Goal Meeting: See the Path Forward More Clearly!

Last week, a young man came and chatted with me.  He has a dream of speaking on big stages and being able to help others reach their potential.  Yet, he was stuck.  He had a BIG GOAL and He had belief that he could reach it...but He did not see a clear path to reaching his goal.

I spent some time asking him questions to draw out what potential sub-goals would be on the path to his dream.  We brainstormed together next steps and then suddenly, he felt better!  He could now see a way forward.  He could now see specific next steps he could start taking right away to get moving on the path to living his vision.

Today I offer you some quick nuggets as we continue our learning on GOAL MEETING.  Today's focus is:  Increasing the PATHWAYS to Your Goals.

Many of us have the goals...but we haven't stepped back and taken the time to plan and brainstorm.  We have a goal and we RUSH FORWARD but then we get stuck.  This blog is a quick read --packed with helpful suggestions and ideas to assist you in creating a clear pathway to reaching your goal.

1.  Set sub-goals: we inspired change agents have BIG dreams and goals.  If we take the time to break our big goal into smaller goals, it provides us a path of smaller steps we can take forward as we work to reach the BIG one.

2.  Remember -- there are MANY paths to reaching your goal.  In fact, there are endless ways to reach it.  And, most likely the path to your dream will not be a straight line.  Why not try to open your mind and draw out a variety of paths to the same goal?  Get your mind to expand and be flexible.  Know that there may be many different routes to your dreams.

3.  If you need to learn a new skill to reach your goal, then go take the time to do it!  Equip yourself with the skills and knowledge you need.  This is not a RACE.  This is a process of growth AS you become the person that has the power to reach your dreams.  Grow INTO your goals!

4.  Use Mind Maps to generate pathways.  A mind map is a graphical way to represent your ideas and concepts.  It is a visual thinking tool that helps in structuring information and helps you to generate new ideas. You can use a mind map to brainstorm on your own or with a team.  And, there are Mind Map Apps that are very helpful tools.

5.  There WILL be obstacles (also known as learning opportunities) on the path to meeting your goals.  Why not prepare a script for yourself so that you can coach yourself through those obstacles?  Here are some things you could say:  The road to my dreams may have challenges AND I am up for challenge.  Challenges and obstacles are growth opportunities!  I will be guided to the next steps to take to overcome any seeming challenge that comes my way. I will seek support if needed as I encounter these challenges.  Challenges and obstacles are short term.  I am resilient, determined and I AM going to find a creative way to meet my goal --OR go back to the drawing board to see new possibilities that I may be blind to at the moment.  (You get the idea...create your own thinking script to use in the moments the path gets challenging.)

Which of these ideas will be most helpful to you?  Which one will you give a try THIS WEEK?

Let me know if this has stimulated ideas or helped you see new options in creating a path forward to your goals.  You DESERVE TO MEET those goals :)

With a smile,
Patricia Omoqui, The Thought Dr.
www.patriciaomoqui.com