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Think It Through:
All winning teams,
sports or otherwise, know they must have a specific goal in mind to work
towards. A football team knows that they must advance the ball down the
field and score more times than their opponent. They know what a victory
looks like, and exactly what they have to do to get there. So it is with
your life as well. While the plan must be flexible to allow for
opportunities that you are not yet aware of, to have no strategy at all
means that you’ll just bounce from one thing to another. Imagine a
quarterback lobbing the football downfield without knowing where his
receiver was. Choosing a specific target BEFORE he throws the ball will make
his success rate go up immensely. Ask yourself: What does the end result
look like?
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Imitate Others Who Are Successful:
Imitating others who are successful is a technique used in so many other
facets of our lives, but one you rarely practice when it comes to goal
setting. In sports, a great home-run hitter has likely imitated the stance
and the habits of other home-run hitters. In medicine, researchers often go
to other countries to find out what is in their lifestyle that gives them a
lower heart attack rate, then bring the info back to us so that we can put
it to use in our own lives. Imitation works in life planning too. Look
around at what other people have in their lives that you would want in
yours; find out how they did it; incorporate it into your own. Ask yourself:
What can I learn from others who have gone before?
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Practice, Practice, Practice:
Old habits often die hard, and new habits take time to form. Take a tip
from the sports world, and realize that doing anything well comes from doing
it over and over and over. Sometimes we forget the long hours that the great
athletes like Larry Byrd or Michael Jordan spend working on their skills.
The more you practice a different way of doing something the more it becomes
part of who you are. There are many examples in your own life of this, such
as when you started learning to play a sport or instrument, a new hobby, or
even a game. Remind yourself that it won’t come easy at first, but that’s
no reason to give up. Give it time. Keep trying. Ask yourself: How can I
practice more of what I want to incorporate into my life?
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Surround Yourself With Support:
When you are putting new things into your life, it’s very important to
surround yourself with people who support what you are doing. A losing team
always seems to perform better at home, when they have their loyal fans
cheering them on. A batter who’s in a slump works with a hitting coach to
encourage him and to help him make adjustments that will get him back on
track. Set up your own cheering section by choosing people to put into your
inner circle that are understanding and supportive of what you want to
accomplish, and who will be ready to encourage you when you fall. Ask
yourself: Who is best able to support and encourage me in my goals?
About the
Author:
Kathy Gates is a
Professional Life Coach who believes that “Life Rewards Action”. She can
help you set priorities and goals, build healthy relationships, and take
control of your life. Visit http://www.reallifecoach.com
for more information, or 480.998.5843.
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