A few months ago, I wrote about the two driving forces in
every decision we make. Each decision you make is based on your attempt to
avoid pain or pursue pleasure. In many areas of our lives, pain seems more
intense and therefore, most of us base our decisions trying to avoid pain. Take
someone who is out of shape for example. Are they out of shape because they do
not possess the knowledge to get in shape? No, we know what it takes to be in
shape, but we also know it's hard, it takes work and commitment. For some, the
idea of not eating what they want and working out is more painful than the
pleasure of being in shape. Being in financial shape is not different. We know
that we need to budget our personal finances and we need to earn more than we
spend to be in good financial health, but some people associate too much pain
with not spending, so they spend. Each person has their own associations with
pain and pleasure. In the article I wrote a few months ago, I focused on the benefits
of pain and how it is necessary to reach your goals and how we should not avoid
it. Success does not come easy and pain is part of that journey.
Knowing that pain is positive helps us when we are going to
make a decision that could cause pain, but that knowledge alone might not be
enough. What can make a big difference is our ability to focus on the pursuit
of pleasure over the avoidance of pain. The idea is to make the thought of the
pleasure more powerful than the thought of the pain. This is done in two ways:
GOALS
Obviously, we know goals are important in business. In fact,
some will argue you will not be successful without them. What is not so easy to
understand is why goals are so important. By having and focusing on goals, you
are focusing on what you want, which is the pleasure we get from the decisions
we make. When you are newer to business I would suggest focusing on a SMART
goal, but my SMART goal might be a little different than what you have been
taught.
Specific: The more specific your goal is the better. Your
picture of what you want should be very clear.
Measurable: A goal like getting into shape is not only not
specific but it cannot be measured. How will you know when you reach it? Great
goals are easy to measure and know when they are accomplished.
Action Focused: This is the one that changes a little from
what others are teaching. When you are getting started, created goals that are
based on actions will help you. This is because they are easy to accomplish,
and you can create some momentum. Small success leads to great things. For
example, you might want to make a goal that you will make 5 offers each day or
each week instead of doing one deal a month. Although you might want to do a
deal a month, the focus should be on the actionable items that will get you
there.
Reasonable: This is one that is challenging for a lot of us.
We hear that if you shoot for the stars and miss, at least you will land on the
moon. Although I do believe that we need to think big, I also understand that
we need to believe our goals are attainable or we will not hit them. Our mind
is so incredibly powerful that if it does not believe you can hit the goal...
you can't. My advice is to make short term goals that stretch you, but that you
believe are possible. As you start hitting your goals you will be expanding
your mind and can create bigger and bigger goals. There is also nothing wrong
with dreaming or setting lofty longer-term goals. That too can be very positive
in your development.
Time Based: As mentioned above I like the idea of short term
goals. My preference is a year or less on the actual goals that you are going
to focus on. Monthly goals work well. There should also be rewards for hitting
these short terms goals. In no case should your goal not come with a definitive
date to accomplish.
BIG WHY
I have written several articles and posts about this, so I
will not spend too much time here, but it is important to mention that it is my
strong opinion that your why is the one fail safe way to have success in
anything you do. As long as your why is big enough, you cannot fail. Period.
The second way to shift your focus to the pleasure is your
big why. Your why is very different than a goal, as it might not meet any of
the SMART criteria. It is huge, much bigger than you, and is often something
that is hard for you to even realize you are capable of accomplishing. Your
goals will be based on this, but it is not something that you are tracking in
most cases. It is often times much bigger than you, like leaving a legacy or helping
or starting a charity. It is my why that keeps me going when things get hard
and it is my why that helps me make decisions that I know will cause some
temporary pain. It helps you bust through fear.
By focusing on your dreams and your goals you will be able
to look past temporary pain, so you can create lifelong pleasure. Combine this
strategy with the knowledge that pain is positive and you will be unstoppable!
Article Source:
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