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3 States to Create Exceptional Results
by Nathalie Gevinti, Unlimited Mindset Solutions
In business you are noticed and assessed on your results.
To create the most exceptional results, you need to access and maintain the following 3 states:
- Be focused on the task at hand,
- Remain motivated during the task,
- Be accountable for the results.
Goal setting is a tool that will ensure that you, and your team if you have one, will be at your
peak in these three areas, but only if you follow the 5-step process as described in the
S.M.A.R.T model.
To keep your focus while working on a project, you must be clear on where you are heading.
This means that your goal must be precise, or in other words, Specific. “Increasing sales” is
too vague. “Increasing sales by 10%” is more specific. This step is about what you want and
about answering questions such as who, what, and where.
Knowing where you are going is the start, but it’s not enough. You must also know how you
are tracking against your end goal. This will keep you focused and motivated, as well as
accountable, as you get closer to your target. This means that your progress and end results
must be Measurable. You need to be able to determine how many or how much.
The two common mistakes people make when setting goals is they either aim too low or too
high. Both of these actions fail to create the self-confidence needed to remain motivated. The
goals must be exciting because they are outside of your comfort zone, but not so far outside
that you don’t believe you can accomplish them. This is why the goals must be Appealing, and
this will depend on how you can accomplish them.
One of the strongest ways to remain motivated is to have a compelling reason to do what you
do. The feeling of contribution is very compelling, and when your goals integrate within the
goals of the business, you can clearly see how you are making a difference, therefore you will
care. This is why the goals must be Relevant. This is your “reason why” you are working
towards them.
When you are not accountable to your results, it is easier to procrastinate and to claim “I will
start tomorrow”. To avoid this situation, it is important that each goal has a precise date by
which it must be completed. When a goal is Time bound, it also participates in creating the
self-satisfaction to accomplish it within a time frame. This step answers the question “when,”
and must be a date that includes a day, a month, and a year.
If you fail to reach your goal, it is often because one or several steps haven’t been set up
properly. Was it clear enough? Was it too optimistic? Did you have ways to track your
progress? Was it important to you? Did it have a clear deadline?
Follow the S.M.A.R.T. model to propel your results and grow, both at work and in your
personal life.