There are three factors that stand between desire and achievement – resources, commitment, and gain. RESOURCES: You need sufficient resources including funding, help from others, plus knowledge, skills and abilities. It's important to do an inventory of exactly what you do need (and it's not always money!). You have a better chance to get the resources you need when there's an obvious and strong commitment to the goal. And a strong commitment comes because there's a perceived gain from achieving the goal - whether financial, a sense of power or pride, or some other measure of "gain" - or there's a very clear and negative downside to not attaining it. COMMITMENT: A strong commitment to the goal means you make it a personal priority in your life - in fact, you make it your passion! But commitment can also include the support of others who share your goal, or who strongly support you. In a company setting it can mean your colleagues and especially senior management. With personal goals, it can mean family and friends. A strong commitment comes when it's very clear why the goal has been set, there's a strong sense of urgency associated with the goal, it's relatively easy to achieve, everyone (especially you) know what’s expected of them, and there's a very clear gain from achievement. GAIN: Unless there's a perceived and often immediate gain from the goal, including a personal gain to you (like enhanced pride, reputation, financial gain, well being, removable of operational/administrative roadblocks), there will be little chance of success. What's the point of doing something if the end result is not worth all the trouble? Once the gain is clearly understood – and a quick win (or wins) is within reach – then commitment increases, which also brings greater motivation to get the resources needed. copyright Eli Sopow, Ph.D. 2006 |
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Getting from a “desirable goal” to an “achievable goal”