Why is it that some people consistently seem to get more done than others? The answer is that they know how to set specific, achievable goals for themselves...and then follow through on them. This revised and updated edition of Goal Setting features worksheets, quizzes, and other practical tools, giving you powerful techniques you can use to set a goal, make a plan, and acquire the resources and power necessary to achieve your objective. The book shows you how to: act upon their objectives in a precise, targeted way - recognize obstacles and overcome them - become more assertive - change counterproductive behavior - establish priorities - make the most of their time Achieving goals takes hard work and discipline. This expanded edition of Goal Setting gives you the tools and techniques to accomplish anything. ..".quick read that provides a process and methodology for developing and achieving goals." -TheStreet.com (10 Business Books to Get You on Track Again) ..".very well written and is applicable to anyone at any time in his or her life...and gets you to think for yourself. I highly recommend it." -- AORN magazine "Goal Setting promises to help us get off our duffs by showing us how to understand our goals... and should help us achieve our dreams..." Accounting Today "The slim but power-packed book teaches the reader how to better manage time in a fast paced, get-it-done now world." Houston Business Journal Susan B. Wilson (Stevensville, MI) is a coach, facilitator, and writer, as well as the President of Executive Strategies, a firm that aids organizations in goal setting, leadership, and team building. Michael S. Dobson (Bethesda, MD) has over twenty years of experience in project management, and is a business writer. He was part of the team that built the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. GOAL SETTING How to Create an Action Plan and Achieve Your Goals By Susan B. Wilson Michael S. Dobson AMACOM Copyright © 2008 American Management Association All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-8144-0169-9 Contents Preface to the Second Edition...................................................vChapter 1 Getting Started.......................................................3Chapter 2 Potential Obstacles to Reaching Your Goals............................12Chapter 3 Eleven Strategies to Optimize Reaching Your Goals.....................21Chapter 4 Assertive Behavior....................................................33Chapter 5 Changing People's Behavior............................................44Chapter 6 Setting Priorities....................................................57Chapter 7 Planning..............................................................63Chapter 8 Delegating............................................................68Chapter 9 Time Management.......................................................75Chapter 10 Getting Help in Reaching Your Goals..................................85Chapter 11 Getting the Power to Get Things Done.................................91Chapter 12 Project Management for Goal Achievers................................102Appendix Goal Achievement Worksheet.............................................113Index...........................................................................115 Chapter One GETTING STARTED * * * Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have the ability to accomplish a lot? They know where they are headed and exude an enviable confidence. Effective goal setting is one of their keys to success. You may be working very hard at what you do, but without setting goals you'll find that your hard work doesn't yield meaningful results. Remember Alice in Wonderland? At one point in the story, Alice stops at the crossroads to ask the Cheshire Cat which road to take. He responds by asking where she wants to go. When she tells him that she "doesn't much care where," he replies, "then it doesn't matter which way you go." As a result, she wanders aimlessly in her travels. Like Alice, we often travel the road of life without a specific direction or goal. Few of us make goal setting a priority. In fact, studies have shown that most people either do not know what they want from life or, if they do, have no plans for realizing their dreams. Only a small percentage of people have specific, well-defined goals. And people who most frequently reach their goals are those who write them down and develop the plans to reach them. Take a moment to consider why writing down your goals makes such a significant difference in ultimate performance. Why do you think that writing down one's goals is so important? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ If your response included the idea that goal achievers record their goals so that they can read them, absorb them, and plan for them, then you are on the right track. People who