In the telecom industry, setting goals is critical. Unfortunately, most people never come close to realizing their goals. University of Scranton researchers reports that a shocking 92 percent of people never meet their New Year’s resolutions. So, why do so many people fail in their aims? Why are goals important at all?
If you’re part of the telecom industry, then you know how competitive it is. It’s easy to drift for years, almost mindlessly following directions from your superiors. Feeling frustrated is expected. Telecommunications used to excite you. Now, it just feels like you’re adrift.
Your frustration may stem from not defining what you want in life. Without reflection about where you want to go, it’s impossible for you to achieve your goal. That is if you even have a goal in mind.
Why Goals Matter
Goals give you drive and direction. They provide you with motivation and a sense of accomplishment each time you achieve your goal. Your self-esteem improves with every milestone. Once you begin to see what you can do, your confidence grows and so does your influence and footprint in the telecom industry.
This lets you move beyond the direction set for you by supervisors or the telecommunications company that you work for. What innovations and achievements will you be responsible for in the telecom industry when you become a successful goal setter? The possibilities are practically endless.
Why Do So Many People Fail to Achieve Goals?
It’s an unfortunate reality that most people don’t understand goal setting. They think that it’s enough to determine that they would like to be promoted before the end of the year. What they don’t do is come up with the specific steps that they need to complete to reach their goal.
If you fail to plan, then you cannot achieve your goal. By being specific and setting deadlines, you’ll be light years ahead of the competition. Achieving goals takes preparation, but the effort is worthwhile. You’ll know it the first time you make one of your milestones.
The Steps to Achieve Your Goal
If your goal was to take a cross-country road trip, you would need to plan more than deciding to start in Los Angeles and end up in New York City. You might want to strategize stops along the way. How will you finance your trip? Are you going alone or will someone else share the driving responsibilities?
The more detailed and specific you are in your plans, the more certain you can be that you’re getting the most out of your experience. You’ll also be preparing yourself for contingencies and obstacles. Your goal setting is the same. You need to know more than your current location and your ultimate destination. You need a map for getting there.
1. Make a Written Plan
Anything that you don’t write down is too easily forgotten. It’s not good enough to type it into the notes on your smartphone. Make it a more physical act by using old-fashioned paper and pen.
Don’t forget to dream big. Your goal may be something that you can get done in a week, but it could be something that will take you a decade. Just realize that if you’re working on a longer-term goal, then you’ll need to set incremental goals to get there.
For your first goal, it may be wise to start smaller and with a shorter timeframe. This way, you can more quickly get a sense of the overall goal-setting process.
Make your written plan specific. Try to answer who, what, when, where, why and how. For instance, it’s not enough to write that your goal is to run one mile. It’s better to write something like: “I want to run one mile without stopping within the next three months.” Then, you’ll write down the steps to get there.
In the above example, your steps might include doing training runs of a half mile every four days a week. You also might include notes about making better nutrition choices and doing additional strength and endurance training. The more specific you are, the more likely you are to achieve your goal.
2. Remember What You’re Getting Out of This
When you’re trying to achieve something, it’s vital to focus on why you’re doing it. It’s never enough to just mindlessly pursue a goal without understanding and occasionally reflecting on the “why.” If you don’t hold the “why” firmly in your mind, then it’s too easy to give up.
Imagine that you are determined to get a promotion at work. You’ve written down your goal, which may include steps like taking on additional responsibilities, completing a training program and bringing in a new client.
This is a laudable goal with sensible, measurable steps. However, it’s only too easy to lose your way if you don’t remember the “why” behind all of that achievement.
Why is it important to you to get a promotion? Is it because you’ll make more money? Will that job allow you to take better care of your family? Are you hoping to foster greater productivity? Will it enable you to put your profitability ideas into play? Whatever your reasons are, remembering the “why” can keep you motivated.
3. Keep Your Winning Mindset
Your own thoughts can be your biggest detractor or your biggest champion. Don’t forget that you set your goal because it would improve your life in some way. You’ll want to quit at some point, but don’t do it. Develop a winner’s mindset so you’ll never give in.
Mindset can be changed in numerous ways. You might try daily meditation, take a walk every day, read a book or visualize achieving your goal. Regardless of the method, it’s vital to set aside time to regularly reflect on your goal and your life.
4. Persist
When the urge to give up arises, remind yourself that you must persist. Change is difficult because it requires you to break years of habits. Nobody said that achieving your goal would be easy, but if it’s worthwhile, then you must persist.
Consider reading a helpful book like The Power of Habit to learn more about the psychology of why we do what we do and the emphasis that needs to be placed on repetition when we’re trying to change. Remember that the more you repeat a new behavior, the more ingrained it becomes. It will eventually get easier.
If you have problems with persistence, you may want to involve a trusted friend or colleague to act as your witness and provide outside motivation. Additionally, look into a platform like www.stickk.com to find the support you need to reach your goals.
5. Evaluate and Re-Strategize
Each time you achieve a goal or a small step in a larger goal, take some time to reflect on the process. How well did it work? Were there things that could be improved? Use what you have learned to help you set more well-defined goals in the future.
The telecom industry is a tough, competitive business, but if you are clear about what you want and how to get there, you can set yourself apart from the pack. Start making concrete goals today to enjoy a more successful tomorrow.
