Monday, June 21, 2010

A 12-Step Path to Success

Once upon a time, a French naturalist came to study the behaviour of the simple caterpillar. Among the many conclusions drawn from the study was the fact that caterpillars naturally appear to follow one another. The scientist took a number of caterpillars and lined them up end to end around the base of a flowerpot. The scientist then removed the pot and observed that the caterpillar continued to follow each other is the prescribed manner i.e. in a circle the circumference of which was set by the original flowerpot. To further the study, the scientist then placed some pine wax, a divine indulgence in the world of caterpillars, in the centre of the circle. The scientist observed that rather than break the chain and make their way towards the tasty treat, the caterpillars chose to remain in formation. They continued to march in formation until they all died exhausted and hungry. The moral of the story: Everyone needs to set his or her own goals in order to be successful.

Step One: Set a SMART goal i.e. one that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.

Step Two: Write it down and leave it place where you can refer and remind yourself of it on a daily basis.

Sep Three: Keep a record of the rationale for your SMART Goals.

Step Four: Split the overall SMART Goal into several smaller and more easily achievable smaller SMART goals.

Step Five: Identify and list the resources, including your personal Board of Directors [mentors, coaches, etc.] you have available.

Step Six: Create a list of your accomplishments to date.

Step Seven: Review your accomplishments with particular attention paid to the obstacles that tried to keep you from achieving your success.

Step Eight: Identify the resources that will help you with achieving your goals.

Step Nine: Identify the [human] resources, i.e. your personal Board of Directors, who can help you achieve your goals.

Step Ten: Visualize and imagine what your success looks and feels like.

Step Eleven: Identify the experts in your field and suss out everything there is to know about them.

Step Twelve:
Evaluate your strategies for success and start again with your next SMART Goal

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