3 Ways to Advance Your Goals

1. WORK WITH THE END IN MIND — OR FOCUS ON SUCCESS

Beginning with the end in mind is the endowment of imagination. If you are the programmer, write the program, says goal expert Stephen R. Covey. Goals help us focus, and the quality of our attention is enhanced by having a project so cool and interesting that we can’t help but make a leap.

Let’s say you want to organize your workspace so that everyone is inspired to do their best work. The in-between steps — like ergonomic concerns and planning comfortable lighting — can seem mundane on their own. But joined together, they point to a bigger accomplishment and, in doing so, ask us to spice up our expectations and upgrade who we are. Focus on success and keep in mind how you want things to end up — and you’ll soon enough be successful.

• Name the accomplishment

• Give your project a title

• What needs to be done, and by when

• How would you like things to end up

• Identify upbeat reasons for pursuing the goal

2. RAISE THE BAR — OR SHOOT FOR THE MOON

Define greatness, challenge the limits, double the goal, or try something new. These are just some of the sentiments that put our plans into action and move us toward revolutionary results. Look around and witness the very essence of commonplace activities being tested and reimagined. For example, schools are redefining Physical Education by introducing activities ranging from kickboxing to more esoteric offerings like tai chi and yoga.

With the introduction of blogs, an international conversation is in full swing — with millions of links and a central clearinghouse inspired by immediacy, intrigue, and tension. Raising the bar on a project can simply mean taking one extra step, having an allegiance to a weird idea, or committing to a regular practice. Commit to a goal in a meaningful way, personalize it, make it your own — and then watch an otherwise sleepy project wake up and give way to newfound energy, creativity, and distinction.

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

• Double the goal

• Challenge the limits

• Create a regular practice

• Raise your standards, values, or beliefs

• Make it a game

3. GO THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE — OR SHOW ME THE SHORTCUT

Sometimes a goal deserves a break. TIME magazine reported that after eight hours of sleep, you’d be more than twice as likely to find a shortcut for solving a problem. This suggests that taking it easy is good for the brain — and what’s good for the brain is good for the overall psyche and soul.

Are you doing too much, not getting nourished, and feeling exhausted? Well, perhaps it’s time to consider another path. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Pick up a book written by an expert, join a group that’s centered around your project, sign up for an informational newsletter, or ask someone to buddy up and help.

For instance, if I were writing a screenplay and struggling with a self-imposed deadline, I could simplify my project just by signing up for a writing class. With weekly writing tasks and in-class exercises, this alone would expedite the development of my script.

Another overlooked shortcut is to consider smaller steps. The smaller the increments, the easier the goal. Deng Ming-Dao writes in Everyday Tao, “An inch in one direction, then an inch in another already makes a span of two inches. Gradually, we can improve on that.”

Go the path of least resistance — it’s a gift of energy.

• Don’t reinvent the wheel — find someone who’s done it before

• Slow down or change the pace

• Keep to minimum daily standards

• Write everything down — loose ideas vs. lost ideas

• The smaller the increments, the easier the goal