Knowing where to draw the line is wisdom they say. From where I sit anyone who has accomplished great things has achieved the results at a price. Their achievements were paid for with the currency of dedication and consistency. They never quit, they learned from their mistakes and made an adjustment to their approach and focused on results. They learned the difference between goals and results...

Difference Between Goals and Results

Whether you study sports, business, religion or science, the pattern is clear... success in any arena requires the consistent application of basic fundamentals, knowledge and effort.

The biggest factor in achieving an objective is not goal setting. While it is important to have clear, measurable and realistic goals, there is another factor which is even more important.

Identify The Results You Want To Achieve
Wait a minute! Goals and results sound the same. Actually, they are similar, but I want to share a distinction I have observed.

Avoid A Common Trap
Goals are a subset of the type of result you want to achieve. If you change the result - your goals must change. The biggest mistake I have made is defining my goals before I was clear about what result I wanted. This is like beginning to drive my car before deciding where I want to go!

Focus on results and the goals and tasks will easily follow. Try this exercise:

• What is the result I want?
  
  
• Why is this important to me? Why do I really want this? What will it mean once I've achieved it?
  
  
• With whom can I share goals with and get positive support and realistic feedback? Who or what can assist me in achieving my goals?
  
  
• What am I prepared to learn and change to ensure the successful realization of my goals/result?
  
  
• What are the major milestones that I will need to complete on the way to achieving this goal/result?
  
  
• Plan Milestones & Tasks: Write the first major milestone (A) that needs to be completed, then identify all tasks (B) associated with the milestone. Repeat process with the next major milestone until all major milestones & tasks are identified. Write the start date on the first task and end date (C) on the completion of the project. Then write in each milestone & task completion date. Link each task in the appropriate due date to your calendar. For each task identify who, what, when , where, why and how much will be required in terms of resources (money, people, equipment, etc.) Track and journal DAILY.
  
  
• Visualize: prior to undertaking any task, take one or two minutes to get associated with why this task is important to the overall result I am to accomplish.
  
  
• Tracking your project is essential. Keep track of progress daily. Track everything, including delays, distractions, etc. This will let you know if you are moving closer toward the overall result.
  
  
• Learn, change your approach: if you are not getting what you want, learn from the feedback. Find a mentor to guide you through to completion. Continue to change your approach until you get your desired result.
  
  
• Celebrate, review and summarize: reward yourself upon completion of your goals and/or result. Review notes, change your plan and create a system. One of the most important factors in on-going business success, is to learn from the actions you take and create new systems and strategies. This can be invaluable in building and maintaining momentum because you can save time and money the next time by simply following the formula!