The ABC’s of Reaching your Goals

No matter how determined we are at planning, resourcing and achieving all those wondering things we want for ourselves, or even others, sometimes we need a little nudge in the right direction. Or maybe its a framework to guide our thought process. Just something to help you get from A to B. You may be super organised and have your life planned out for you but just not reaching your goals, perhaps your life is flying past you and youre wondering why youre still doing what youve always been doing, despite your well thought-out plan. Or you might be flying by the seat of your pants from day to day but are now looking for more structure to your life and achieving your goals.

Its not always as complicated as it may feel to get yourself back on track, or onto a track to start with. Sometimes its just a moment you have when you suddenly feel ah, of course! and thats what this article is about. A very important yet simple tool for achieving all those big and little things is already in your brain, so dont for one second feel that its out of your reach. Read on to find out how to take the first step in achieving anything you put your mind too.

This little model is so simply yet so effective. It is used by many coaches and individuals around the world. Its so simple, it will be your aha moment! Ill take you through step-by-step, so go and grab a note book and pen before reading on.

What does GROW stand for?
G = Goals
R = Reality
O = Options
W = Way forward/Will power

Part One Identifying your Goals

Step One:

Get comfy, sit back and relax. Close your eyes if you can. Think of your life as it is right now, what you love about it and those around you, what youre not so happy with and what youd really like in your life but dont have yet. Make three headings at the top of a sheet of paper:

Love a lot Not so much love Would love

Under each heading, jot down the thoughts you had about it. See the following example:

Love a lot
My friends
My family
My car
My educationMy job

Not so much love
My weight
My health
Relationship with Mum

Would love
Nicer apartment
To do a masters
More savings
Whiter teeth

Now say a quiet thanks for the items listed in Love a lot. Many people forgot to be thankful for what is going well in their lives. What is going well can so very easily get overshadowed by whats going bad, and this isnt healthy. Make sure you always remind yourself how special you are and others are to you, and be grateful for all the wonderful things in your life. This positive attitude is just one small thing you can do each day to make you feel more positive and alive.

Step Two:

Take a look at your Not so much and Would love columns and ask yourself which three of these goals would you like to begin your journey with. When considering goals, theres a couple of things you need to be mindful of:
Is my goal aligned with my values? I.e. you may want to quit our job and laze on the beach, is that fair to your family that you need to help provide for?

Are your goals achievable? I dont want to tell you what you can and cant do if you set your mind to it, but you do need to be realistic to give yourself the best chance of success. For each goal, ask yourself what you need to achieve those goals is it money, connections, a different education? If getting hold of these is achievable then the better chance you will have of achieving your end goal. If you need a trillion dollars for your goal to set up a space station, it may not be the space station that is unachievable, it may be getting the cash together first.

Do you have realistic expectations as to when you want to complete these by? Make sure you give yourself enough time to do everything you need to do in order to reach your goal. But dont allow so much time that you lose the motivation to do it. Theres no point in setting a time limit of 12 months to do a PhD when it takes minimum of three years. And theres equally no point in giving yourself 12 years to complete it.

Do you have your three top goals in mind? Put a nice big tick next to them. for this example, i have chosen the following:

My Goals:

My job
My health
Whiter teeth

Keep this handy for the second stage article that will follow very shortly!

Meanwhile, if youre interested in online coaching to help you define and reach your goals following the GROW model, send me an e-mail to get the process started. Im working pro-bono at the moment, so I am offering all my coaching encounters at no charge for the greater good of the community!

The Grow Model was developed by Graham Alexander of Alexander Corporation:

http://www.alexandercorporation.com/graham_alexander.php