The Strategy – Stepping Stones

by May 17, 2023

 

 

The Strategy – Stepping Stones

 

There is space here for your action steps, expected date of completion, actual dates achieved, price in hours paid, results fair, good, or excellent, and reward received.

Divide your goal into manageable chunks. If you want to improve your reading rate from 200 to 800 words per minute with better retention, break it down into 100-word increments. If you want to run a marathon or a fun run but haven’t run in years, break it down into realistic yet challenging (not self-defeating) chunks of one mile, TWO miles, or even half a mile, ¾ of a mile, etc.

A person with a new skill, like a person with a surgical intervention, needs time to adjust. I’ve read many biographies of famous people who all had one thing in common: they all dreamed of doing what they did, but they focused on each step and took action.

A word of caution: fear is what prevents many people from achieving their goals.

What if I fail?

  • What if I succeed?
  • What if I can’t handle it?
  • What if I become overwhelmed?

This is where a good coach comes in handy.

Unfortunately, they never consider the positives.

  • What if I did accomplish my goal?
  • What if my success got me noticed, and I became the go-to person?
  • What if I could afford to do whatever I wanted with my life?
  • What if I could afford the number one business coach?
  • What if I could work from my dream location?

We can all turn negative obstacles into positive opportunities.

The Expected Date is Important.

The expected date is critical, but you may have many smaller deadlines.

A goal without a deadline is a fantasy.

A deadline is the goal-setting equivalent of a trigger on a gun – it is the activating mechanism. It stimulates your body chemistry, creates a mental challenge for you, and assists you in maintaining that all-important positive attitude and giving you that fire in your belly.

Date Attained

I’ve included the completed date to remind you that deadlines must be approached with maturity and understanding. They are, as I previously stated, the slave, not the master. You can configure and modify them. When it comes to setting a deadline, I’ve discovered that the expense factor has an impact on people.

We live in a society where people want things as soon as possible, which is understandable and causes us to set the earliest possible date. Unfortunately, if people do not meet the deadline, based on their inexperienced calculations, due to unforeseeable circumstances, they believe they have completely failed their goal. This is obviously false; a deadline can be re-adjusted and re-set, much like a plane’s expected arrival time due to weather conditions encountered en route.

By documenting the date reached, you can track your progress and adjust your overall target date as needed. As you approach the end of your stepping action steps and their mini-deadlines, you will be able to confidently gauge your overall target date. You will gain confidence as you record all of these mini-successes.

Results: Fair to Good to Excellent.

There is a section for your results to monitor your performance on each step: fair, good, excellent. Simply place your mark in the box.

Your sincerity will guide you, and in addition to providing positive feedback for a successful outcome, it will send an intangible message that says, “Come on, you know you can do better if necessary”. After all, if you are a recorder, be firm with yourself while not being harsh – it is still a positive result – remember that the stepping stones are a progress report, and the end result is what you want, which will come to you as a result of your small successes.

Price Per Hour

In this section, simply mark the time spent on your goal each day in hours. This acts as a guide for you to be consistent in your approach to what you need to do to achieve your goal. It also displays the cost you are paying. It will make you appreciate your efforts towards your goal, as the word time is your most valuable resource that can be substituted for the word life.

Gratification Received

When a reward has been received, reward yourself and mark the box accordingly. Too many goals have been lost due to a lack of built-in reward and praise systems. Individuals can go weeks, months, and years without receiving a pat on the back before abandoning their dream when motivation is low.

The why and the major benefits will get them through the challenges, but there must be many small personal well-dones to keep them going.

So many parents run their homes and businesses by communicating with their children, spouses, employees, subordinates, friends, and colleagues when they have done something wrong or forgotten to do something.

My personal experience with management is that they are quick to point out flaws and regard any form of praise as a weakness.

We all know, however, that a brief statement of praise inspires us to work even harder for the person who bestowed it.

Why?

So that we can get more. Millions of people go to bed hungry every night, and I believe this will only worsen, given the financial economy’s state.

And millions of people go to bed hungry for praise.

Our desire for meaning and purpose is intense.

When you receive praise or a reward, you feel relevant and important. So, even if you’re self-employed, give yourself a small reward and lots of praise.

A big reward can be simply telling yourself, “Well done, I’m so proud of you”.

Start Getting Results Today!

Are you tired of feeling tired; fed up of feeling fed up? Do you feel like, no matter what you do, it never works out? Do you want to feel, finally, free of your fears and the things that are holding you back? Do you want to transform your life and start living the life of your dreams?

Get in touch today and find out how Karen can help you to start achieving the results you want.

Who Is Karen Baughan?

Karen Baughan is an NLP Master Practitioner based in Bromsgrove, UK. Having used NLP to affect her own personal transformation, she now helps clients, from around the world, to transform their lives and achieve their dreams.