The #1 Goal Setting Tip You Haven't Heard Before

If you’re like me, you’ve read a few books and articles that were related to setting goals. The majority of the reading points in the same predictable direction. They tell you to write them down, and make sure they are S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

I’ve often taught in-depth lessons on SMART goals in both our Sales Mastery and our Strategic Management sessions, and I stand by the SMART system. However, it occurs to me that there is a little something missing.

One of the most powerful lessons in the Sandler System is the concept that “You treat yourself in a manner that is consistent with your self-concept”. Or as my friend Mark Meincke says in his book Why not Me? “You treat your better than how you BELIEVE better than you DESERVE to be treated.”

If you set yourself a goal that you don’t truly believe you deserve to accomplish, you’re fighting an uphill battle. Chances are, you won’t achieve your goal, and even if you do, you’ll likely backslide once you’ve achieved it. So, before you implement the SMART system, start with Believing you Deserve to achieve it.

One technique to help you believe is to identify a few people who have already achieved your goal. When I first bought my Sandler franchise, I was terrified. I’ve never started a business from scratch before, and my family was relying on me to make this franchise successful. As I met others in the Sandler network, there were a few that stood out to me, not because they were success oozing juggernauts…but because they struck me as regular people, with regular skill sets. When I compared myself to them, I realized that they were not superheroes. I realized that if THEY could do it…then certainly I could do it as well. I started to BELIEVE I could do it.

More importantly, I believed that I deserved it. If these other people deserve to enjoy success, then so do I.

In summary, consider changing your SMART goal, into a B-SMART goal. First, find a way to believe you deserve to achieve it, then have the discipline to create, and stick to your plan for achieving your goal.