Exceeding the Standards
I know I harp on this now and again, but I really can't think of anything quite as important as knowing who you are and where you're going through goal setting. I consider myself a "professional" goal setter, but I wasn't always in this state of mind. When I started setting my sites on what I wanted to accomplish in life, I began succeeding. Today, I constantly examine and sharpen my life's objectives, both for my business and my personal life. Without a 'map' there's no way to get where you're going. Your goals become a clear target for you to aim at; an aspiration to improve or redirect your journey through life.
Some people are extremely self-motivated. They seem to have the answers, the knowledge and abilities to conquer any job and without supervision. This internal drive comes from these goal setting practices and a strong desire to excel. Think about it, if everybody accomplished this exercise daily, how could a business fail? If everyone chose the path of extra responsibility, enhanced motivation and a clear desire to exceed the standards, then there would be no stopping forward momentum.
I understand that all people won't harbor these altruistic feelings. Some people in the global workforce show up on a daily basis simply to pick up their paycheck. That's sad. Those who track such information report that 70 percent of the American workforce hates coming to work. That's awful. While I know I am more than what I am on the job, I love coming to the office because I see it as more than a method of making money. I come to work with a strong belief that my company and I are really doing something to improve the lives of those we serve.
In order to excel, we have to know where we are going. Look, if you get in the car and want to drive to another city, you have to know what the map says. It's the same with business. If you want to 'drive' your company to a particular level of success, you must know where you are and what 'roads' will get you there. If you're starting and end points are not defined, then you have a problem and success is likely to be accidental, if it happens at all. There are always different itineraries we can take, there's never just one way to accomplish a task. Pick the one that best suits your belief system, your desires, your needs, and your financial state. Then just go.
Originally published in the Outspoken e-newsletter.