Greg Nathan Franchise Relations Tip #31: The Psychology of Setting Goals

This week Greg offers tips on how to set and achieve your goals.

The Psychology of Setting Goals

This week's tip is around goal setting. But, the truth is, when it comes to achieving goals some people will be more successful than others.

While luck and the support of family and friends do make a difference, how we go about setting our goals is more significant.

Five timely tips to help you achieve success

Here are five tips guaranteed to help you achieve success based on good scientific research.

1. Write in a journal, diary or somewhere you can regularly refer. If you have trouble coming up with the wording, try completing this sentence: “When I think about the coming year I'd feel great if …”
2. Under your goal, write out the specific, practical steps you need to take. Put a time frame next to each step (small steps help to overcome procrastination). A time frame can be when you will finish the step or how often you will keep at it;  i.e. “I will spend 10 minutes a day on this step.” Some people find it useful to give themselves a reward for achieving each step.
3. Tell other people about

   your goal. This will build your commitment to follow through and they might give you some encouragement. And, if you are stubborn like me and they tell you it's impossible, this will provide an even greater sense of motivation!

4. Regularly think about how things will be better when you achieve each of the steps and the final goal. This will feed your motivation to stick at the steps you have set for yourself. By the way, always focus on the positive benefits of success , not on the negative aspects of failure.
5. Finally – and this may seem like a paradox – consider any barriers that may get in your way of achi

   eving each step and how you might deal with them. Do this after thinking about the benefits. This last step will help to keep you optimistic and grounded at the same time. It's a great little technique that helps create success.

And now I practice what I preach.

Step 1:  “When I think about the coming year I'd feel great if I were to publish one of these tips every 10 days.

Step 2: I will spend at least one hour every Sunday crafting my thoughts.

Step 3: I certainly have this one covered; I've just told you.

Step 4:  Benefits: My personal assistant won't be hassling me to write the next tip, and I always enjoy the satisfaction of seeing a new piece come to life.

Step 5: The most likely barrier is getting distracted by a movie on television.

Let's hope it works! By the way, speaking of goals, our Profitable Partnerships Boot Camps are a great opportunity to take some quality time to reset your goals. We'll be teaching some useful techniques on the topic. Hope you can join us. And, please remember that our Early Bird Discount expires on July 22nd, so if you are planning to attend register now and save $100/seat!

Until next time.

Greg Nathan
Founder
Franchise Relationships Institute

P.S. I'll be giving one more free webinar this summer. Here are the details:

10 Strategies to Drive a Healthy Franchising Culture
Tuesday July 26, 2011
2:30 P.M – 3:30 P.M. MDT
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/130000147