doug smith training

The goal is not the point. The goal is the way TO the point. High performance leaders keep their focus on the mission and then work on goals that support that mission. Anything else is piece work. -- doug smith  

A good habit is simply a goal you complete every day without any fanfare. -- doug smith  

Has it drifted away? Have you lost track of an important dream? Is that goal sitting idle? No matter how far you've drifted away from your dream it still is there waiting for you.  Maybe it changed. Maybe it's re-calibrated. Maybe it is something you have to learn all over again. It's still there... -- doug smith  

  Coupled with healthy habits, good goals get great results. -- doug smith

  Before you commit to a goal be sure to determine what motivates you about the goal. What does it give you? What's the reason behind the reason?  How vital is it? When does the time come when you only work on goals that matter to you? Now. The time is now. -doug smith

  You could spend a lifetime studying leadership and what leaders do. You'll likely spend your lifetime doing that whether or not you planned on it because when it comes to leadership there is always something more to learn. Most of what high performance leaders do is solve problems and achieve goals.  Much goes into that. Projects come and go. People help (or don't) and they also come and go. To move forward, to implement plans, to make the world a better place, leaders need to solve problems and achieve their goals. What do you think?

  Why do we solve problems? Well, of course, to get rid of the problems. To accomplish our goals. To make work and life better for all of us. And there's more of course. We learn. We build relationships. We expand our thinking. We become more resilient. Solving problems comes with nearly unlimited benefits. The goal of solving a problem often goes beyond solving the problem. Be sure to celebrate the bonus -- it is likely to help you the next time you work to solve a problem. -- doug smith

  How do you get where you want to go? How do you achieve your goals? Where do you find the road to success? I don't have all the answers. I don't know all of the twists and turns. But, here's a great way to start: Master y our mind, master your mood, and success will follow, Easier said than done? Of course! -- doug smith

Some people assume that you get what you deserve. Others insist that in an unfair world, there's no way to balance things in your favor once they become stacked against you. True or not, those types of assumptions are not helpful.  Here's a better assumption (true or not...): You have earned whatever you have. Whether or not you get what you want next depends on how hard you are willing to work for it. It's better because it gives you control. Isn't that what you want? -- doug smith   

Think about your most amazing accomplishment ever. Whenever it was, you arose to the occasion and achieved a great goal. You've done that many times, haven't you? Whatever else you've already done, what you are still capable is even more amazing. Won't that be great? Are you getting ready? -- doug smith  

  What makes you happy? What goals do you want to achieve?  You get to define success on your own terms, and until you do how will you ever reach it? Once you do, then your plan is already in motion. Keep going. -- doug smith

Every decent goal comes with a reward. In addition to achieving the desired performance, you often get rewarded with recognition, with promotions, with smiles. Achieving your goals gets things done. When is the best time to achieve your goals? As soon as you can. The sooner you achieve a goal the sooner you can reward yourself for achieving your goal. What are you waiting for? -- doug smith  

Stop setting goals you don't believe in.  They will only slow you down. -- doug smith 

Goals make a profound, positive impact on people and their work. Goals help us focus our efforts and rally our support. We need goals. As important as goals are to your overall big picture, they are truly only part of the picture. You still need work. You still need support. You still need the knowledge it takes to make decisions quickly.  Goals aren't enough to make you happy, but they sure do make it easier. What's your top goal today? -- doug smith

On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you? If you're south of 6 you've got some real work to do. If you're north of 7 you're doing great -- keep going in that direction. Now ask yourself this: on a scale of 1 to 10 how are you doing with your personal goals? Goals aren't enough alone to make you happy, but they sure do make it easier. When you can find a way to match them up. that's very happy indeed. -- doug smith

"I have a confession to make." "What's that?" "I haven't talked about my goals all day." "Oh. What's the big deal about that?" "It also means that I probably haven't worked on them, either." "Oops." "Exactly." "You'd better get on that." "You're right." "So glad that we talked about this..." Have you talked about your goals today? -- doug smith  

"What's your goal?" is a good place to start. First figure out what you want, and then figure out how to get it. That's your goal. -- doug smith

Jazz it up! No, I don't mean add piano, saxophone, bass, and drums or whatever other instruments come to mind when you think of jazz -- I mean to spice it up, add some pizzazz, give it some drive. Give that goal the energy it needs by finding the real benefit to achieving the goal. What is it that you really want? What will this goal lead to? More influence? More power? More self-esteem? A better team, a better organization, a better world? Motivate that goal. A goal without motivation is a chore. A goal with motivation is...magic. -- doug smith

Do you take your goals too seriously? That may seem like an odd question for a coach to ask, yet if you are coaching someone -- or if you are reflecting on your own habits -- it is worth asking. Do you take your goals too seriously? Goals are important. They propel us forward. Goals keep us going when we might otherwise lose our way. Still, I do my best to remember that goals are created to help us, to serve us. While it does take a solid plan and relentless pursuit of that plan to achieve our goals, we should also consider: a) are those goals contributing to our purpose, and b) are those goals contributing to our happiness? Your goals are there to help you, not control you. Fair enough? -- doug smith

  We are so easily distracted. Quick to catch the latest gadget, widget, or shiny object, we divert our attention from the task at hand and follow bunny trails into the forrest.  A distraction could feel like a goal. We get pulled into those kind of little goals, little tasks, that hardly relate to our purpose at all. Maybe, not at all. We feel busy, but where is it leading? Time spent on the wrong goals takes time away from the right goals. That is obvious but hard to remember in the middle of distractions. -- doug smith