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Guest post by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith Become an Author

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During the last several years, I have informally surveyed over 1,000 individuals and have asked the following 3 questions.

1. How many of you wish to be failures?
Answer: No one wants to be a failure.
2. How many of you wish to be successes?
Answer: Everyone wants success.
3. How many of you are where you wish to be with regards to your success?
Answer: Most are not where they want to be.

Since everyone wants success, the simple question then is:

Why isn't there more success?

What is keeping people from achieving the success that they desire for themselves? (Of course, if most people had achieved success, the self-improvement books and articles such as this one would not be needed.)

Possibly, the answer to this question lies within the process of goal planning and goal achievement. Using the following strategic 7 tips may help you to consistently achieve more goals and increase your dream for incredible success. (Note: Understanding that goal setting or planning and goal achievement is a process is critical when using the following 7 strategies.)

1. Goals must be written. Committing a goal to writing creates permanence not found in just having a mental thought or dream. Written goals have greater clarity and provide for a more detailed focus. (NOTE: Just think about what happens when you forget your grocery list.)

2. Goals require criteria. Much like the favorite receipe of Aunt Emma, a goal also requires specific ingredients that are always used to ensure consistent, high quality results. The W.H.Y. S.M.A.R.T criteria are one such example.

3. Goals must be stated positively. For example, writing a goal that begins “I will not gain 10 pounds” has just the reverse affect on the brain. The brain due to negative conditioning tunes out the not and hears “I will gain 10 pounds.” A better written goal would be I will lose 10 pounds.

4. Goals should build an emotional buy in. The "why" for achieving the goal needs to be answered. This response should include both the rewards and consequences specific to achieving or not achieving the goal.

5. Goals should include positive affirmation or what I call belief statements. These positive self-talk statements help to continue a strong mental image for achieving the goal.

6. Goal should identify all the potential obstacles, challenges or problems that need to be overcome to achieve the goal. By taking the time to think about all the potential reasons for not being successful, you have potentially avoided the many OOP’s that happen when we work to achieve our goals.

7. Finally, goals should be yours or what some call WIFFM (What's In It For Me). We achieve those goals that are most important to us because we created them. Achieving goals for others does not deliver the same emotional high than when we truly own the goals.

Remember, the key to success is consistency. These 7 great tips should help you become more consistent and more successful because as the old expression goes success breeds success.

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