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I have identified a change I need to make in my life, now what is the next step to ensure that change happens? .....
As a follow on to my recent article the “Life Balance Challenge”, where I discussed how to identify where your life may be out of balance and some simple tools to improve this situation, one question has been raised more than any other and I would like to address that here now. The question is - I have identified a change I need to make in my life, now what is the next step to ensure that change happens? In order to hit a target you need to know what you are aiming at which is where GOALs come into play. Goals have gotten a bad wrap in recent years as many people set goals for themselves, then for a million different reasons don’t achieve what they had hoped and subsequently discard goal setting as a means of achieving what they want out of life. Goal setting does work as is evident by the fact that anything worthwhile that anyone has achieved in life started with an idea, followed by dogged determination to make that idea a reality. Whether it is Bob Geldof striving to “Make Poverty history” or a Salesman attempting to exceed his targets, the fundamental goal setting principles that apply are the same. Many books, training courses and self help manuals will use the SMART goal setting formula. SMART stands for Specific/Measurable/Attainable/Realistic/Time Based. In principle this is a great structure to build on and each of the 5 elements are critical to have effective goals. As a large part of my work involves assisting clients in setting and realising goals I use SMART regularly however I am finding that this is not always enough. So what is missing? I am exploring the area of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) at the moment and in so doing have come across a book entitles “NLP in 21 days” by Harry Adler and Beryl Heather which I believe identifies what is missing. I am happy to share this new insight with you in a way that allows you to apply the principles to your own life straight away. If you are ready with a pen and paper please take a few moments and write down a goal that you are excited and inspired to achieve applying the SMART principles. Now once you have that done, answer the following questions as honestly as possible. 1. Is my goal stated in the positive? (If not, make it positive. You need to focus on what you want not what you don’t want). 2. When, where and with whom do I want this goal? (What you see, hear and feel inside gives a foretaste of what will actually happen). 3. What specifically will I see, hear and feel when I actually achieve your goal? (Let your imagination take over here and paint as bright and vivid a picture as you can of the future). 4. Can I fulfil the goal myself? (If not, change it to a goal that you have reasonable personal control over). 5. Will I loose anything that I have now, and want to keep, by achieving this goal? (If your goal relates to developing your career. This may impact negatively on your home life. You need to be aware that to improve in one area may require sacrificing another so do a cost/benefit analysis on your goal and look for a balance that you are happy with). 6. Is this goal worthwhile to me and how does it relate to my other long-term goals? You may find some overlap between these questions and the SMART principles however it is important to consider them independently and give them due consideration. Once you have completed this exercise, write out your goal using the learning and insights you have gained and notice how much more enthusiastic, motivated and committed to your goal you become. TIP: Phrase your goal is the present tense as if whatever you are striving to achieve already exists in your life. GOOD LUCK! Put this process into practise and if you like, let me know how you get on. You can email me at
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Fergal O’Connor is a Business and Personal Life Coach working in partnership with his Business and Private clients providing a supportive, confidential, challenging and non-judgemental environment to make their ambitions and dreams a reality. Fergal can be contacted at Synergy Coaching Services, Tel: (061) 467287, email
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Limerick Leader 16th June 2005 Copyright 2005. Synergy Coaching Services.
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