago, I was in the health club talking to this woman about life/business coaching.

“How’s coaching work?” she asked. I asked her if she had a goal in mind. “I want to get in better
shape,” she answered.

“Can you be more specific?”

“Well,” she said, “I want to lose about ten pounds, and get more defined.”

“So, what are you doing about that so far?”

“Working out.”

“Ok,” I said, “but what exactly are you doing for your workouts?”

She was confused. I told her there was no substitute for a plan of action.

“For example, before I ever set foot in the gym, I know exactly what I’ll be doing. I know which
muscles I’ll train, which exercises I’ll do, how much weight I’ll lift, how many sets, how many
repetitions. Even how long I’ll rest between sets. I know precisely how long I’ll be in the gym.”

Now keep in mind that things will inevitably affect these plans. Someone might need to talk to me.
I might not be strong enough to lift the weight I intended on lifting that day. Or, I might feel
exhausted and need a bit more rest between sets. The point is that I walk in with a direct plan of
action. That plan delivers far better results than I’d ever get by winging it.

The woman was taken back and said, “Wow, that’s a lot to plan for!” But it’s not! It’s actually very
easy and makes things MUCH EASIER. When you know exactly what you need to do, before you
need to do it, you get the benefit of laser focus. The time flies because you’re driven to successfully
carry out your plan.

“Oh, I could never do that,” she said. “I work better by just winging it.”

“Hey, well, if that’s working, keep doing it!” I said.

She said, “Oh no, it’s actually not working at all.” This was a breakthrough for both of us. It was as
if she had brain washed herself into believing that what she was used to doing was the best way to
do things. By asking the right questions, we both figured out that she was insane! (Doing the same
things the same way, but expecting different results.)

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Become a problem solver

Problems—big ones and small ones—are going to pop up from time to time. Car

trouble, a cold, a computer crash - life sometimes throws us curveballs. And those

curveballs can interfere with reaching our goals. They can be a temporary distraction or

even the catalyst for giving up altogether. But there’s no reason the occasional bump in

the road has to sound the death knoll for our goals. Learning effective techniques for

problem solving is necessary in order to meet any goal.

A plan of action can help you cope with problems that arise. When you have a plan, you

always know what your next step is going to be. Then, should a problem arise, you can

ask yourself, “How can I keep this problem from interfering with my next step?”

Successful people are problem solvers. The truth is, anyone can become a problem

solver. Solving a problem is a two-step

process: recognizing why something is "Always bear in mind that your own
resolution to succeed is more important
a problem and figuring out how to fix it. than any other one thing."

Abraham Lincoln
The first step might sound obvious, so

obvious that it doesn’t even need to be pointed out. Actually, though, we’re drawing a

distinction. It’s one thing to say, “Hey, this is a problem.” It’s another thing to say, “This

is a problem because…” It’s possible to recognize a problem without actually

understanding why it’s a problem.

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That’s where having a plan of action for your goals comes in. When something

interferes with the next step of your plan, it’s a problem. By evaluating how the situation

keeps you from completing that step, you can figure out how to get around it.

Here’s an example: Your goal is to write a book. You map out a writing plan where you

spend two hours each day on research. Next thing you know, you come down with the

flu. Surrounded by tissues and chicken noodle soup, research is the last thing on your

mind. Your plan is totally disrupted. You say to yourself, “I don’t feel well. I can’t work on

my book.” That’s a vague statement, though. Instead, let’s come up with something

more specific. Let’s figure out precisely why being sick is going to keep you from

working on your book.

Here’s where you’ll be tempted to just say, “Well, isn’t it obvious? I’m sick. I can’t do

research.” Don’t give into that temptation. Push ahead (even if it seems silly at first) and

list the ways that the flu interferes with research:

• I don’t feel well enough to drive to the library

• I don’t feel well enough to get up and get dressed

• I’m too weak to get out of bed

• The medicine I’m taking makes me sleepy

• It’s a bad idea for me to leave the house—I’m nauseated!

• I need to be lying down—I can’t sit up in front of the computer

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Reading this list should make you feel empowered. Why? Because you were powerless

against “I’m sick.” What could you do? Not much besides wait for the flu to pass so

you’d feel better again.

What you do have the ability to tackle is, “I can’t leave the house because I have the

flu.” Who says all of your research has to be done away from home? You could ask a

friend to check out some books for you and drop them by the house. If you’re feeling too

sick to sit at your desk, stay in bed and read.

Sometimes you must adjust your goals to be successful. Your mid-term goal is to write

a book. For the next month, your short-term goal is two hours of research a day. Instead

of scrapping the “two hours of research” mini-goal, adjust it. If you only feel well enough

for an hour of reading a day, make that your goal until you recover.

Next time something comes along and threatens to interfere with your goal, sit down

and think it through. By analyzing the situation—instead of writing it off as hopeless—

you’ll realize that you really do have the power to keep on moving forward.

Creating and implementing a system

Setting and reaching goals requires good time management. You lead a busy life.

You’ve got to use your time efficiently. Developing and implementing a system can help.

Systems make our actions consistent and efficient. They also help ensure that we are

acting with purpose and intention.

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Establish a system that always delivers the results you want. Then stick to that system

faithfully. If you’re constantly experimenting with various ways of doing things,

sometimes you’ll see results and sometimes you won’t. But by doing the same thing the

same way, you’re guaranteed to get the same results each and every time.

Your goal might be to lose ten pounds. Your plan for losing those ten pounds might

include eating healthier and exercising more. There are countless ways you can

implement both of those actions in your life. But you shouldn’t be doing it countless

ways. You should land on a way that works and stick with it.

Here’s a system that might work: Create a weekly menu and buy everything you need to

cook those dishes in advance. Before going to bed at night, pack a healthy lunch to

bring to work. Get up an hour early to take a walk around the neighborhood. As you can

see, a system is multi-tiered. It can involve weekly tasks, daily tasks, and even hourly

tasks.

Does this mean that I always NEED to have a direct plan of action to achieve
my goals?

Listen, life happens! I’m not here to tell you that if you don’t do it this way all the
time, then this or that will or won’t happen. Wouldn’t you rather make the most
of a situation and better your chances at having success? If you are able to
create a direct plan of action with everything, why wouldn’t you want to? It’s
nothing more than preparedness. I’d rather increase my chances and have a
small piece of success than a huge hunk of failure, wouldn’t you?

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A solid system can shave years off of the time table you’ve set for yourself. You’ll be

staying on task, which means you won’t be wasting time.

Focus on the future, not the past

Successful people are goal-driven. Goals are something off in the distance, something

ahead of us. They’re a destination we’re working to reach. When you’re goal-driven,

you’re always looking ahead because that’s where you goal is.

Dwelling on the past isn’t useful. It takes up time and effort that could be directed

towards your goal. Plus, focusing on the past can be disheartening. Reliving past

failures makes us doubt ourselves in the present. Learn from your mistakes and then

move on.

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 Chapter Two

SMART Choice!

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SMART Goals

Smart goals are: Specific

M
A
R
T
We’ve already looked at the problems with vague dreams and wishes. And we touched

on why specificity is crucial. Let’s take a few moments to delve deeper into this topic. In

particular, let’s explore how specificity helps us create a plan and develop a system.

You can't get somewhere unless you really know

"If at first you don't succeed, where you’re going. Say you’ve got this vague
you are running about average."
concept of traveling across the country to New
M H Alderson
York City. What are you going to do when you get

there? Why are you going there? In fact, how do you even know what roads to take if

you don’t have a specific New York landmark in mind? You’ll be wandering around

aimlessly, if you even get there at all.

If you want to see a play on Broadway, on the other hand, you can map out a path and

get yourself there. To get to Broadway, you’ll need to turn down certain streets and find

a place to park. You can select a route because you have a specific destination.

Goals work the same way. You need a specific goal in mind in order to develop a plan

for achieving it. Let’s return to the “I’m going to get a better job” goal. That’s a very
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GOAL MINING
vague goal. How in the world do you achieve it? How can you get a better job if you

haven’t decided what a better job is? After all, you wouldn’t go looking for a gallon of the

milk in the hardware store.

To you, perhaps, “better job” means one that allows you to utilize your talents. That’s a

step in the right direction, but let’s go one better. How about “I’m going to get a job

where I can utilize my drawing skills.”

Now you know where to look for such opportunities, and you can develop a plan for

landing one of those opportunities. You could work for an ad agency in the area of

graphic design. With that goal in mind, you can begin to list out steps to get there:

• Put together a portfolio of my work

• Bone up on the latest developments in the industry

• Write and polish a resume

• Practice my interviewing skills

• Look for “help wanted ads”

• Send out resume to potential employers

• Network with friends and acquaintances who might have leads

• Attend art-related events to meet people

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Each step is specific, and it’s something you can really do. You will feel empowered

because you will see that your goal truly is within your grasp. It’s a great feeling to

know, “I can make this happen.”

Specificity increases productivity

When you know exactly what you want to achieve, you’ll only do those things that can

get you there. If you don’t know what a “better job” means to you, you might waste your

time focusing on salaries—even if money isn’t your bottom line.

We want to achieve our goals as quickly as possible. By setting specific goals, you’ll be

focused in like a laser. You can take months or even years off of your timetable by using

every minute of your time wisely. Wise use of your time is so important if you don’t want

to mistake activity for productivity. You’ve got to act with purpose if you truly want to

move forward.

Specific goals are active, vague goals are passive

You don’t want to go through life being acted upon rather than acting. To be successful,

you have to take charge of your life. Successful people don’t just settle for whatever life

throws their way. They decide for themselves what they want and they set out to get it.

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Specificity comes into play here as well. Vague goals—better described as wishes or

dreams—are something we sit back and hope will happen. We usually phrase them in

terms of “I’d love to” rather than “I am going to.”

Compare “I’d love to get in shape” to “I am getting in shape.” The difference is

remarkable. The sentence that speaks in the present tense, even though it’s about

something that hasn’t happened yet, conveys determination. The “I’d love to” sentence

conveys hopelessness. It takes determination to achieve your goals.

Specific goals give you direction

You’ve got the determination. Now you need to know what to do with it. By focusing

your determination, you’re harnessing it and making it more useful. Everyone’s got

dreams and wishes. What will separate you from the pack is having the necessary

direction to actually achieve those things. A specific goal is like a big red blinking arrow

pointing you in the right direction.

Here is what directionless goals look like:

• I ought to get in shape.

• A trip to the beach would be nice.

• I’ve always wanted to get a dog.

A goal like “I ought to get in shape” leaves you without an arrow. You have no way of

knowing which way to go. Should you:

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 • Join a gym?

• Head to the health food store?

• Get a doctor’s appointment?

• All of the above?

Without direction you’re doomed to wander—and doomed to fail. But with a goal like, “I

am going to lose ten pounds,” you can figure out where to go and what to do. In place of

all those questions, you’ve got answers.

To lose ten pounds, you decide you should:

• Eat out only once a week

• Pack a lunch for work

• Exercise 30 minutes a day three times a week

• Keep the fridge and pantry stocked with healthy snacks

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator

Change “A trip to the beach would be nice” to “I am going to Fort Lauderdale in July,”

and you can move in the right direction:

• Each month, I’ll put $100 in a special savings account.

• In April, I’ll start researching hotels.

• In May, I’ll book our flight and hotels.

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Even a seemingly simple goal like adopting a dog might never be reached without

direction. Instead of “I’ve always wanted a dog,” go with “I will”:

• Go to the library and read up on different breeds

• Decide which breed best fits my lifestyle

• Visit different pet stores and animal shelters

• Find a veterinarian

• Buy a collar, food dish, dog house, and leash

I know specifically that I want to lose weight and make lots of money. That’s
specific, isn’t it?
No, by specific I mean narrowed down so much that you know precisely what you
want and you can do that by answering these questions:
Who: Who or what precisely is involved?
What: What precisely do I want to accomplish?
When: When precisely should I set my first mile marker?
Where: Where precisely will this take place? If it’s weight loss, it would
be your body! If it’s money you’d like, it could be a specific business
model (you may have a few, like me). Identify a location.
Why: Why precisely do you desire this? Tie it to a value for the greatest
results! Give specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the
goal.
Which: Precisely identify all requirements and constraints.

How specific should you get?

Here’s the test: can you explain your goal in a 15-second elevator speech? Basically, if

a complete stranger were to come up to you and ask, “Hey! What’s your goal in life at

the moment?” how quickly could you explain it to him? If you can’t clearly describe your

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goal to someone else, you probably can’t clearly describe it to yourself. A specific goal

is one that leaves you with no question about your aim.

Remember that nosey stranger on the elevator? If you responded to his question with, “I

want to get in shape,” he could hit you with a barrage of questions:

• Do you want to tone up?

• Are you trying to overcome a health problem?

• Are you going to lose weight?

All of those questions relate to the nature of the goal itself. Those questions indicate

that your goal is not sufficiently specific.

But if you respond with, “I am going to lose ten pounds by June 1st” any questions he’ll

have for you will relate to your plan of action:

• How are you going to do it?

• Are you going to eat healthier?

• Exercise more?

• Join Weight Watchers?

Create your 15-second elevator speech and practice it. Make it simple and concise so

that you can spit it out automatically.

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Here’s a quick test you can use to determine if your goal is specific enough. A

sufficiently specific goal should answer these questions:

• What exactly do I want to achieve, have, or be?

• When and where is this going to happen?

• Who else is involved with my goal? Whose help do I need?

• What do I need to accomplish my goal? What resources do I need access to?

• Why do I want to accomplish this goal? Why is this goal important to me?

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 SMART GOALS ARE SPECIFIC

Take a look at your goals. Are they specific enough to be valuable? See whether
you’ve covered all the bases.

A specific goal answers these questions:

- What do I want to have? To accomplish? To be?

- When will this happen?

- Where will this happen?

- Who is involved with my goal? Who do I need?

- How will I go after this goal?

- What resources do I require?

- Why do I want to achieve this goal?

- Why is this important?

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 S
Smart goals are: Measurable
A
R
T

Measuring your progress

Without a specific goal in mind, you’ll have no idea whether you’ve actually achieved

anything. How do you know if you’ve gotten a better job if you don’t know what a better

job is? If you wanted a job where you could draw, a job that’s simply better paying than

your current one isn’t a “better job.”

You need some way to measure your progress. Seeing your progress will keep you

motivated and assure you that you’re on the right track. To do this, your goal should be

built around some sort of meaningful system of measurement system.

Measurable goals contain numbers

“I want to lose weight” or “I want to lose ten pounds so I weigh 145 by my vacation in

June.”

Obviously, you can measure the first goal. If the scale says you weigh less this week

than you did last week, that’s progress. But technically speaking, after losing only one

ounce, you’d have to consider that goal complete. In reality, your goal was never just to

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lose weight – it was to lose a specific amount of weight. With the first goal, there’s no

way to measure the completion of small steps along the way. With the second goal, you

have a clear way of measuring how far you’ve come and how far you still have to go.

Measurable goals have built-in milestones

Mile markers are like “mini-goals.” They let us know we’re on the right track. They also

give us a feeling of accomplishment. It could take years to reach a given goal. However,

it might only take a month to reach one of your milestones.

Look at these two goals:

1. I want to run a four-minute mile.

2. I want to improve my speed by one minute every two weeks, reaching a four-
minute mile in two months.

With the first goal, you can’t be sure if you’re process is working. Is improving one

minute every three weeks good progress? It’s a question that can’t really be answered.

At any given moment, you’ll see progress towards the second goal. You always know if

you’re on the right track. If you’re not meeting the “one minute every two weeks”

milestone, it’s time to readjust your plan of action. Do more, or change what you’re

doing.

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Measurable goals contain dates or deadlines

A goal with a deadline makes it easier to measure your progress. Along the way, you

can gauge whether you are on track to meet that deadline. When the deadline rolls

around, either you met it or you didn’t. If you didn’t, that means you need to readjust

your goal. You might have set unrealistic expectations, or you might not have worked

hard enough.

A goal with dates or deadlines answers these questions:

• How much or how many?

• By what date?

• How do I know when I’ve achieved this goal?

Do you mean how long it will take me?

No, by measurable, I mean being able to set those mile markers so that you can
measure your progress and results. You see, when you are able to see the signs of
progress from your efforts, you!ll stay on track and reach your target date. You’ll
build such powerful momentum, and it’ll fire you up to continue to reach your
ultimate goal!

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 SMART GOALS ARE MEASURABLE

A measurable goal is quantifiable, it’s numerical. It includes checkpoints along

the way.

How do your goals measure up?

- How much?

- How many?

- By when?

- What mile markers will I set along the way?

- How do I know when I’ve accomplished this?

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 S

Smart goals are: Attainable

Attainable goals

You should set goals you are capable of reaching. Why set yourself up for failure? You’ll

feel downtrodden; you’ll give up. And you might never want to work towards a goal

again. It will feel like a waste of time. An attainable goal gives you better than a 50/50

shot at achieving them. Your goal should be structured so it’s more likely than not that

you’ll achieve it. It’s great to dream big. A goal that seems unattainable doesn’t have to

be entirely abandoned. Instead, it should be broken down into smaller goals. Once

you’ve achieved these smaller goals you’ll have the experience and practice you need

to reach for bigger goals. You’ll be ready to set a more ambitious goal, one that is now

attainable but might not have been before.

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 If I didn’t think it was attainable, wouldn!!t that make it a dream or
wish?

It could, and perhaps that goal is not so realistic for you. However, by
attainable, I mean you look to develop the tools to help bring your goal to
fruition. Things like creating the right attitude, honing in on and brightening
up your skills, keeping your eyes open. Build relationships with others who
can support you emotionally, and possibly in a financial capacity. The
greatest thing you can do to make sure your goal is attainable, is to feel what
it will be like when you’ve already reached your goal. How do you or how
does it look, feel, taste, sound? Creating these vivid feelings is one of the
most powerful techniques for reaching your goal quickly!

One reason that unattainable goals lead to failure is that they breed procrastination.

You’ve got zero motivation to work on something you don’t think will ever materialize.

You think to yourself, “What’s the point?” You can actually put off a goal for so long that

it becomes unachievable. It’s a big disappointment to know you let your dream slip right

through your fingers.

To reach a goal, you’ve got to be wholly committed. As Frank Lloyd Wright, the great

American architect, once said, “I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and

an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.” Successful people have

unwavering commitment to their goals. Great things cannot be accomplished with half-

hearted dedication.

Attainable goals are realistically timed

Goals should be attainable with regard to both scope and timing. It’s one thing to aim for

running the 5K marathon in six months. It’s quite another to aim for the 5K that’s one

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month away. We should never set ourselves up for failure. Challenging ourselves, of

course, builds character and pushes on onward in life. But you have to find the right

balance between challenge and realism.

Timing matters because it helps us measure our progress. If you’re goal is to lose ten

pounds by Christmas, a goal of losing one pound a week provides a benchmark for

measuring your progress. It’s specific, and it’s challenging but doable.

With time and practice, previously unattainable goals will become attainable. The goal

hasn’t changed. You’ve changed. You’d like to run a 5K marathon, but at the moment

running a mile is a struggle. That 5K seems like a pipedream. But once you’ve

conquered one mile, you feel like the 5K isn’t so unrealistic after all.

Maybe I’m not meant to accomplish my goals – Why should I

continue trying if I have had such bad results up to this point?
Simply, people don’t usually know what they really want – They
simply haven’t clarified what they desire to have whether it’s today,
a month from now, a year from now, or five years from now.
Because people don’t truly know what they want, life happens and
that daily grind is simply what we’re use to and so we let it happen.
There are many reasons why people don’t achieve their goals, the
biggest one being FEAR – Fear stands for False Expectations
Appearing Real – It’s a limiting belief that only holds you back from
truly experiencing abundance and happiness.

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When it comes to timing, an attainable goal answers these questions:

• Have I set a reasonable deadline?

• Do I have access to the necessary resources?

• Do I know someone who’s achieved what I’m aiming for?

• Can this goal be broken down into actionable steps?

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 SMART GOALS ARE ATTAINABLE

An attainable goal will stretch you, but not break you. It’s something you can
do with concerted effort.

How attainable are your goals?

- Is my deadline reasonable?

- Do I have, or have access to, the resources I’ll need?

- Who do I know (in person or not) who’s done what I’m aiming for?

- Can I break this goal into actionable steps that I can do?

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 S
M
A
Smart goals are: Realistic
T

Setting realistic goals

Challenging yourself is wonderful, ideal even. However, it’s a fine line between

challenging and unattainable. Realistic goals all share certain qualities. Understanding

those qualities will help you determine whether your goal is realistic.

Realistic goals are fact-based

Think carefully about where you are right now. If you’re in California, getting to New

York is going to take longer than it would if you were in Kentucky. Don’t feel bound by

present circumstances. Instead set and frame your goal with those circumstances in

mind. That will keep your goal both realistic and attainable.

An unrealistic goal is little better than a dream. Dreams are dreams for a reason—they

probably won't come true unless our fabled fairy godmother pops up. Goals, on the

other hand, are rooted in reality and capable of being achieved.

Your goal is to be debt-free. What are the facts? The facts are that you’ve got $25,000

worth of credit card debt, and you’re living paycheck to paycheck. The goal of being

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debt-free in a year isn’t realistic. The goal of paying $50 towards your debt each month

is.

Who am I to decide whether my goal is realistic? Isn’t it true that only

time will tell?
You are partly right. Only you can decide whether your goal is realistic. As
only you can hold yourself back from achieving it, right? Right! Your goal is
most probably realistic if you truly believe and feel that you can accomplish
it. As a great man once said, “Either you believe you can, or you believe you
can’t – either way, you’re right!”

Motivational gap

The motivational gap is part and parcel of a fact-based goal. The motivational gap is the

space between where you are now and where you want to be. How far apart are the

two? A step or two away isn’t much motivation—“eh, close enough” you might say. If the

gap is huge, you feel intimidated and overwhelmed. You won’t even try. Work on

selecting a goal that’s a big enough gap to be a challenge but not so far as to feel

impossible.

Here are some questions you can answer to judge your motivational gap:

• Has anyone ever achieved this goal before?

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 • Have I already done something similar?

• What conditions have to be in place for me to start?

• Do I really believe I can do this?

Realistic goals go hand-in-hand with a plan

Your goal should be realistic enough to create a plan for achieving it—a plan that

depends on your commitment, creativity, and resources rather than sheer luck. If your

goal is unrealistic, it will be impossible to put a realistic plan into place. Your milestones

will be just as unreachable as the ultimate goal itself.

In fact, setting a plan for your goal is one way to test whether the goal is realistic.

Suppose you want to lose 75 pounds for a trip to the beach that’s three months away.

At a cursory glance, that goal isn’t glaringly unrealistic. When you attempt to put a

system in place, however, you can immediately see that it is. To reach that goal, you’ve

got to lose 25 pounds a month. Still sound realistic? Okay, then, that means losing more

than five pounds a week, almost one pound a day. Losing 6.25 pounds a week isn’t a

realistic plan—that’s because losing 75 pounds in three months isn’t a realistic goal.

You’ll likely fail the first week and just give up altogether – and that’s the best case

scenario with such a dangerous goal. If you were to succeed, you’d find yourself faced

with lasting health problems as a consequence.

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A more realistic goal is losing 25 pounds in time for your beach trip. That goal will allow

you to put together a solid plan of action. That equates to about eight pounds a month

and about two pounds a week. Good start. We’ve got the timetable in place. Now you

can move onto creating a system for losing two pounds a week. This will include an

exercise regimen as well as a healthier diet.

A hallmark of a realistic goal is the ability to create a workable system for achieving it.

Reachable milestones are as important as an ultimately reachable goal.

Learning about your goal by sharing it with others

Right off the bat, it’s important to note that you should never be inhibited by what other

people think. Don’t let someone’s criticism or doubt lead you to give up. Who knows?

They might be putting down your dreams because they don’t believe they can reach

their own.

That said, feedback from others does have its place in assessing your goals. When you

share an unrealistic goal with others, they’ll think—and maybe even come right out and

say—“Yeah, right.” They’ll doubt that you can make the gargantuan leap from here to

there. But, if you explain that it’s your ultimate goal and that you’ve got smaller,

intermediary goals along the way, you’ll see that others will nod in approval. Once

others have seen you achieve these intermediary goals, the possibility of you achieving

that big goal won’t seem so far-out.

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Some people are negative by their very nature. Accept that and don’t be too affected by.

It is, however, helpful to imagine what your goal would sound like to someone else. If

you think it will sound downright crazy, it might be time to scale back. Don’t give up on

the big goal. Just break it down into reasonable and realistic smaller goals.

More important than others thinking you’re crazy is whether you think you’re crazy.

Goals that seem outrageously unrealistic, even to yourself, are goals you’ll never really

commit to achieving. You have to believe in yourself to get anywhere in life.

There’s a great quote about the place that believing has in our journey toward success

and happiness: “Dreams are like the paints of a great artist. Your dreams are your

paints, the world is your canvas. Believing is the brush that converts your dreams into a

masterpiece of reality.”

"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long

run than outright exposure. The fearful are
caught as often as the bold."

Helen Keller

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 SMART GOALS ARE REALISTIC

A realistic goal looks at the facts and works with a plan. It’s most important
that your short- and mid-term goals are realistic. As you accomplish them,
your long-term goals – even if they look far off now – become more realistic.

How realistic are your goals? Ask yourself:

- Has anyone ever done this?

- Have I done this, or something like it before?

- What conditions do I need so I can do this?

- Do I believe I can do this?

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 S

Smart goals are: Tangible and Time-Bound

Setting tangible goals

Goals should be something you can touch, taste, smell, feel, and hear. There’s no

better motivation than truly feeling yourself where you want to be. You feel the ocean

washing over your feet. You taste the homemade linguini at a café in Venice. You hear

the engine of your new Lexus purr.

Not all goals are tangible. Some goals are abstract. Abstract goals are much less

motivating. The sound of “financial freedom” doesn’t tantalize the senses. The thought

of skiing in the Aspens once you’ve got some money in the bank does.

Any goal can be made tangible. It’s a matter of expounding on the vague, abstract goal

by picking out all of the tiny details. A trip to the beach definitely sounds fun. But to

really get motivated, imagine the sights, sounds, and smells:

• Is the sand gold or white?

• How does that sand feel between your toes?

• What will the ocean sound like? How will it smell?

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• How will it feel to drink a bottle of ice cold water after an afternoon in the sun?

• How will the cotton candy and corndogs on the boardwalk taste?

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 SMART GOALS ARE TANGIBLE AND TIME-BOUND

Time-bound goals have a deadline built in. Tangible goals engage all of your
senses, covering all the ways you’ll experience your success.

How are your goals doing on time?

- When do I start on this goal?

- When will I complete it?

- What’s the halfway point?

How vividly have you described your goal?

- What does success look like?

- How does success smell?

- How does success feel?

- What does success sound like?

- What does success taste like?

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 Chapter Three

The GPS (Goal Positioning

System) for Success!

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Mapping your goals

How far is it from here to there? Inches, feet, miles? Mapping your goal starts with a

realistic assessment of your current situation. Fudging will only hurt your progress. Be

accurate so your plan can be accurate. If you want to take a trip to Hawaii, start by

looking at your finances. How much money do you have saved up? How much money

are you capable of saving each month? How much will the trip cost in total? How long

will it take you to save up that much money?

Once you have a feel for how far away you are from your goal, you can start the

mapping. First you need to build in mile markers or intermediary goals. These are

checkpoints. They give you a sense of accomplishment along the way, and they also

help you measure your progress. If you’re meeting your intermediary goals on time,

you’re doing things right. If you’re not, your plan might need adjusting or you might need

to start working harder.

Your map should include deadlines. If you’re trying to lose ten pounds, losing two

pounds is a good start. But by what date do you expect to lose those two pounds? If you

haven’t set some sort of a deadline, intermediary goals are rather useless. Losing two

pounds in six months is an accomplishment, but did it really help you reach your goal?

Well, yes, if you’re looking at sheer numbers. But as far as getting measurable

progress, this wasn’t at all what you had in mind.

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 Isn’t this the same as setting goals that are measurable?
No, remember, we set measurable goals to include intermediate mile
markers. In other words, you set these mile markers to track your
progress (this is part of your GPS for success) at any particular
point in time. By setting time specific goals, I mean the overall time
frame you set for achieving your goal. Being time specific, or having
a deadline, is an important motivator. You’ve set the clock, and it’s
ticking. This challenge is another very powerful technique for
reaching your goals without delay!

The word deadline has many negative connotations. But in the realm of goals,

deadlines are highly motivating. Meeting one will make you feel successful and will

motivate you to keep pushing forward. We’re told to keep our eye on the prize, but that’s

not much help if we can only see the prize with binoculars. Think of deadlines as

prizes—as strange as that might sound. Every time you successfully reach one, you will

feel rewarded for your hard work.

If you had a limit amount of time to drive from California to New York, you wouldn’t

schedule in diversions. Mapping your goals should be no different. Plan a route that’s

time efficient. Cut out nonproductive activities. Remember, the shortest distance

between two points is a straight line.

Too much baggage can weigh you down and hurt your gas mileage. Take only what you

need. In terms of goals, this means cutting out the unnecessary habits and activities.

They only slow you down and hold you back. If you’re trying to lose weight, your daily

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double mocha vanilla latte is excess baggage. If you're trying to save money, the weekly

pedicure can't come along for the ride.

Working Towards Your Goals

The planning process

Planning is a matter of breaking up a big task into smaller steps. You do this every day.

It’s often a subconscious, automatic process. A recipe for chocolate chip cookies is a

goal broken down into smaller steps. To wind up with a plate of warm cookies, you

follow each of the simple directions in the recipe.

Developing a plan for achieving your goal works the same way. Look at your ultimate

goal and then pick out the small tasks you’ll have to accomplish to get there. You’re

going backwards really. You start at the end and work your way back to the beginning.

This method is called the reverse strategy.

Why goals? Why not just a business plan?

Business plans are good for creating a hope and dream map, but
hopes and dreams may or may not come true. Goals are driven by a
step-by-step mapping, taking into account your reasons for wanting to
achieve them in the first place. Goals are realistic and meant to come
true – they’ll help you create a map for success and put you on the
path to the finish line.

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The Reverse Strategy

Using the reverse strategy is basically backing in to your goal. When you start from

where you want to be and work your way to where you are, the necessary steps

become self-evident. It saves a lot of time and eliminates unnecessary guess work.

We’re often told to “start at the beginning,” well, in the world of goals that’s going to

result in a lot of trial and error. You’ll wind up guessing at what might work; sometimes it

will and sometimes it won't. With the reverse strategy, you already know your plan is

workable.

Say it’s March and you want to buy a new house by the end of the year. You’ve

calculated that you need $20,000 for a down payment. That means you’ve got ten

months to save $20,000 dollars.

Here’s your reverse strategy:

• $20,000 divided by 10 months is $2,000. That means you need to save $2,000 a
month every month from March to December.

• $2,000 divided by four is $500. That means you need to save $500 a week.

• $500 divided by seven rounds up to $75. You need to save $75 a day to reach
your goal.

What you need to accomplish is clearly laid out for you. You’ve got the skeleton for your

plan. Now you need to put some meat on its bones. How can you put $75 a day into

savings? Where you can cut back? What frivolous items do you buy each day or each

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week? Do you need to take on a part-time job to bring in the extra money? The

numbers we crunched above created an outline; now you’re filling in the details.

Prioritizing your plan

Once you’ve got a solid, realistic plan for reaching your goal, it’s time to prioritize. Some

steps in your plan are crucial for success. Others can occasionally fall by the wayside

without setting you back. For example, your weekend retail job that brings in a few

hundred dollars a month is essential. Breaking your “no going out to eat” rule once or

twice a month won’t break you.

List the steps in your plan in order of importance. If you’re short on money or time one

week, direct all of your resources towards keeping up with the most important parts of

your plan. No matter how faithfully we stick to our plans, we’ll occasionally veer off

course. As long as you know where your priorities are, the occasional bump in the road

won’t undo your progress.

You’ve broken up the big goal (saving $20,000) into ten smaller goals: saving $2,000 a

month for ten months. If you put $2,000 a month into a savings account, you’re on track.

If you haven’t or you just plain can't, your goal or your plan (or both) needs readjusting.

Carefully review your progress on a regular basis. On a trip, you’d have to keep

checking the map to make sure that you’re on course. Your plan is your map. Without

studying it regularly, you’re bound to get lost.

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 THE REVERSE STRATEGY

Let’s back into your goal, then put it into your daily activity.

Your goal:

By when:

How many months?

How many weeks?

How many days?

Now do the math – what do you need:

Each month?

Each week?

Each day?

What do you need to do each day?

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 Chapter Four

Learn to Tame Time

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Time management

When it comes to reaching your goals, you don’t have a huge time buffer. A little wiggle

room? Sure. Time to waste? Absolutely not. If you’re not managing your time effectively,

even the best of plans and the strongest level of commitment will fail you.

Suppose your goal is to write a book. You’ve broken that goal into smaller steps, just as

you should. Each month, your goal is to write a good, solid 25 pages. It’s manageable

and it’s realistic. However, if you wait until there’s only two days left in the month to get

started, you won't get those 25 pages written. You managed your time poorly and your

progress suffered.

Take on life one day at a time. In fact, you often need to micro-manage your time on an

hour-by-hour basis. The important point is that you need to take on the day; don’t let the

day take on you. Act with intention. Think about how you’re using your time. It’s a good

idea to keep a log of how you spent your day. You’ll quickly realize when and where

you’re prone to squandering time. The more time you’re wasting, the less time you have

to work on your goal. Each activity is either moving your closer to your goal or it isn’t.

You make good use of our time by staying on task. And you stay on task by focusing.

Devote all of your attention to one activity at a time. Multi-tasking has its place, but it’s

usually not the best approach. Fifteen minutes of undivided attention on one activity will

produce far greater results than an hour and a half spent juggling three activities.

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Multi-tasking is so engrained in our busy lives that we have to unlearn it. To start, pick

an activity and decide precisely how long you are going to work on it. Then, get it out a

timer. If you’re planning to research hotels in Maui for 30 minutes, set the timer for 30

minutes. For those 30 minutes, don’t get up to grab some coffee, stop to check email, or

do anything else unrelated to researching hotels. The progress you’ll make in those 30

minutes will amaze you.

On a related note, finishing any task within one block of time is ideal. When you stop

and start, there’s a certain amount of time involved with getting back into the task.

You’ve got to refresh your memory on the progress of your last session. Whenever

possible, don’t walk away from an unfinished task.

Prioritizing and planning are two other aspects of time management. We often have too

much on our plates in part because we didn’t carefully plan the day. Then we’re forced

to choose between leaving certain tasks undone, or doing multiple things at once. We

tend to pick the latter option. Remember that you’ve only got 24 hours in the day.

Decide what is most important, what has to be done today. Get those things done first.

Then, if there’s time, move on to the less important tasks.

It’s easy to decide if a task is trivial or crucial. But how do you decide if something is

crucial or just really important? Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to

help make that call:

• What are the consequences if I don’t finish this project today?

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 • Can the project be put off for a while? If so, for how long?

• To whom is this project important?

• How does it fit in with my objectives for the day?

• Does it fit in with my overall plan?

• Can I pass this task on to someone else?

Make a list of what you need to do and the order in which you should do it. Never

underestimate the power of the written word! Check the list frequently throughout the

day. Keep track of your progress.

"You can conquer almost any fear if

you will only make up your mind to do so.
For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere
except in the mind."

Dale Carnegie

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 Chapter Five

No “I” in Team
Team
Build It and Success Will
Come!

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Goals and the Business World

What resources do you need?

Accomplishing all your goals single handedly is a noble thought, but not a very realistic

one. Particularly in the business world, you need a team behind you sharing in that goal.

One of the best additions to your team

If you’re trying to do something new – or something old in a new way – you face a

learning curve. So, how do you take the curve? Better yet, how do you shrink the curve?

The best way to get somewhere new is to go with someone who’s been there before.

It’s no slight against your own ability or instincts to ask for directions – it’s more like

asking a local for a shortcut. They know just how to get from where you are to where

you want to go, because they’ve done it a million times. They’ve successfully directed

others who want to get there, too. This is exactly what a coach does.

Some people get nervous here – what if I lose control? What if this coach basically

hijacks my plans? What if it turns out to be nothing but a bunch of backseat driving?

What kind of driver am I if I need help to get where I want to go? A very smart one,

actually.

In fact, the majority of outrageously successful entrepreneurs and athletes have this in

common. They know the value of having a great coach.

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Without question, hiring a coach is one of the most effective, efficient moves anyone

can make in their quest for success. Working with a coach is the best way to have

customized leadership. You get the results you’re after more quickly, avoiding a lot of

the potholes you’d otherwise drive right into, covering more ground than you ever

thought possible.

Where is it that you’re headed, anyway? That should be a pretty easy question to

answer – at least you’d think so. But to be completely honest, there are a lot of people

who truly can’t quite figure out what they want in the first place. They’ve spun their

wheels going after a destination they always thought they wanted, only to realize they

were wrong. Kind of puts you at a disadvantage in the achievement arena. If you don’t

know what you want, how on earth can you go after it?

Or, what if you want a bunch of things? You’ve got goals out the wazoo – in fact, you’ve

got so many different destinations you want to reach that you don’t know where to go

first. And what do people do when they don’t know what to do? That’s right – nothing.

You’re frozen in place because your desires are all over the map.

This is where a great coach becomes invaluable. An experienced coach has seen this a

million times, and knows just what to do to help get you back on track. Your coach will

work with you to discover exactly what it is you truly want. And if you want it all, and who

doesn’t, your coach will help you plot a route that doesn’t miss a thing. You get your

action plan in place before you ever leave the driveway. You know just where the

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biggest potholes are waiting for you, and how to avoid them. If you drive into one

anyway, your coach can help pull you out and get you back in the game.

Your coach has seen it all, and doesn’t fall for any of your old tricks. One big part of a

coach’s job is holding you accountable. To a list of do’s you don’t want to do? No – to

the things you say you’re going to do. The commitment comes from your own mouth.

Your coach just reminds you of what you yourself committed to doing. It’s all too easy to

talk big, and then make excuses when it doesn’t get done. But your coach knows a load

of baloney when it drives past – and doesn’t fall for it.

So why doesn’t everybody hire coaches? There are lots of reasons – all stemming from

the definition of insanity, remember it? Doing the same thing the same way, but

expecting different results. People don’t hire coaches because they’ve never hired

coaches before. They balk at the cost, ignoring the value. They look at exactly where

they are right now and, doing the math, figure it’s a luxury they can’t afford. Pretty short-

sighted, actually.

Think about it long-term. Say you invest $5,000 in six months of one-on-one business

coaching. You start a business from virtually nothing. Over six months, you learn how to

turn your great idea into a reliable cash machine. You know you can produce as much

income as you need, and start setting revenue goals that would have been unbelievable

a year ago. Your coach steers you around the common pitfalls, into some sound

practices and systems you might have eventually figured out – years down the road.

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You know at the end of six months that you’ve worked very hard, and you deserve a

huge pat on the back. But you also know your coach played a huge part in your

success. When you look at the $5,000 you invested six months ago, you laugh. To think

you were even a little hesitant to make that investment. Maybe it took you six months to

save up the coaching fee – but now you’re making that, and more, every single month

from this new business.

This story’s been repeated thousands of times. The coaching profession has grown

tremendously over the last decade, which means that while there are more coaches in

business, the competition has grown more serious. That’s a great thing for coaching

clients – coaches are forced to produce results. They know it’s not enough to just

cheerlead their clients. They’re not interested in doing therapy. They’re there for one

thing only – to help their clients get results and get what they want in life.

What kind of results are we looking at? It’s not uncommon for a good coach’s clients to

report more than 100% return on investment within just months of starting the coaching.

Was it magic? No way. It is, however, a great way to put your money where your mouth

is – to sort of lash yourself to the mast, to make a total commitment to achieving your

goals.

What happens to make people put off taking this huge step in the right direction? See if

you recognize anyone.

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 Kim could see that hiring a coach might just be the smartest move she could

make. And she really intends to do it someday – as soon as the timing is right.

When might that be? Well, her life’s got to get more organized first. She’s just

barely has the time and energy to get her dishes washed and laundry done. She

feels overwhelmed and underappreciated, and can’t imagine adding one more

thing to her life. She’ll look at coaching someday – maybe next year.

Trouble is, life never slows down. Obligations and pressure are pretty much a constant

factor. Life has a sneaky way of getting in the way of goals if we’re not careful. Does a

coach have some sort of superpower to freeze time in its tracks? Of course not – but

you’d be amazed how much more efficiently you can get through your ‘to do’ list when

you’ve got a great coach on your side. Everyone still gets the same 24-hour day; but

your coach can help you squeeze more out of each of those hours, and you’ll end up

feeling like you’ve been given extra time. You’ll be more present, more productive, more

efficient than ever.

Mark thought about hiring a coach, but decided that there wasn’t really anything

a coach could say that he couldn’t read for himself in a book. I mean come on,

he’d say, the bookstore is absolutely stuffed with self-improvement books. And

$25 is certainly cheaper than $5,000. Right? Well, yes, it’s cheaper. But Mark’s

missing the point.

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There are wonderful books out there, no doubt. And a coach actually recommends a lot

of reading, winnowing out the junk from the gold on the bookshelves. The point is that

while good information is crucial, it’s not enough. Solid information must be paired with

massive action for it to make any difference whatsoever in your life.

Jill’s stuck in a different trap entirely. She’s got a bad case of the “if onlys” – if

only my boss would… if only my husband would… if only… then I’d really be able

to move ahead on my goals. I could hire a coach and then things would really

change.

Wow, you could wait forever for the people and circumstances in your life to cooperate.

You’re not in control of everything and everyone around you, and you never will be. So,

you’re always going to be surrounded by loose ends, critics, and hurdles. There’s only

one thing you can control – yourself. Your thoughts, choices, and actions are yours to

command. And you’d be amazed to see how circumstances tend to change dramatically

when you commit yourself to going after your goals. You look back and see how it all

worked out for the best – after you committed yourself.

It looks like Jim’s pretty much doomed to being stuck in the rat race. Nose to the

grindstone, he’s resigned himself to the idea that if he just keeps working,

plodding along, eventually he’ll have the success he used to dream about. If hard

work is all it takes, why bother hiring a coach? Of course he’s sadly mistaken. He

faces year after year of working like an old plow horse, trading his time for

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 money, getting a measly two weeks off per year, all along keeping his eye on the

“prize” of retiring pretty much broke.

What’s he missing? Only a whole world of opportunity, of accomplishment, of

abundance. He’s missing the chance to realize his dreams. In fact, he’s probably nearly

forgotten he ever had dreams. A coach could have made a huge difference, helping him

unearth those long-buried dreams and put a plan in place to actually pursue them. A

coach could have helped him focus on the things that would move him closer to

realizing those dreams, eliminating all the unnecessary activities that stand in the way.

Think about big corporations – they spend a big chunk of change on consultants,

efficiency experts, people who can help them stick to their mission, people who can help

them truly work smarter rather than just harder.

So, what does a coach do? One thing is asking great questions. Kind of like how a great

teacher asks the right questions to draw the knowledge out of the student, rather than

just giving answers. You find the answers for yourself as you think out loud to solve

problems. Anytime you try something new, you run into hurdles that look too big to get

over. The best way to press ahead is to have the opportunity to talk it through with

someone who’s not bogged down with the drama or stress of the situation – someone

who’s seen it before. Your coach knows just what to ask to get your head back in the

game.

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Here’s a list of just a few ways your coach helps. You’ll:

• Figure out what it is that you actually want, and how you can have it.

• Learn how to communicate more effectively with people in your family and
business.

• Set goals that really work for the short-term, mid-term, and long-term.

• Keep yourself accountable to doing what you said you’d do.

• Keep yourself motivated, because your coach knows the best ways to help you
keep that fire burning under your seat.

• Hear what you need to hear – not just what you want to hear. There’s a no
nonsense factor with a coach that you won’t find with many other people in your
life.

You don’t get out of doing the work – your coach isn’t going to do it for you. But you also

don’t waste time doing things that don’t contribute to your success. A great coach is no

less important than a great idea, and adding one to your team is a brilliant way to move

forward toward your goals.

Selecting the right teammates

Start by assessing your own strengths and weaknesses. What are you good at? What

are you not very good at? In the business world, you’re not under as much obligation to

improve on your weaknesses. Instead, you can hire team members who are strong

where you are weak. If you’re better with words than you are with numbers, hire an

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accountant and a bookkeeper. It’s much better to hand off these tasks than it is to make

mistakes or procrastinate because you left them to yourself.

It’s also a good idea to think about what you like and what you dislike. We procrastinate

worst when the task ahead of us is unpleasant. Suppose you really don’t like cold

calling potential clients. There are folks out there who enjoy that. Someone who enjoys

their work will do a better job than someone who doesn’t.

To reach an overarching goal of running a successful business, there are many, many

small tasks that must be completed along the way. You don’t have to complete each of

them yourself. You can build a team of individuals well-suited to perform their assigned

tasks.

I attempted to create many businesses and failed miserably, many times. The key is that I never

stopped trying; and along the way I had a few AMAZING successes amidst the many smaller

catastrophes. Along the way I’ve learned many vital lessons, one of which is the art of

delegation! I learned to stick with my strengths and talents, and either contract out or partner

up with those who are great at what I’m not so great in OR don’t aspire to be great in. These

relationships have helped me to create very high levels of success and wealth.

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Character of your team members

Expertise in a given field is not a guarantee that a person will make a good team

member. Character traits are equally important, maybe even more important. Bringing

on someone who is unfocused and cuts corners at every chance will cause you more

headaches than it will alleviate stress.

First, look for someone who can focus. Like we discussed before, focusing all your

attention on task at hand is the best use of your time. A good team member is one who

focuses on what’s important and isn’t side-tracked by irrelevant details.

Second, look for someone who can get it done. The best candidates can do quality work

with a quick turnaround time. Balancing quality with speed can be a tough line to walk.

Getting it right starts with finding someone who’s interested in getting it right. This kind

of person isn’t distracted by unimportant demands on their time. They know how to

focus solely on what matters most.

Your clients and customers

In business, there’s no success without happy customers. Whatever product you sell or

service you provide, you make money because someone out there is buying. Always

remember that people don’t enjoy being sold, but they do love to make a purchase! In

order to most successfully capture that buyer, you should do your best to get them to

like you, like your product, believe in you and your product, and trust you and your

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product. One of your most important goals, then, is customer satisfaction. First,

retaining a customer costs less time and money than seeking out new ones. Second,

satisfied customers are a free source of advertising. And they are a better form

advertisement than you could ever buy. Word of mouth has launched many businesses

to success.

Networking is another way to find customers. Actually, when you network successfully,

friends, colleagues, and associates are finding the customers for you.

Here’s an example of successful networking at its best:

You’re an appraiser. You’re trained and licensed to value people’s homes and

property. One type of potential customer is an individual selling his or her home.

Along come John and Jane. They want to sell their house and buy

a new one across town. They’re potential customers. To sell their

house, they have to know how much it’s worth. John and Jane just

happen to be friends with Bob. You met Bob recently, and he was

impressed with your work and your professionalism. He

recommends you to John and Jane. As a result, a new client

shows up on your doorstep. That’s a pretty good surprise!

As an appraiser, you’ve met and worked with several real estate

agents. You always liked Mary a lot. She’s friendly, efficient, and

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 very client-oriented. After you appraise John and Jane’s home,

you recommend that they hire Mary. Mary gets a new client. What

do you think Mary will do in the future? She’ll return the favor by

sending business your way.

Networking is all about give and take. With a solid reputation, your network can grow

like wildfire. Provide quality service and provide recommendations on behalf of fellow

businesses that also provide quality service. Other than the time it takes to meet others,

okay and the occasional bottle of wine for a hostess gift, networking is virtually free.

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 GETTING YOUR TEAM IN PLACE

Realizing there’s no such thing as a self-made success, you need a team to work
in and on your business. It may take some time to find all the teammates you
need. Getting them into position is an important goal.

Who do I need to work on my business? (CPAs, Attorneys, Coaches, etc.)

Who do I need to work in my business? (Employees, downline, etc.)

How can I network to grow my business?

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 Chapter Six

Mind Over Success

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The Mental Game

The right frame of mind is crucial for achieving any goal. Musicians, athletes—they all

read (and sometimes write!) books on mentally preparing for the task ahead. (In fact,

my book, Mind Over Muscle, deals with this very

subject. In it, you’ll discover five core principles

"Of all the lairs in the world, of self-actualization fitness: relaxation, breathing,
sometimes the worst are your own
fear."
intention, focus, and conviction. The principles
Rudyard Kipling
fuse thoughts and actions together to radically

transform your body. Here’s a link if you’d like

more information: [Link] - Mind Over Muscle .)

The business world is no different. Your outlook on your prospects can make or break

you. Why be held back by something so fully under your control?

You don’t have to get an advanced degree in Quantum Physics to master your own

mind. You just need to understand yourself. Your brain is one thing, and hey, it’s pretty

important! Right now, though, we’re drawing a distinction between your brain and your

mind. Your mind is made up of two parts: conscious and subconscious.

Your brain tells your heart to pump and your lungs to breathe. Your mind is the home of

less tangible concepts: hopes, dreams, sympathy, love, imagination, self-

confidence…it’s a long list. Your mind contains virtually all the resources you need to

bring about the results you want. Successful people know how to harness that power.

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Your conscious mind is the part of your mind you use to make plans, set goals, and

make decisions. With the conscious mind, you choose what you think about. It

processes information, rating, evaluating, and interpreting what you’ve experienced

today. You can think of your conscious mind as the captain of a Viking ship. The captain

picks the route, and he does so not just based on desire but also based on encroaching

storms and wind patterns. And he’s always consulting his map and compass.

The subconscious mind is an entirely different matter. It’s an unstoppable force that

never asks questions. The conscious mind tells it what to do, and it simply does it. It

doesn’t think or reason. If the conscious mind sends it message, it accepts that

message, never stopping to wonder—or even care—whether the content of that

message is true. If the conscious mind is the captain of the Viking ship, the

subconscious mind is the group of burly Vikings down in the bottom rowing. Only, the

subconscious mind never gets tired. It just keeps on rowing, wherever and for however

long the conscious mind says to row.

Our everyday thoughts have been burned into our subconscious. They have taken on a

life of their own. These thoughts might be unrealistic, self-deprecating, or completely

nonsensical. That doesn’t matter. The subconscious doesn’t question or evaluate

thoughts. It unfailingly obeys.

Recognizing this fact is the first step in harnessing the power of your subconscious

mind. If you keep telling yourself, “Man, I’m awful at sales,” eventually your

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subconscious mind will obey. It will say, “Okay, we’re awful at sales. No problem. I can

do that.” Your subconscious isn’t a cheerleader. It won’t say, “Awww…that’s not true.

Let’s focus on how we can improve your sales skills.”

This phenomenon has been the subject of clinical studies. Two experts in brain

physiology have written on the subject, Drs. J.C. Eccles and Sir Charles Sherrington.

According to these doctors:

“When you learn anything, a pattern of neurons forming a chain is set up in your

brain tissue. This chain, or electrical pattern, is your brain’s method of

remembering. So, since the subconscious mind cannot distinguish a real from

imagined experience, perfect mental practice can change and correct imperfect

electrical patterns grooved there by habitually poor playing.”

All right, so what does all that mean? It means that practice does make perfect when it

comes to our thought patterns. You can increase your success with goals through

positive, detailed visualizations. Add sensory details; place yourself in a moment of true

success. Keep that image in your mind for as long as you can.

Eccles and Sherrington aren’t the only ones who’ve studied how the subconscious mind

reacts to the conscious mind. Dr. Maxwell Maltz, author of Psycho-Cybernetics, has

written on this very subject. Maltz says that our subconscious mind can be thought of as

a genie in a bottle. When the conscious mind gives is a request, the subconscious mind

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says, “Yes, master.” These thoughts then manifest themselves in your real-world

experiences.

The good news? You control your thoughts! You decide what you want to focus on.

Here’s where you put your goals into overdrive. Repetition will engrain your goals into

your subconscious mind. Continuously rewrite and review your goals. The subconscious

gets the message loud and clear—and it can’t forget about it when it’s constantly

flooded with that message.

We can take this concept of subconscious overdrive even further. Once again, let’s

remember that the simplest definition of insanity is doing the same things in the same

way over and over again, all the while expecting different results. When we talked about

developing systems we recognized that the exact opposite is true. Doing same thing in

the same way guarantees the same results.

Successful people have found a way to incorporate that fact into their “mental game.”

Keeping in mind those guaranteed results, they repeat, time and time again, what they

want and how it will feel when they get it. Thinking bland, plain vanilla thoughts, though,

won't cut it. You’ve got to spice it up, which means getting your imagination involved.

Athletes, as you may already know, do this all the time. They set themselves up for

playing a great game by visualizing success before they step onto the field.

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You’re a baseball player. It’s the ninth inning, and the game is on the line. Your team is

down by three, and the bases are loaded. There are two outs. You hear the home team

crowd cheering as you step up to the plate. You kick up dirt as you dig in. The catcher is

behind you, chattering away and trying to distract you. It’s a fastball right down the

middle of the plate. You belt it, hearing that beautiful crack. You watch it sail. Past the

outfielders, and over the fence. It’s a home run—no it’s a grand slam! You won the ball

game! You take a quick trot around the bases. You hear a gentle thud every time your

foot hits the base. Back in the dugout, it’s high fives and heavy pats on the back.

Notice the details; the athlete tries to incorporate all five of his senses. It’s like watching

a movie. Seeing something happen in your mind’s eye—believe it or not—is the first

step to making it a reality.

OK. You’re not a professional baseball player; you’re growing a network marketing

business. It’s not a grand slam, it’s doubling your downline that you’re after. But, you’re

going to employ the same technique. The film in your mind goes something like this:

You’re in the midst of an opportunity presentation for a woman you met through

one of your BNI contacts. You’re talking over a latte at Starbucks at nine o’clock

on a Wednesday morning. The café has a gentle hum. The delicious smell of

coffee. Folks around you are reading newspapers or catching up with friends.

When you hear your voice, you realize it’s coming out calm and confident. You’re

speaking clearly and slowly. The person you’re talking to nods her head and

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 leans in with interest. You’re starting to feel like she’s in the palm of your hand.

Her eyes are lighting up as she realizes you can really help her succeed. It’s just

the right time to ask, “Are you ready for your own business?” She responds with

enthusiasm, “Absolutely. This opportunity is just what I’ve been looking for. I’m

ready to get started.”

It’s not a silly game of “Let’s Pretend.” In fact, we do it all the time when we’re worrying.

We’re afraid something really bad is about to happen, and we allow it play over and

over again in our mind. Why do we only play Steven Spielberg with negative thoughts

and not with positive ones? After all, which thoughts are more productive? This process,

like anything worth doing, takes practice. Over time, you’ll get more skilled, adding more

details and experiencing the scene more vividly. All the while, you’re imprinting the

scene into your subconscious mind. Remember, the subconscious mind does what it’s

told. If you’re telling it that you’re successful, your subconscious mind believes it and

acts in

accordance. I’ve heard about Visualization & Mental Imagery – What is the difference?
Or are they one and the same?

Visualization usually works with things that we are familiar with. In other words,
to bring back the endorphin-like feelings of hitting a Grand Slam, we can think
back to when we actually did it. Visualization is based on a past experience.

Mental imagery, on the other hand, has to do with things that we’ve never actually
done, but would like to do. We play out the image and see it the way we intend for
it to occur. It may have never happened in reality, but we imagine it coming true.
By doing this with enough persistence and belief, it will.

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The film strip also prepares you for your journey towards success. You’re imagining the

possibilities, so you’re better equipped to handle whatever comes your way. You’ve

already thought out solutions to potential problems. You’re ready for it.

I’ve been hearing people talk about this movie called “The Secret”.
They talk about the Laws of Attraction & Quantum Physics – What
is this stuff? Is it some kind of religion or VOODOO?
Not at all – Quantum Physics is science – The Laws of Attraction are
nothing more than teaching you how to become more aware of what
you truly want out of life and than creating the right mood and
emotions to allow those desires to manifest themselves naturally into
your life.

Be prepared for potholes along the road

Life doesn’t go 100% smoothly 100% of the time. The more ambitious your goal, the

more likely you are to hit some bumps in the road. Things that are worth having don’t

come easily. Less ambitious goals—maintaining the status quo—are less bumpy roads.

A quick run down the street to pick up a gallon of milk will probably be pothole-free. A

cross-country trip, on the other, won’t be. A few obstacles, however, doesn’t mean

you’re doomed to fail. All it means is that you have to prepare yourself in advance, like

packing a spare tire in case you get a flat. Take out the element of surprise by expecting

a few bumps. Any a problem is easier to solve if it doesn’t catch you off guard.

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 "Fear is the greatest inhibitor to the
progress of mankind." Kick in your GPS Goal Positioning

Rick Beneteau System, and stay calm. Stick to the plan

you made, and you’ll keep moving

forward. Where are you in the process? Take a moment to review. Think it. Do it. Did it.

Done! Remember your “why” – why you’re going after this goal, why it’s important to

you. What’s at stake? What’s your next mile marker? How far have you come? How far

do you have still to go?

Let’s take a look at some of the obstacles that have gotten you off track before. How will

you handle them this time?

You surrendered the steering wheel

You must take complete ownership of and complete responsibility for your goals. If you

hand over the steering wheel to someone else, to fate, to the tides of the universe, you

have no control over where you’re going to end up. Instead, you have to commit. Say to

yourself, this is my trip, and it’s up to me to reach my destination.

You got tired of driving

You can't drive for three days straight without taking a break. After a while, you are

going to get tired and you’re going to need a rest. For others, that’s fine. When you’re

after a goal, however, you can't afford to spend a couple of hours at the rest stop. You

have to go the distance. Persistence pays off. Do what you can to shave time off the trip

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by staying focused and staying on task. But be prepared to drive for as long as it takes

to get there.

You’ve got to have the right mix of activity and rest, because both are important. But

there’s a big difference between resting and wasting time. Think about bodybuilding for

a minute. Lots of people think that they’re building muscle during their workout. But the

truth is that results only come after the workout – during a fully regenerative rest period.

The same principle holds true with your goals. You’ve got to work – hard. Be sure to get

plenty of rest. Then get back to work!

You put it on cruise control

Even a straight and simple path isn’t going to be easy. A straight route will enable you to

better keep your goal in view. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to work hard.

You can't afford to get lax and put on the cruise control. You have to be ever vigilant.

You have to persevere and put in the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears.

Remember, if these things were easy to accomplish, everyone would have everything

they ever desired. The wonderful thing about this is that once you accomplish your goal,

you get to look back. You clearly see all of the work you put into it and then reap the

rewards of all that hard, but exciting work!

Distractions lured you off course

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As you drive, distractions are going to pop up. They might be just enough to lure you off

course. Or they may be so strong that they tempt you to postpone your trip altogether.

Strap yourself in and put on blinders. If you give into a distraction, big or small, you’ve

wasted some of your precious time, be it minutes, hours, or days. That time adds up,

and it throws off your schedule. Don’t let distractions delay your progress.

You started asking, “Are we there YET?”

You’ve been driving for days. It starts to feel like an eternity, and you feel like you

should be further along than you are. All that hard work might start to feel like a waste of

time. You stayed on course; you kept the pedal to the metal—why on earth aren’t you

there yet? Ambitious goals can take a long time to reach. You don’t always get there

when you think you should. You’re in this for the long haul. Have faith that by staying on

course you’ll get where you want to go.

You spent too much time at the rest stop

Once you’ve reached a major milestone, it’s tempting to say to yourself, “I deserve a

break.” A sense of entitlement, however, can be our worst enemy. Take pride in your

progress; you absolutely should. The big mile marker might be a great place to stop for

a bit to eat and fuel up. Don’t set up camp there, though. Enjoy your success for a few

moments, then get back in and start driving. You’ve got to drive every day, regardless of

what milestone you’ve reached.

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When you reflect on your accomplishments, you can point to a few key ingredients that

brought them to fruition. The most important ingredient was setting goals. Your success

came as a result of setting valuable goals and mapping them out. You learned how to

stay on track to work towards those goals, and you prepared for possible obstacles.

Last, but not least, you learned how to see your goals through to the end.

Everyone sets goals. You’ve set them in the past, and you’ll set them in the future. But

what usually happens when you set those goals? You’re excited at first. You’re

motivated and you work hard. After a while, the excitement fizzles out and you give up.

There’s always an excuse to put it off—when you’ve got more money, when you’re got

more time. The list of excuses is endless.

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 Chapter Seven

Accelerated Results

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 "History has demonstrated that the
most notable winners usually encountered
heartbreaking obstacles before they
triumphed. They won because they refused
to become discouraged by their defeats." Successful people go about setting

B. C. Forbes and working towards their goals in a

much different way, a much more

effective way. They start by writing their goals down on paper. They are off to a great

start! Remember the 3% of Harvard students we discussed earlier? They were the ones

that wrote their goals down. They had ten times the financial success as those who

didn’t write the goals down or didn’t have goals at all. Don’t you want to fall into that

3%?

There’s something about putting a goal down on paper that makes you really feel

committed. It makes it real. Your goal is now tangible, something you can physically

touch. The realness might feel a bit scary, but the payoff is huge.

It’s not enough to write down a goal. You have to look at it on a regular basis. What was

once a fantastic first step is now an exercise in futility. A piece of paper that’s tucked

away and collecting dust is incapable of reminding you of anything. You forget about it,

and you forget about your goals.

Seeing something once is not enough for it to really sink in. That’s just human nature.

Those in the sales industry know that a person has to see a new product 7 to 10 times

before they’ll go out and purchase it. Your goals work the same way. One glance at

your piece of paper won't engrain your goal in your mind. Instead, you have to practice

repetition; you should read over your goal at least once a day, if not more.

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Ready to kick it into over-drive? Let’s dig into the goal acceleration system that’s going

to help you make it happen. You know how to set valuable goals. Here’s how you work

them into your accelerator system.

You don’t need anything fancy to build your goal accelerator notebook. Just get a three-

ring binder, a pack of Post-It notes, a three-hole punch, and your printer. You can

download all the pages you’ll need at [Link].

Think it. This step is where you create, map, and track your goals. It’s the first step for

going after and getting what you want faster than ever before. Once you’ve got this

step down, you can apply it to every goal in your life. Don’t forget to nail down your

“why” first – this is a step that’s critical to your success.

On the next few pages, you’ll find pages to record your short-term, mid-term, and long-

term goals. You get to cast a vision for what you can achieve in those time periods.

When you’re working with this goal accelerator, you’ll be amazed at how much you can

get done in a month, three months, six months, a year – two, three, four, and five

years. The process is the same, no matter what the time frame is for your goal. You

work the goal accelerator steps in the same order, following the same sequence.

Don’t skip this step! Now, it’s one thing to sit and think about your goals inside your

own mind. If that’s as far as you go, you won’t have much to work with. The goals stay

so loose and unformed that they’re not really valuable – they’re not something you can

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take action on. This is one benefit of working with a coach or a group as you develop

your goals. You experience a level of accountability, an outside perspective that helps

you develop goals that you can actually pursue. With this goal accelerator, your goals

will be constantly in front of you. This makes it much easier to plan your time

purposefully.

When you go to write your short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals in these spots,

you’re writing a brief statement – painting with broad strokes. This isn’t where you go

into great detail about how you plan to achieve these goals. This is a spot for recording

the general idea of what you’re aiming for in those time periods. The details come in

when it’s time to start working toward your goals. The first step in the process is just

writing the general idea of your goals. Only once that’s done can you move along to the

next step.

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NAME: __________________________________ DATE: _________________

The following SHORT-TERM goals are for the next _________ weeks/months:

SMART GOAL ACTION STEPS

Career and business

Personal health/wellness

Education and training

Social and family

Spiritual

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NAME: __________________________________ DATE: _________________

The following MID-TERM goals are for the next _________ months:

SMART GOAL ACTION STEPS

Career and business

Personal health/wellness

Education and training

Social and family

Spiritual

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NAME: __________________________________ DATE: _________________

The following LONG-TERM goals are for the next _________ months/years:

SMART GOAL ACTION STEPS

Career and business

Personal health/wellness

Education and training

Social and family

Spiritual

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Journaling

On the next page, you’ll see a sample box for journaling. Journaling is a fantastic way to

pump up your creativity, to solve problems, and to begin to develop some great ideas.

Journaling is a critical step in achieving your goals – even with just five lines; it’s a great

way to open up your mind. Write about what you’re feeling, what you’re thinking, what’s

working or not working for you, what’s going on. What outcomes are you looking for? It

gets your juices flowing.

It’s kind of like starting a lawn mower. You’ve got to pull the cord to start the engine.

Without establishing this practice, you’ll go into your day the way most people do – kind

of mindlessly, without a clear purpose. When you journal, you set the tone of your day.

You start your day mindfully, ready to move forward according to your plan. Think of

journaling as dumping your brain onto paper. It’s how you can grab hold of those

fleeting thoughts that dash through your mind and disappear before you can work with

them. Keep your entries short – just long enough to get the idea across. Use the journal

to ask yourself questions – your mind will work on the answer while you’re doing other

things.

The trick to journaling is to do it every day. That’s hard to do if your journal’s not right

there with you all day. If you keep a journal at home, and you don’t remember to do it

before your day starts, you’re out of luck that day. Using the journaling page of your

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goal accelerator, you’ve got all day to take a few minutes to journal. You can look back

through your goal accelerator to see how your ideas started to take shape.

JOURNAL ENTRY DATE __________________

Daily Notes

Know how journaling helps you grab hold of those great creative thoughts that just kind

of dash through your mind? This section grabs hold of other kinds of thoughts – the little

nagging voice reminding you to bring this file to a meeting, or to pick up milk on the way

home. If you don’t write it down, it’s going to keep nagging at you until you either do it,

or forget about it.

Think of your mind as being like a glass of water. If you keep pouring more in all day

long, it’s just going to spill out. It’s like this with all the things you try to remember. These

details take up valuable space in your mind. Most people say, “Oh, I’ll remember that,”
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and then promptly forget it. In fact, we often don’t even remember that we forgot

something important until we need it!

If you’re constantly writing yourself little notes, and sticking them all over your desk,

you’ll let important things slip through the cracks. If all these little reminders are kept in

the same place, you’ll get them done. You’ll free up your mind to take care of more

important matters. Think of it as your “Goal Post-It” section! By writing these on Post-

Its, and keeping them in your goal accelerator, you don’t have to worry about losing

them, or rewriting your list each day if you don’t finish it. Just move the Post-It forward.

DON’T FORGET!

Write your notes on Post-It notes

and stick them right here.

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Do it. Next, you’ve got to have a way to attach your goals to action, to connect them to

your daily activity, or else you’re just pulling numbers out of thin air. In this spot, you’re

going to record whatever’s important for you to accomplish this day or this week. Here’s

where you ask yourself, “What do I want to get done? When?” This is crucial to planning

your day versus letting your day run away from you.

For example, let’s say you need to work on your marketing plan this week. Your

outcomes serve as an assistant to your goals. They’re the steps you need to take right

now to work on your goal. So, the outcome you want for this week is getting your

marketing plan done. What needs to happen to get that done? Do you need to meet

with your partner? Is your partner going to be in the office today? If not, when will you

schedule a time to meet together? What’s the priority for the day, for the week?

DAILY OUTCOMES – WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TODAY?

1.

2.

3.

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Day’s Plan/Scheduling

Now we’re going to look at scheduling. This section’s got the bulk of your day divided

into 30-minute blocks. Here’s where you put your goals into your schedule. You write

what you’ve got to do, when – and what you expect to achieve during each block. Who

will you see or call? When will you do this? What do you want from them? What’s the

next step? How will you follow up?

To Do's and Follow Up's are not prioritized, they are general things that will need to get

done. If it is of the highest priority you need to assign a time slot for it to be done in. If

not, it is general stuff with no time priority. BUT, each day and during the day you are

constantly reviewing them in conjunction with your desired daily outcomes. That's when

you also look at your available time slots and decide when you want to move the items

into the designated time slots. THIS is where it really KICKS up a notch- BAM! You see

it... it is really time to work on your designated email, contract or whatever you have

moved into the time slot. You have now allocated the time slot for it to be done in your

day - this is where it takes over a level of importance and you make it happen.

8:00 ______________ 1:00 ________________

9:00 ______________ 2:00 ________________

10:00 _____________ 3:00 ________________

11:00 _____________ 4:00 ________________

12:00 _____________ 5:00 ________________

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Did it. Each day, you’ve got to follow-up on your follow-ups. They say, “The fortune’s in

the follow up.” It’s a matter of keeping yourself accountable to do what you said you’d

do. Who were you supposed to call or email? Did you make those phone calls? Did you

send those emails? Did you deliver what you promised?

One quality that’ll separate you from your competitors is how well you do on follow-up.

Here’s where you build your reputation for reliability, for being dependable and ethical.

Being known for keeping your word is a fantastic way to build your business. If your

clients can refer you to their contacts without being afraid you’ll drop the ball, you’ve got

a huge advantage. It’s a great way to move people from your cold market to your warm

market – they’ve already gotten the word on you – you do what you say you’ll do.

In order to get that great reputation, you’ve got to have a system in place that makes it

impossible for people to just slip through the cracks. The goal accelerator makes it easy

to stay on top of your follow-ups.

Daily Outcomes

Go back each day and each week and look at your daily outcomes. What did you

expect to achieve? How did it go? Do you need to adjust your expectations? Did you

exceed your expectations? Take note of how accurately you’ve forecast your results.

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Next, you move to the Done step. You set valuable goals, came up with a method to

achieve them, used your schedule, your journal, your mind, and your expectations to

draw up your action plan – that was Think it. You put it all into action in Do it, working

efficiently and making the most of every moment, taking control of your day and using it

to move you toward success. In the Did it step, you handled follow-up and evaluated

how you’ve done so far. In the Done step, you’ll learn how to close your day, how to

move forward into the next day.

Done!

Rate your day.

This is crucial. How well did you do today? Give your day a rating. One’s poor – your

day got away from you, you didn’t do what you needed to do at all. Five’s great – you

took your day rather than it taking you. You planned well; you stayed on track toward

your goals. You did everything you were supposed to do.

By rating your day, and eventually looking back at your ratings, you’ll get a sense of

improvement. You’ll see how well you’ve learned to implement your goal system.

RATE THE DAY:

1 2 3 4 5

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Completion of Your Day – One Positive Accomplishment

Part of the process of preparing for the next day is closing today out on a positive note.

It sets you up with a good mindset. It helps you keep the day in perspective. Take a

minute or two to jot down one positive accomplishment from the day. This practice

trains your mind to think positively and creatively.

ONE GREAT THING THAT HAPPENED TODAY:

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Now let’s take a look back at how all of this changes the way you go about creating

change in your life. Before, you’ve had wishes, dreams, New Year’s Resolutions, and

maybe some form of written goal. The wishes and dreams were nice, but not really

something you could act on. The Resolutions were more on the right track, because

they involved you taking the time to evaluate your priorities, look at your life, and start

fresh. For most people however, these well-intended resolutions fizzle out by

Valentine’s Day, if not before the champagne toast at midnight. Maybe you went so far

as to set an actual goal and write it down. But that wasn’t enough to get the job done.

Anyone can learn to set and achieve goals, and you go a long way toward mastering

the process when you work the steps we’ve discussed so far.

This Goal Stuff doesn’t really work. How could it, when I always have the same
New Year’s Resolutions and come up with the same goals time and time again? I
never achieve any of them!
Not to beat this point to death, but you need to find your WHY. Here’s the problem:
when you have a pseudo-goal of wanting to lose weight or make more money, what
are your TRUE reasons for wanting to have these things? In other words, you don’t
just want to lose weight, you may also be looking to feel and look better, you want
others to acknowledge and validate your accomplishments, you’d like to attract the
opposite sex. You need to create the WHY of why you want to lose weight!
As far as making money goes, you don’t just want metal pieces and green paper. You
want the value that it brings. You may be also looking to purchase that new
Mercedes Coupe, purchase a summer home on the lake, or just pay your rent on
time. You need to create the WHY of why you want to make more money.
You don’t just want to quit smoking. Hey, if quitting smoking wasn’t good for you,
would you still want to quit? You should want to quit first because it’s terrible for
you, but you may also be looking to feel and look better, to easily breathe fresh air,
to have energy for those things you’d love to be able to do, not to have to worry about
your health, to know your loved ones won’t have to suffer by losing you to a smoke-
related health problem. These are your WHYS and they are the only thing holding
you back from finally reaching your goals!

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 Chapter Eight

Real Accounts
Accounts
Real Results
Results

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A quick before and after look at how you’d go after your goals:

Divide and Conquer

Before: You’d go after a massive overhaul, hoping to change everything you dislike

about yourself all at once. It sounded something like, “This year I’ll stop smoking, lose

weight, save for retirement, find someone to spend my life with, and get a dog.”

Remember the old saying, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew”? Think of this as

taking very small bites.

After: Now you approach your goal by setting smaller milestones along the way. You

know you are much more likely to make it all the way to the finish line. You choose

SMART goals and work the goal mining process to really get it done.

Know what you really want

Before: You set the same goals year after year, without a whole lot of thought or

evaluation. When you managed to achieve some of these goals, you still found yourself

wanting. You’d never really drilled down to see what, exactly, you were after. It was

really hard to keep yourself motivated because you’d never gone deep beneath the

surface to capture the underlying need or desire.

After: You know you need to understand why you want what you want. Is the resolution

to quit your job really about hating the job, or is it a desire to spend more time with your

family, make more money or to feel like you make a difference each day? Depending on

your end result, the smaller goals you set will differ greatly. Your goals are full of

meaning and value, which is inherently motivating.

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Focus on realistic goals

Before: You shot for the moon, which sounds fine; but you came up empty because

you didn’t take your starting point into account. You vowed to lose 40 lbs. by

summertime, but never formed a truly doable plan. You said you’d be married within the

year, but didn’t think about how to work around

your insane work schedule so you’d actually "All things are possible until they are
proved impossible – and even the
have time to meet new people. Since your impossible may only be so as of now."
Pearl S. Buck
goals seemed unattainable, you were quick to

give up.

After: Now you know that you’ve got to take a realistic look at where you are, where you

want to go, and then make a plan to get from here to there. If your first goal toward the

resolution of losing weight is to drink four more glasses of water a day, this is easier to

accomplish than going on some kind of crazy fast. You’ll have a feeling of success and

the momentum to continue. Being able to measure your success in steps (OK I only

drank three more glasses today, but I’m almost there), is better than a strict pass/fail (I

didn’t lose 20 pounds so I’m a failure.) Plus, once you lose the weight, you’re going to

start feeling so much better about yourself. You’ll feel more confident and more

attractive, too. This newfound self-assurance will show in everything you do, and people

will take notice.

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Set yourself up for success

Before: You went for the one-size-fits-all technique of the day to change your life. You

heard about some guy who stopped smoking by filling a jar with butts for a week, then

lugging the jar around everywhere he went for the next month – so you tried that. No

matter that it was a method that didn’t fit your lifestyle at all. No surprise that you bailed

after two days. Or, you decided to lose weight by drinking only protein shakes twice a

day, and eating a sensible meal at dinner time. But you didn’t take into account the fact

that the shakes made you gag, and watching everyone else eat real food all day long

made your ‘sensible’ dinner turn into an all-night binge.

After: You know yourself, and know what’s going to inspire you to keep going. You

think about how you can make the changes you want to make while still living the life

you’ve got. If you are trying to quit smoking, and a beer or the bar scene is too tempting,

you plan some get-togethers in a different environment with people who will support

your goals. Often it’s a matter of knowing your own personality- maybe there is no way

you can say no to that before bedtime snack, but you can make it a reward for a walk

around the block. That’s will power- knowing what you really will and won’t do. You

know yourself - so plan accordingly.

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 "If I were asked to give what I consider the single
most useful bit of advice for all humanity, it would
be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life,
and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it
squarely in the eye, and say, 'I will be bigger than
you. You cannot defeat me.'"
Be accountable
Ann Landers
Before: You kept your goals to

yourself. If nobody else knew,

nobody would know if you failed. Nobody would laugh, ridicule, or roll their eyes when

you said you wanted to double your income in the next twelve months. Nobody would

ask you a month later whether you’d made any progress, and you wouldn’t have to

admit defeat. Of course, you missed out on all the positive benefits of accountability –

and your goals fell by the wayside.

After: You realize the value of talking about your goals – starting by writing them down

for your own eyes to see. You know you need help to make a massive change. You see

the benefit of having a whole team working together to achieve together. You brought in

a coach, a mentor, a mastermind group, an accountability partner – everyone you need

on your team so you can stay on track. You know that when (not if!) you veer off course

or get weary, someone will come alongside you and ask you a question that’ll pop you

back into reality. Your team would never think of laughing at your goal, and you learn to

announce it with a straight face, knowing you’ll be supported and encouraged.

Let’s take a look at the top resolutions people make, how they go about doing it, and

some things you’d do differently now.

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1) Lose Weight - The benefits to this one are endless, and with our nation trending

toward obesity, we all recognize the serious impact on all aspects of health. Pretty

motivating, yet most people fail. They try very restrictive diets (only shakes, only this

kind of food, none of that) and lose a few pounds (of water!) at first, then crash and

burn. If this is your resolution, be sure to use positively phrased mini-goals: I will eat

more fresh fruits and vegetables, I will walk for 15 minutes before dinner, I will

incorporate fish into my diet. This takes away the idea that you have to constantly

deprive yourself to get trim.

2) Exercise – From preventing heart disease to maintaining a healthy weight, this is a

close number two. Entire industries are devoted to helping people get more exercise.

Yet, the typical person joins a health club or buys some equipment, and tubes out within

just months. Actually doing the exercise is dull to them, they lack an emotional

motivation, so it’s about as fun as banging a rock with a hammer. They failed to create a

plan that works with who they truly are and what they’re most likely to do. Being realistic

is the key! If you know that you are not going to get out of bed for a three mile jog at five

in the morning, get real! What will you do? Walk through the park with your dog? Take

your kids to the community pool and let your friend watch them while you swim laps?

Whatever you choose needs to fit into your life and personality. No, that doesn’t mean it

will be easy, but if you love to be outdoors and hate the idea of being in a class with

others, keep that in mind.

Now, if improving your fitness is one of your goals, please refer to the resource page at

the end of this book to find information on my Body Sculpting Bible line of books. I’ve

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created programs that produce daily results. They’ll provide you with a direct plan of

action to get into the best shape of your life. If you’re interested in any of these books,

email me with the code Goal Mining, and I’ll give you a huge discount and sign a copy,

personalized to you!

3) Get Out of Debt - Some sources claim that the average American carries over

$7,000 in credit card debt alone. No one feels good about that. If this is your goal, you

may find yourself not knowing where to start. This may make you easy prey for

unscrupulous ‘advisors’ who promise to make it painless to pay down your debt. This is

one time you really need a team. There are people out there who know exactly how to

help you financially – not just to get rid of debt, but to get into a position where debt is

just a faded memory. It’s an excellent goal to teach you the value of having a team.

4) Finding the Love of Your Life – In some stages in life, it’s really pretty easy to meet

people and find a mate – but once you’re entrenched in your career, it can be a little

harder. Most people go about finding someone special in a way that’s not even logical –

no wonder it’s not effective. What are the odds you’ll meet someone at a bar who’s

going to be the one you want to spend your life with? Or that the person answering your

personal ad will be the one they say they are – much less the one. Looking at these two

methods, the idea of giving up and waiting for love to find you actually seems better.

Those aren’t the only options. A couple of goal mining tools that especially shine for this

goal are journaling and making sure your goals are measurable. You may not have ever

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even considered creating a plan to find a mate. It’s just not how we’re conditioned to

believe it happens. Journaling’s a great place to start – you’ll become more aware of

yourself, who you really are, what you really value, where you need to work on yourself,

how you interact. Then, wherever you choose to start looking (notice, you’re choosing,

not just hoping for the best), set some measurable goals. If you’re using an online

matchmaking service, set goals for how many profiles you’ll read each day. How many

friends will you ask for introductions? How many evenings will you make available for

meeting people? How often will you attend a club or group where you might meet new

people?

5) Watch Less TV – Television-viewing has been linked to both obesity and attention

problems in children. But getting kids or adults to break out of the zombie zone can be

difficult. The typical family that resolves not to watch so much TV lasts only about until

the Super Bowl. TV has become such a routine part of home life that it’s a habit. Focus

on what you will do instead. We will have friends over for dinner, we will take a bike ride

after dinner, we will go to the museum we keep talking about. Focus on making

television a special event, rather than a habit. Breaking an old habit can be much more

difficult that starting a new one. But the health benefits of these for you, and those

around you are enormous.

6) Get Organized – Just the thought of tax time coming up is enough to make most

people take a vow of organization at the first of the year. Like kids starting a new year in

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school, we get excited by all the folders and files at the Office Depot. The blank pages

of a new planner convince you that this will be the year you finally get organized. But

without a workable plan, including mini-goals along the way, you’re sunk before you

even get started. Remember to divide and conquer: if your goal is ultimately to stop that

rushed in the morning feeling, make step one packing lunch the night before. Habits are

built day by day. Even though it’s satisfying to purge your whole house of every

unnecessary item all at once, a workable plan is much more effective in the long run.

7) Learn Something New – Here is a fun resolution because it really involves pursuing

your interests and having fun. Yet it’s a really easy goal to let slide when life takes over.

It often ends just as quickly as the intention set in – without you ever taking action. This

is a goal that’s best approached as a realistic way of living, rather than an over-reaching

aim. You might not learn to speak Spanish in just six easy lessons. But, you can build

learning time into your schedule, map out a plan, and track your progress. The saying is

that leaders are readers, and that’s a great place to start. Devoting the time you used to

spend watching TV, and using it instead to grow, learn, and improve by reading or

taking courses, is a great first step.

8) Help Others - There are endless opportunities for volunteering, donating and giving

back to your community. Here’s another area where good intentions evaporate as soon

as life takes over. It’s another area that is doomed to a haphazard, sporadic start and a

feeble, guilty ending if you don’t approach it with a sound goal plan. You can build a

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habit and lifestyle of helping others, and watch the effect it has on your family and

friends. But you’ve got to attack it with a plan in hand. Get very specific about who you

want to help, and why. Learn all you can to find ways you can help, using the resources

you’ve already got. Make a realistic commitment to small goals (like, staffing a soup

kitchen once a month for two hours, or donating 2% of your income), and track your

progress. Raise the bar when you experience success. Work this great intention like a

plan.

9) Spend More Time with Family and Friends – This is one change you will never

regret. No one ever gets to the end of their life and says, “I wish I had spent less time

with the people I love.” Yet most of us just don’t have as much time as we wish. This is

a goal that slips by so many people, remaining a wish forever because they never set a

plan to do it. It’s not something that’ll just happen – and unlike many goals, you’ve really

only got a relatively small window of time to do it right. Involve every goal-setting tool

you’ve learned to do this right. Spend time creating SMART goals for how you’ll spend

this time, and take note of the results you get. For example, set a date once a week with

someone who means a lot to you. It could be mom and daughter day on Saturday

morning, or guys’ night out every Thursday. Or you can commit to making a different

long distance phone call every Sunday night. Whatever your priorities are, pick a date

and write it on your calendar. Spend time journaling a bit about what you see happening

as you dedicate this time.

“Most of our obstacles would melt

away if, instead of cowering before
them, we should make up our minds to131

GOAL MINING walk boldly through them."

Orison Swett Marden
10) Enjoy Life More - Frankly, all the other resolutions are about this one. Life can

easily become overscheduled, fast-paced and hectic. We have fast food, high-speed

internet access and a feeling that more is better. If you really want to enjoy your life,

take some time to prioritize what that means to you. Half the battle is just becoming

aware of what you desire, and why. When you’re able to connect this insight to a plan

that you can do, and then measure your results, you’ll find all the motivation you need to

keep it going.

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 Conclusion

Take Flight!

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So you’ve read this book for a particular reason. Either you’ve had goals and just never

seemed to be able to take them forward; or you’ve been overwhelmed by having a big

box of great info and no idea what to do first. You’ve been to or purchased many of

those seminar type presentations on creating success. You’ve listened to a wealth of

wisdom, but just never known how to take the next step towards success, right?

The great news is, you’ve already taken the first big step in the right direction. By

reading this book or listening to other great presenters like Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy &

T. Harv Eker, then you know you’ve heard some pretty terrific information about creating

those things that you truly desire - more wealth, better health, free time. Now let’s look

at all of the powerful material that we’ve delivered to you - a big box of very valuable

wisdom. Once the box has been delivered, now what? It’s been dropped off at your feet

and now it’s your job to take this load somewhere, right? Where do you take it?

Think about it like this - if all you do is take in the loads and loads of powerful material

you hear and read, and leave it at that, you’re missing out. Speakers and authors

become like a delivery service; once you sign off on it, their job is done. It’s up to you to

take the next step and do something with that big box of priceless information. You

need to do something to put a system in place that’ll help you work through what you’ve

heard and read. A system that’ll help you stay accountable, that’ll provide the support

you need to make the changes you want to make. Coaching is that Brinks Armored

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truck, waiting to take that precious cargo and you, to your destination! A non-stop

journey to success!

Why do so many ambitious people fail? They’re motivated, they’re informed – but

they’re missing an important piece of the puzzle. Having all the greatest, most

motivating information out there is only the first step in the journey – and you’ve got that

one down pat. What will you do next? What will you do to ensure your success? Who

will you choose to guide you across the finish line? To help you stay accountable? To

help you negotiate the twists and turns in the road ahead? If you’re really serious about

achieving your goals, it’s time to jump in with both feet. Now is the time. Today is the

day. Whether you’re ready to take action on your master plan, and just want some

guidance along the way – or you’re not even sure where to start – you’re only moments

away from getting started on a path that’ll change your life forever. Call me at 516-659-

0079, or email me at coachjames@[Link] and start the journey today.

Some of this material is not new to me. What makes working with you
different?

I’m not here to teach you about this new word called “goal” or a process called
“goal setting.” There are plenty of materials out there, but this is a turn key
process for achieving your goals. I’ve been there and done it. This material was
born of necessity and has been my direct plan of action for years now. The
accountability component here is the missing link in all of the self-help industry. If
you’re ready to get moving, or have questions, comments, or concerns, email me
and I will be there to support you!

james@[Link]

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 SMART Goals Worksheet
(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound and Tangible)

Goal Statement:

What do I need to do to reach this goal?

Where am I now?

Obstacles: Solutions:

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