8 STEPS TO ACHIEVEMENT (2)

Step 2: DEVELOP CLEAR GOALS

I believe the most important word to consider when it comes to achievements for anyone, is the word clarity. Fully 80% of most success comes about as the result of your being absolutely clear about what it is you are trying to accomplish. Remember, this is clearly in line with Pareto Principle.

Unfortunately, probably 80% or more of failure and frustration comes to people who are vague or fuzzy about what they want and how to go about achieving it. Like the architect, he draws a definite plan of what he desires to build before starting off. The athlete decides how many meters he intends to compete for before he starts to run. The list of people with defined goals is endless and I believe you can set yours as well.

Most people never do this.

Also, determine the price you’re going to have to pay to get it and then resolve to pay that price. If you do these, you can have just about anything you really want as long as you’re willing to pay the price.

Step 3: PLAN DAILY

Daily planning is absolutely essential for you to double your productivity. Adopt Brian Tracy “Six P Formula,” for high achievement. This formula says, “Prior proper plan­ning prevents poor performance.” Proper planning is the mark the professionals. All successful men and women take a good deal of time to plan their activities in advance. Remember the 10/90 Rule which says that the first ten percent of time that you spend planning your activities before you begin will save you as much as 90% of the time necessary to perform those activities once you start work.

Always think on paper. Something wonderful happens between your head and your hand when you write out your plans in detail on paper before you begin. Writing ac­tually sharpens your thinking. It stimulates your creativity and it enables you to focus far better than if you were just trying to work out of your mind.

Begin by making a master list of everything you can think of that you have to do for the long-term future. This master list then becomes the central control list for your life. Whenever you think of something new that you have to do, write it down on your master list.

At the beginning of each month, make a monthly list covering everything you can think of that you’ll have to do in the coming weeks. Then break your monthly list down into a weekly list and specify exactly when you are going to start and complete the tasks you have decided upon for the month.

Finally and perhaps the most important, make a daily list of your activities, preferably the night before so that your subconscious mind can work on your list while you sleep. Always work from a list. As you work you scratch off each item as you finish it. This tracking gives you an ongoing sense of accomplishment and personal progress. Cross­ing off items one by one motivates you and actually gives you more energy.

According to time management experts, working from a list will increase your produc­tivity by 25% the very first day you begin doing it.

Step 4: PRIORITIZE

Everything that you have to do during the day can be divided into one of four catego­ries. These categories are determined by designating your tasks as either urgent or not urgent, and important or not important.

     The first type of task is both urgent and important. This is something that you have to do immediately. It’s a job that’s in your face. Urgent and important tasks like important phone calls, meetings, customer calls and emergencies are almost always determined by other people. They are vital requirements of your job. You cannot put them off without causing serious problems. Most people spend all day long doing things that are both urgent and important.

     The second category of items is those that are important but not urgent. These are the items that usually have the greatest possible long-term consequences. These are items like personal renewal, upgrading your knowledge and skills, physical fitness and exercise, and spending time with your family.

The third category of tasks is those items that are urgent but not important. These may consist of telephone calls, co-workers dropping in to see you, casual conversations about what was on television, and so on.

The greatest time wasters of all are those activities that are neither urgent nor impor­tant. These are things that you do during the day that are completely irrelevant and have no consequences at all, like reading the newspaper, calling home to see what’s for dinner, or going shopping. They contribute nothing to your company or to your personal goals.

Always ask yourself, “What are the long-term potential consequences of doing this task? What would happen if I didn’t do it at all?” And whatever your answer, let it guide you in your choice of priorities.

Hmm! How did it go? Did you get anything? I guess you did. So, will you set clear goals now? What is your take to daily planning? Prioritize. It is time for more practice. Practice and perfect these steps while we expect the next four steps. Begin to act today. For questions, send a mail to macstands@gmail.com or visit www.macstands.blogspot.com for more insights. For comments, please post it. Good luck.