doug smith training

  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

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  

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

How often do you set goals? While goals do come in all sizes, from task level to life-changing, I set a few goals each day. Honestly, most ARE task level: "follow-up with Kellie..." "Send syllabus to Holly..." "Invoice client XYZ by 3:30..."  but they are still goals. Finding the right number (fifty is too many!) and prioritizing the order is and essential part of planning and it all starts with setting goals. Write it all down, and defer what does not matter. Focus on what you care about now. Setting goals for each day keeps your days productive. Even if (especially if!) one of those goals is "take a walk and rest..." -- doug smith

Leaders get stuff done through other people. We establish visions, follow our mission, and set goals. Goals are a way to remind ourself to get stuff done, but it's the work that you do that gets stuff done. Do the work. -- doug smith  

Solving problems can be challenging, especially when we're not even sure of what we want. How can you know what the solution is supposed to look like when you only focus on the pain of the problem? Get past the pain. Get past the problem. Knowing what you want from a solution is the first step in getting it. Set a clear, honest, noble goal and the rest gets very much easier. -- doug smith

How do you know if that idea is brilliant or not? When faced with plenty of possibilities, how do you decide? Evaluate carefully, narrow the long list down, and then what? Some ideas lead to dead ends. Some notions lead to break-thru. Actions and learning decide.  Act relentlessly and learn constantly until you achieve your goal. -- doug smith

Sometimes resistance to a goal is evidenced of its need. If it wasn't important, it wouldn't catch any heat. Keep going. Act relentlessly on your plan. -- doug smith

Goals are important and when we focus on them intensely can impact not only ourselves, but also other people. We'd like to think that those impacts are all positive. We'd like to believe that what is good for us is also good for other people. That's not always the case. It is possible to focus so much on a goal that others around us feel short changed. It's a side-effect of sharp-edged focus to forget what's on the fringes, and sometimes what's on the fringes matters. We should always consider what effect our goals have on other people. We might still pursue those goals, but sometimes it's worth checking. How does your biggest goal impact your closest friend? -- doug smith

Do goals make you happy? Goals are important. Think about some of the goals that you've achieved and you probably associate some happiness to them. But what about the goals that you do not achieve? What about the goals that you work hard on and when you DO achieve them feel a sense of let-down? It happens. Goals might not make you happy but they can help you identify and support what does. It's a process. Moving from one goal to another helps us narrow down the endless possibilities to those opportunities most likely to bring us joy. Goals do not equal happiness. They do, however, help. -- doug smith

What comes first, building character, or achieving goals? I've seen people achieve their goals at any cost. Their dedication is unlimited, but the cost is too high. If achieving a goal changes who you are in ways that you would not have chosen or in ways that would alarm your friends, maybe the goal was too much. Character -- who you are -- matters.  If achieving your goal subtracts anything from your clarity, your courage, your creativity, and your compassion, that's too much. If achieving your goal diminishes your character -- how you live and treat other people -- that's too much. Achieving goals is important but so is building character -- and without character your goals don't matter. Character comes first. -- doug smith

We've all set goals that we did not achieve. It could be that the goal was too large. Maybe the goal was beyond our control. Or, maybe we just decided it wasn't worth the bother. If work feels like bother, we may not bother to work. If the goal doesn't excite us, it's hard to see the point. Focus on the goals that DO matter, and make the difference from there. When the goal matters enough to you, you'll do enough for the goal. Both silence, and action, represent prioritization.  -- doug smith

  What's your goal? Is what you're doing achieving that goal? Once in a while I need to check my plan because it's just not up to the goal. There's no shame in it, but there's no game in it either to stay with a broken plan. If what you're doing isn't working -- you know what to do: something else. -- doug smith

  Where does YOUR motivation come from? It's worth checking in on that occasionally. When your motivation is energized, you can do so much more. When you really want what you're working on, you work that much harder. Maybe it's the goal. A great goal can energize you.  Maybe it's the motivation: getting you going to FIND and then achieve a great goal.  The goal can bring the motivation and the motivation can bring the goal -- you might need both. Why not get both going right about now? -- doug smith