Are You Merely Interested or Captivatingly Committed?

Blog from Tracy Butz, CSP

Are you merely interested in achieving your goals, or are you truly committed to making them happen?   The difference between interest and commitment lies in the definitions.

If you are interested in exercising more, you may choose to do it, or you may not. The choice is dependent on whether it is convenient, the timing is right, or if you have the internal motivation to do it.

Commitment is an absolute. You are either committed to something or not. You can’t be partially committed any more than you can be partially pregnant…it’s not possible. When you are ready, select one or two goals you have, write them down, and commit to making them happen. When you do, you can move on to another goal or two.

Goal setting is a powerful process. It helps you choose where you want to go and offers a plan to help you get there. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also spot the distractions that may otherwise lure you off course.

More than this, properly set goals can be incredibly motivating. As you get into the habit of setting and achieving goals, you'll find your self-confidence builds fast.

Start by thinking about what you really want to achieve in your life. As you continue to motivate yourself and focus on accomplishing each specific goal, you’ll turn your vision of the future into your reality.

There are a number of famous acronyms to help you with goal setting, but most are missing key components. An acronym I developed, P.R.O.D.U.C.T.I.V.E., is far more comprehensive and includes:

P - pride-worthy

R - results-focused

O - optimistic

D - defined

U - useful

C - challenging

T - time-sensitive

I  - inspiring

V - viable

E - engaging 

As you can see, PRODUCTIVE Goals are results focused, useful, and challenging. It is easy to set a goal you can attain without much effort, but defining goals that stretch you encourages greater meaning and a higher degree of pride when you accomplish them. Each goal should trigger a sense of emotion that compels you to start and sustain your motivation. If you don't feel an emotional connection to your goal, the chances of you committing to it and achieving it, significantly decreases.

 

If you want to create the life you want to live, it starts with committing to both setting and following through on PRODUCTIVE Goals. Write your goals down and place them in a location where they will be visible to you each and every day. This way, as you make decisions and choose where to spend your time, you will better ensure your decisions are aligned with your goals and what matters most to you. You’ll be amazed, not only at the number of goals you will attain, but also the degree of success you will achieve from accomplishing what you set out to do.

What is the PRODUCTIVE Goal you are working on? I'd love to know!