Achieve your goals

The third of the LEADER behaviors is Achieve. Achieve, as it is used here, refers to setting, managing, and completing goals. One of the common things I’ve observed from leaders during my career is a passion for continuous improvement. A critical part of this growth is the ability to set, manage, and achieve goals. Goals provide a framework for stretching beyond who we are today.    

“The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in NOT reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having NO GOALS to reach.” - Benjamin Mays, Humanitarian and Civil Rights Leader

Even when our goals are not fully realized, we learn and we grow. Strong leaders do not accept the status quo, but rather challenge the norms and drive progress. A common characteristic of leaders and people who achieve great success, is that each and everyone one achieves success one goal at a time. Advancement does not occur in giant leaps, but rather changes are made through a series of small purposeful moves. The key in moving forward, growing, and continuing to improve lies in understanding each step along the journey, which is required to reach one’s desired destination. 

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals” - Henry David Thoreau, Poet, Philosopher, and Civil Activist.

If it was only about the destination, so much could be overlooked along the way. Each of us is transformed by our experiences. This is true in most of life’s endeavors. A student learns through years of coursework. An athlete prepares by practicing and pushing for one second faster, or one yard further. A career is managed through stretch assignments, learning opportunities, and results.  Common among all of these is setting and achieving goals.

A goal is merely a vision of where you want to go next, or what you want to achieve. Goals provide focus, and allow for allocation of time and resources, allowing you to reach your full potential. Setting and achieving goals provides clarity, direction, and purpose. In addition, when goals are achieved it provides confidence and a sense of accomplishment. 

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” - Chinese proverb

So what is it that you want next in your professional or personal life? What will it take to get there? How can you break it down into manageable and achievable goals? Success is achievement. Start with one goal. Before you know it you’ll add a few more. As you achieve these goals, you’ll find yourself changed for the better.