The Power of Goals
by Keith Powell

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The Long and Short of It

Work short term, think long term. We need to have goals in many areas, and to have many goals in general. In a single year, you can have a dozen or more goals in different areas of your life, with examples being your business goals, your spiritual goals, your social goals and your personal goals. The great thing about being human is that there are so many facets to one's life. Goals give us something to strive for in the future. These may be as simple as adopting an exercise program. Or taking up a reading program where you decide to read a little more and watch television a little less and enjoy some of the great literature that is available. There is power in reading. Readers are leaders. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of meeting some gifted and inspired authors and have walked away from these meetings empowered by their insights and wisdom. Visit my website for my list of must-read classic books.

Review and Revise

It's critical to review goals periodically. It is important not to let our goals become so restrictive that we feel we must meet every goal on schedule. If we hold ourselves to a tight timetable, it is easy to become discouraged. We may have scheduled some goals for accomplishment this year; however, life may get in the way. There may be events in our life or the world that cause us to adjust our goals or time frame. We need to be able to make adjustment, to be flexible enough to alter the schedule and still achieve the overall goal.

As I work through my daily schedule, I often think of an airline pilot. While the goal is clear, to get to the ultimate destination, the pilot makes constant adjustments and course corrections to account for changes in wind, weather, payload, air traffic, even congestion at the next airport. I am the pilot of my life, and you are the pilot of your life. No matter how well goals are set and focused, there will be times when we need to make adjustments in plans to respond to changes in the business environment, our personal lives, technology, and world events.

In the process of goal setting and goal achievement we need to make sure we are flexible to change the road map on the way to those goals. It's important to take the long view rather than the short view. People often get discouraged when they can't meet all of their goals in a short time frame. In my observation, most worthwhile goals take longer than originally planned. But again, it's all part of the process.

You Can't Rush Success

I love the concept of a harvest. You can't rush a harvest. It happens in its own time. You need to plant seeds and tend to the crop before there is a harvest to reap. True achievement can't be rushed. You can't see the growth that is happening beneath the surface, but it is happening. This is often referred to as the "hidden growth." People sometimes give up on their goals before the ground breaks open and the sprout grows above the surface. It takes time and effort. But, the time and effort are all worthwhile when the dreams and the harvest come true.

Seven Power Points

Keep these seven "Power Points" in mind:

• Desire with a plan of action and a timeline are goals being realized.
• Work short term, think long term.
• Change and flexibility help you get to your target.
• Define what success means to you.
• Goals are part of a bigger process with each stage playing an important part of the end result.
• Writing your goals down brings clarity.
• Your goals should also include a balanced life.

If you had a scale in which you could measure areas of your life, would the scale be out of balance with one side too heavy and one too light? Take a good look at your scale. Set your goals so that you are as balanced as possible. You never know when life will bring something exciting that will tilt your scale for the good. That is the power of opportunity!

(Editor's note: Since this article is about goals, we're sharing two photos showing Keith achieving one of his big goals this year: completing a triathlon! One photo shows him on his own, and the other captures him with his triathlon team. Congratulations, Keith!)

Keith Powell is a renowned travel industry speaker and trainer with 25 years of experience in the business. He's crisscrossed the globe from Bangkok to Cannes, from Rio de Janeiro to Vancouver presenting programs both domestically and internationally. Known as "The Business Revivalist," Keith has presented to client groups ranging from associations and airlines to cruise lines and Fortune 500 companies. His Web site is www.keithpowellspeaker.com.

(Credits: Keith Powell)