Knowing is Not the Same as Doing

Knowing what to do is not the same as doing it. You can have all the intent and knowledge in the world, but until you put that intent and knowledge into action it really does you no good. I read once that “The world is full of broke geniuses,” you know, the folks who “know it all,” but never link action to their wonderful ideas or dreams.

To keep yourself from falling too deeply into this trap, start the practice of spending time each week identifying and reviewing what your next steps around your desired outcomes will be.

Here is what it looks like:

Identify a short term goal – personal and / or professional.
This can be a behavior / habit you want to modify, a project that needs to be completed, etc.
For each goal, address three areas:

1. Goal – The difference between where you are currently and where you want / need to be. What will this look like when you have arrived?

2. Theme – What are your main objectives along the way? What are the obstacles? What are the support systems you will need to have in place to succeed?

3. Ideas – How will you achieve this? What, or who, do you need in place to help you make this happen?

Next, set weekly, monthly, and quarterly objectives, and break them down into doable actions.

Here’s how:

Weekly Goals:

Where are you now—where do you want / need to be?

What do you need to have completed by the end of the week?

Ideas:

Actions:

Monthly Goals:

Where are you now—where do you want / need to be?

What do you need to have completed one month from now (or by the end of the month)?

Ideas:

Actions:

Quarterly Goals: (Be sure to put a completion date on these!)

Where are you now—where do you want / need to be?

What do you need to have completed by the end of this quarter?

Ideas:

Actions:

Touch base with your list of short-term goals on a regular basis; keep them where you will see them if not daily, at least every couple of days. By doing this exercise, and reviewing it at least weekly, your main objectives and desired learning outcomes will actually start to be accomplished.

Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines. - Brian Tracy

Image: istockphoto

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