I’m sure you’ve been told by someone in your life the importance of setting daily, weekly, monthly and even lifetime goals. That being said, have you ever set a clear goal only to have it not pan out the way you thought it would?

I have a quick activity you can do right at your desk that may help explain this. Extend your right arm above your head and point your right index finger towards an imaginary clock on the ceiling. Next make your finger turn in a clockwise fashion. Complete 3-4 clockwise revolutions of the clock with your finger. Now keeping that same circular motion, bring your arm down straight in front of you. Which direction is your finger moving now? Is it Counter-Clockwise? How can that be?!?

To me, this activity demonstrates what happens when we have a clear picture of what we want a goal to look like, then after we start executing the task, our perspective changes. What we thought would be the actual steps taken ended up looking very different than what actually happened. What changed was our perspective.

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about an ideal desired outcome, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision into reality.

Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation.  By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in achieving them, and you’ll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed like a long, pointless grind.

It is essential that leaders identify specific goals, tasks, and action items.  This is especially important in ensuring that you are equipped and prepared for the job. It is also helpful to identify what potential “energy drains” may occur and brainstorm how to eliminate these drains, thus preparing you in advance for a shift in perspective.

 What current goal or situation do you have that a change of perspective would result in a radical change in course of action?