goal setting Archives - Page 15 of 20

EPISODE 172 – Ink Your Commitments

September 2, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11IAnyOxB74[/embedyt]

“The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen.” Lee Iacocca

Have you ever wondered why your goals have not become a reality? Was it because you weren’t committed to your goals and dreams? You may be intentional with your actions here and there but you do not have a real plan. There is a change in your focus and attention when you actually write out your goals and dreams. People will brush off the action of writing out their goals but it works! Test it out; see how it works for you.

Why Ink Your Commitments?

Writing out your goals using the S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) helps you clarify what you want. Clarity is important. Describe your desired reality in vivid detail with pictures, photos, or drawings. It will be like you can see it actually happening.
Ease in decision-making; you are able to filter out distractions easier by knowing whether the decision gets you closer or farther away from your goals
A visual reminder to motivate you to act.
Mapping out a plan that matches your goals helps you see your successes along the way. Ensure you are celebrating as you make progress this build momentum.
Scribing out your goals and dreams suddenly makes them a possibility – real versus a fleeting thought in your head.
Your goals/dreams will be easy to access having them written down.
Automatic focus and attention on your goals otherwise you may simply forget about them.

Research has shown that you are more likely to achieve your goals and dreams by writing them down and reviewing them daily. I recommend twice a day if possible – morning and night. Did you know? Writing down your goals/dreams impacts your brain in different ways. When you THINK about your goals/dreams, you are accessing the right hemisphere of the brain – unlocking your imagination. Therefore, your brain is looking for a solution and all the “how’s” of getting things done. Whereas, the mere inking the goal, activates the left hemisphere of the brain which is logic-based – again, looking for solutions. Together, this unlocks the subconscious mind – “seeing opportunities” because the subconscious mind does not know what is real or not real.

Write It Down, Make It Happen

As I was doing a Facebook Live on this topic, David Dorward shared his goal-setting method. He agreed about the importance of inking your commitments. He suggests getting a binder for a year with monthly tabs. Get a hole punch. Write things down and put them in the binder in the right month. At the start of the next month, review the last few months. Write a quick note to self about things went. Re-evaluate and rewrite goals. Same with financial for them in the home or a business. Put in the budget. Next month, evaluate, compare actual to the plan. Reassess and reset the budget etc.

I want to encourage you to OWN your goals and dreams. Make the commitment to making them become a reality. You are not interested; you are committed. I want you to get a pen and paper and write down 1-3 goals using the SMART goal method. Don’t limit yourself by only writing down what you THINK is possible based on your current situation. It is too easy to lose sight of what is possible. Set a timer of 3 minutes to gently nudge you out of that comfort zone and get you writing the first one at least. Choose a goal/dream that you consider as a BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS goal or “game-changer”. Accomplishing this goal would change the dynamics or events moving forward. Accelerate your success by reverse engineering your goals/dreams. Get super clear on what you want. Write out the SMART goal in detail – your vivid vision. Work backward writing down everything you need to do to make things happen. Review your goals daily. Before you know it, with consistent action, you will make those dreams a reality.

What goal are you going to write out right now? Remember to be SMART.

“No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it.”

Napoleon Hill

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Stop Letting Your Troubles Keep You Awake at Night

August 16, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Do you dread getting up in the morning and going to work? Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you tossing and turning trying to get to sleep but nothing seems to work? Are you having trouble concentrating on simple tasks? You have many thoughts running through your head – all going in different directions. Some thoughts may be about how you are going to make ends meet or meet payroll, some thoughts may be about an interaction you have had or that you have yet to have with someone, and some thoughts may be that you no longer have passion or meaning in the work that you do. There can be many different thoughts troubling you. Don’t let them steal your joy, your happiness, or your sleep. You do have the power to change “what-is” to what you want it to be.

Identify What is Troubling You. You need to assess where you are at. What is troubling you? Is it one specific thing? Has your work become repetitive and routine? Do you look around and wonder if anyone else is feeling the same? Maybe you are wondering why you do not enjoy what you are doing anymore or you long to start your own business or jump into your side business full-time. Whatever is it, you do not have to face it alone. If you feel you need to brainstorm ideas or create a strategy, you can hire a coach to help you build an exit strategy or a plan. If you feel how you are feeling is related to anxiety or depression, a counselor or psychologist is the best person to support you.

Reflect on What Brought You Joy that You Stopped Doing. Everyone has things that they have built into their lives that bring them joy outside of work and business that creates anticipation and harmony (which some refer to as balance). Family vacations, listening to music, going for the morning run or partaking in sunrise yoga, or entertaining or long leisurely lunch with friends tend to be put on the backburner when we get consumed with work and family obligations. It is important to bring the things made you come alive back into your life. When you are happy and fulfilled, you not only share that happiness with others, you give them permission to do the same.

Decide What You Really Want. What are you passionate about? What makes you come alive because you have the burning desire to pursue it? The clearer you are, the clearer the path is before you to reach your destination. If you want to be a full-time entrepreneur, what does that look like? How will you spend your days? What is your product or service? How will you expose your product or service to the marketplace? If you want to change careers, what are you changing to? Do you need to go back to school?

“If you have a strong purpose in life, you don’t have to be pushed. Your passion will drive you there.” – Roy T. Bennett

Set a Date for Your Transition or Exit. Write down a specific date in which you plan to resign from your current role. Start planning backward from that date. What do you need to do to prepare for the transition? Do you need to save up a certain amount of money? Do you need to put together a training manual so you do not leave your replacement high and dry without some knowledge or history of your role?

Brainstorm What Barriers, Obstacles, or Roadblocks May Show Up. It is important to have these challenges in your awareness but do not focus on them. Know that there are internal and external roadblocks that may appear and brainstorm ways you may tend to them should they arise. You will be mentally prepared. They do should up.

Design Your Plan and Work the Plan. Write out your plan and create small milestones along the way. Breakdown each part of your plan into smaller tangible pieces; otherwise, you may get overwhelmed by all the things you feel you need to do. The daily actions will start creating momentum and propel you forward.

Celebrate Your Success. When you achieve your goal or reach your milestone, it is important that you take some time to acknowledge how far you have come from where you were. You took matters into your own hands and made decisions for YOU. You do not want to live with regret wondering what would have happened if you only made the leap.

Inject what you love doing into your life. If it does not make you say, “Hell yes!” or “Absolutely”; it means, “Hell No!” or “Not a Chance!” Life is too short to not do what you love and leave your signature out in the world.

What goal have you set that will make you jump out of bed in the morning and go after it?

EPISODE 109 – Focus on Your Own Game

July 1, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.” – Jack Canfield

Happy 1^st Anniversary Episode! Grateful for our listeners and listeners for tuning and sharing this podcast. You are people step into their potential into the skin they are meant to be in!

There are many opportunities to get sidetracked off your game. Your focus can be pulled in one direction by having one of your favorite songs come on the radio, a tragic news story, an invitation to the mall, or the latest gossip around the water cooler. You get distracted by economic times and the latest announcement in the office. It can get more challenging to stay focused and motivated when you get caught up in these distractions.

Internal and external barriers can be get the way too. The internal barriers are all the negative thoughts, past hurts, bad habits, and self-limiting beliefs that sabotage your success. The external barriers can be your social media and the news, environment, economical climate (to an extent), and influences such as family, friends, colleagues. When you learn to focus on your own game, you will push through any challenge or obstacle because you are not going to let it stop you from succeeding.

Get Clear on What It Is You are Wanting to Accomplish. The more focused you are, the clearer your path will be. You will start to make decisions with ease and conviction. There is no time for distractions to get you off your game plan.

Get Your Head in the Game. Your mindset is key. Pay attention to any of the negative thoughts or self-talk you are having – put them to an immediate stop! Cancel! Cancel! Cancel! Reframe! Napoleon Hill once something like you cannot afford a negative thought. You need to speak toward your success. I remember listening to a catchy song from High School Musical that was about getting your head in the game – FOCUS!!! GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME! Play baroque tunes for quiet background or some upbeat music when you are decluttering. Visualize your results 2-3 times per day. Let the vision get stronger and stronger.

Eliminate Distractions and Barriers. Take time to identify what distractions and barriers that may be influencing you. Brainstorm ways to eliminate them. You may choose to declutter your office space, eat some prepared meals and wear simple outfits to eliminate time wasted on decision-making efforts. Consider using a Pomodoro method – using a timer to keep you on task with structured break times. Set boundaries of office hours to ensure you are getting work done.

Plan and Prepare for The Big Picture – The END GAME! Start with the end in mind as per the late Stephen Covey. When you can visualize or have a clear idea of your end game, you can work backward and uncover the milestones that need to be reached along the way. Break down each milestone into smaller sections. Make you goals manageable instead of being overwhelmed.

Delegate! Delegate! Delegate! Whenever possible delegate tasks and actions to people who excel in a specific area. You do not need to be spending 6 hours figuring out something that could take a person with the expertise – 20 minutes! Your time is valuable. I know in the beginning you may not be able to delegate much. Start small. By learning everything along the way, you know when things go wrong and you know what points to catch that need to be fixed.

Ask questions and gather new information. Stay up to date gathering the latest information on your subject matter.

Don’t Wait for Perfection. Perfection is an illusion. It is a form of procrastination holding you back from getting what you want. Start by taking action and adjust the course along the way. Continuously evaluate!

Keep you head in the game and don’t let what others say steer you away from your end game! What others share is based on their experience and their fears and successes.

“Stay focused and stay determined. Don’t look to anyone else to be your determination – have self-determination. It will take you very far.”
Justice Smith

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We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

Keywords: focus, productivity, mindset, delegation, strategic planning, goal setting, motivation, personal development

Episode 95 – Expect Success

May 11, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” – Zig Ziglar

Do you fret and worry about the possibility of failing? Do you know you increase the odds of failure based on what you focus on? Your mindset is the game changer of your success. If you are focused on failing, you may see procrastination, apathy, and indecisiveness. With a lack of effort or no effort, you will meet expectations of failing. Now, if you believe in yourself and that you will succeed, you will plan, prepare, and put the effort required to achieve success. Chances are you will meet or exceed your expectations. To succeed, you need to anticipate success!

Set Clear Expectations. Setting yourself up for success involves being clear about your expectations and sharing them with others if you are working with a team or other individuals. When people see that you are anticipating success, they will share in the energy, enthusiasm, and vision. What do you think people thought when JFK made his speech to Congress May 25, 1961, and said, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning safely to Earth?” Some people may have reacted stating that’s impossible. Others were already thinking, “That’s exciting, they started asking questions and gathering information. What knowledge, skills, and abilities do we need? I want you to pay attention to JFK’s statement. It was specific – what did he want to see happen – land a man on the moon. What did he expect? They would be able to land a man on the moon AND return him home safely. He did not stop at getting to the moon but returning them back and 1969 his vision became a reality. Neil Armstrong was the first man to land on the moon. It is unfortunate JFK was not able to see it come to pass.

You can set yourself up to expect success too. It all starts with your belief in yourself, your ability, and the people around you. What you believe must align with what you expect. What do you expect to achieve?

Ensure your goals are SMART. Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Timely. You may want to shortcut or keep it extra brief. You cannot do that. You need to ensure you are very clear on each of the 5 parts of the SMART goal. You need to write your goals down. If you are keeping them in your head, you will learn very quickly, out of sight, out of mind. Keep your goals front and center. Often where people fall short is in that they have no way to measure what they are attempting to achieve so they do not know when they have achieved it or not. Sometimes people set goals that are not achievable or realistic. It may be because they did not set aside an appropriate amount to time or resources to achieve the goal for the timeframe they were aiming for.

Do you anticipate success for the following statement?

I will lose 20 lbs in 3 days.

Let’s breakdown the goal – specific yes, measurable – yes, achievable – no, realistic – no, timely – yes. Something drastic would need to occur for that to happen.

Now let’s fix it up!

I will lose 20 lbs in the next 125 days.

Specific – Yes, Measurable – Yes, Achievable – Yes, Realistic – Yes, Timely – Yes!

Here are a few more achievable and realistic actionable goals:

I will send out 35 marketing letters every week for the next 3 months.

I will create 1-2 Facebook Live Videos every week.

I will call 1-3 of my clients per day every week.

I will set a date night with each member of my family once a month.

I will measure my social media stats for Facebook and Instagram every Friday.

I will intend to meet 1-3 new contacts at each networking event I go to this week.

Hold Yourself Accountable. Not only are you setting clear expectations and SMART goals, you need to be checking in with yourself to ensure you are on track. Did you mail out the 35 marketing letters this week? Did you create 1-2 Facebook Live Videos? Did you call 1-3 of your clients each day? You have the picture! Are you doing what you know needs to be done or are you falling into old patterns of behaviour? Did you skip a couple weeks and then blast out 70 marketing letters? Did you create one Facebook Video one week and then another 6 weeks later? What traction are you getting? Consistent actions will get you further ahead than random ones! OWN it! Make things happen.

Shine the Spotlight on What is Working. Know what is working well, what is not working well, and what you need to ask for help with or delegate. Your mindset needs to focus on what is going right and ask the questions around why some actions may not be right.

Anticipate Roadblock and Obstacles. Just because someone if optimistic about an outcome does not me hey are oblivious to roadblocks or obstacles. As a matter of fact, we anticipate them. Once you identify and acknowledge what potential roadblocks and obstacles are, you can learn about how to face them, navigate around the, or avoid them altogether if possible.

“Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.” – Ralph Marston

You may be saying to yourself, “These expectations seem high. I do not know if I can achieve them.” Studies have shown that people who set high expectations for themselves and others have obtained higher achievements. There is always an increase in motivation to rise to the challenge. Whereas, other said it increased their stress and led to disappointment. Here is my challenge for you. All effort moves the needle. No effort means no action and no traction. Raise your expectations and efforts by at least 1% and expect to achieve higher results. Anticipate success!! Get clear, decide, plan, and execute!

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

Episode 59: Painful Truths Why People Fail to Meet Their Goals

January 5, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.” – Tom Landry

Goal setting can occur at any time of the year. People seem to think that New Year’s resolutions or goals are only set when the clock strikes midnight; however, the resolutions are things that you’re wishing to happen there are no definite measurements or time frame in which you wish to achieve it. There’s no game plan. It is simply an announcement of something you wish to resolve.

Interested versus committed. Some people steer away from setting goals for the fear of truly making a commitment. One of the number one reasons that people fail to meet their goals is that they are more interested in having it happen and actually truly committed to making it happen. Commitment takes discipline, hard work, and even some sacrifice along the way. If you really want to achieve something you must maintain focus on the right things.

Focus on the wrong things. When people set goals, there are times when they set goals that they’re trying to avoid something they end up focusing on what they don’t want. As the saying goes you get more of what you focus on. If you continually put your time, attention, and focus on avoiding what you don’t want, for some reason it always seems to be there. Your focus needs to be on what you want to achieve.

Don’t know what you want. Another reason people fail to meet their goal is that they lack clarity. They have never stopped and really thought about or reflect on what they truly want in their life. They didn’t think about where their career would take them were what type of legacy that they would like to leave. If you don’t know where you’re going you can end up anywhere. If you’re frustrated you need to change what you’re doing.

No action plan. Imagine getting into your car. You’re sitting behind the steering wheel you turn on the ignition. You have no idea where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. There are many people out in the world wandering with no real sense of direction and no plan. You can’t get to where you want to go if you don’t have a plan to get there. I’m not saying focus on the how initially. That’s where the clarity came in. You need to know where you want to go and as you focus on what that is. You will become a creative thinker and figure out the “how”. What will it take for you to get to where you want to be? What knowledge skills and ability you have to gain and learn? Who do you need to speak to get more information?

Cannot make a decision. Making decisions is a big part of a person success. Indecisiveness can lead to missing opportunities. Opportunities don’t wait in the wings for when you decide the time is right. People who are ready to take action will seize the opportunity. You need to be prepared to be ready. Way out the facts and trust yourself and your judgment – make a decision.

No emotional connection to the goal. I’ve seen many people set goals that have no meaning to them. Some are chasing it for material wealth and others realize they have no emotional connection to the goal that they had set. The issue is often that someone else set the goal for them. The end up self-sabotaging every action is not truly what they want and are not being true to themselves. You may have faced that internal struggle of doing things that you no longer feel that are important to you or you lack the emotional connection.

Setbacks lead to paralysis. Another painful truth about why people fail to meet their goals are that when a setback occurs they shift into an “all or nothing” thinking. They are devastated by any failure. They fail to see the lesson and self-correct quickly and move forward. These people lose motivation quickly and often give up. They need to rally and put strategies in place that when a setback occurs that they can prepare for the greatest comeback. They need to take the lessons they’ve learned with them.

Playing it safe. When you avoid taking risks you miss out on opportunities of growth and challenge. I’m not saying put all that eggs in one basket. Do your due diligence it is important. Too many people fail to take a risk because they haven’t assessed and analyzed any of the information available to them they simply just brush it off. Sometimes it takes only one action that can propel you so much farther than you ever have before if you’d only stop and take the time to learn what you need to learn and make a decisive decision.

Comparing yourself to others is a trap! The other painful truth is that comparison trap. We often catch ourselves comparing ourselves to others thinking that there is so much farther ahead – where they have the skill or something that you would like to have. Everyone in life faces challenges you are not unique in that aspect. They might not display it to the world especially through social media which is always everybody’s greatest day. Focus on your own strengths and what you have to offer. You can learn from others but don’t compare where you’re at to or someone else’s is you don’t know the other person struggle.

There is no magic wand or silver bullet to success! You need to stay driven and committed to your goals. You need to be clear on what it is you truly want, make a decision, and a plan to make it become your reality. It is time to end the frustration and disappointment of not meeting your own expectations.

Time: 11:20 min