Productivity Hack #8: Be Goal-Oriented

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” ~Stephen A. Brennan

Written by Kevin Tyler Smith. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook

Former New York Yankees player and manager Yogi Berra was right on-target when he made this statement:

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there.”

It is an excellent thought to keep in mind in terms of how your productivity relates to your destination.

Many people are unsure of their destination as it pertains to what they are trying to achieve.

You might be one of those people yourself.  If so, now is the time to become goal-oriented. When you know where you are going, that is one of the biggest steps toward ensuring that you do get there.

For Illustration….

When you are preparing to go to work in the morning, what is the very first thought to cross your mind on the subject of your goal?  If you are like many people, you do not think about it in terms of a goal at all.  Instead, you may be thinking about how much work you will have to do, or how nice the paycheck will be at the end of the week.  If you shift your thoughts to a goal, you will be much more productive.

Depending upon the nature of your job, goals can take a variety of different forms.  You may have something to produce on your own, or you may be a part of a team.  You may have a very positive sense of self-discipline, or work very well as a team-player.  Whichever sums up your place in your work life, being goal-oriented will increase your productivity.

“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” ~ Fitzhugh Dodson

The Mini Goal Advantage

Being goal-oriented does not mean focusing solely on one large accomplishment.  If you begin looking at it as a number of mini goals, each one that you attain will provide two benefits.

• Each one will make you more motivated to continue, as well as
• Getting you that much closer to the large accomplishment

Anything that is truly worthwhile takes time, effort, and work.  When you set your sights on both the large goal in the distance and each one which you need to accomplish in order to get there, you will soon see how much more productive you will be every step of the way.

Simply going with the flow and not placing your emphasis on your goals will slow you down.  This may sound absurd but it’s true: You will not accomplish much if you do not focus on accomplishing. When you know where you are going, it is the surest way of knowing that you will get there.

See Also – Productivity Hack:

#1: Set A Game Plan

#2: Reduce Distractions

#3: Large Projects First

#4: Self-Discipline

#5: Doing The Impossible

#6: Increasing Motivation

#7: Take Setbacks In Stride

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*photo credit: stephen sheffield photography