From the Sides-lines

People with goals succeed because they know where they are going… it’s as simple as that. ~Earl Nightingale

I am often asked at school how I get so much done every day.  Teachers are amazed at my ability to “do it all,” or so they say.  In reality, I really do do a lot each and every day, but I also keep myself highly focused on the task at hand and have multiple ways to do so. I have a digital planner, a paper planner, a to-do list notebook, and list apps on my iPhone.  I know that all of these things may sound like a lot, but I have a system in place that works for me, and helps me know where I’m going.  Because of that, I always seem to reach my destination, which in many cases, is the achievement of a goal.

Even though I have a highly refined system for accomplishing tasks each and every day, I must admit that I haven’t found just the right system for accomplishing my long term goal of becoming more technologically innovative.  Maybe this is because my goal is a bit generic.  It’s really just an umbrella term for all of the things that I want to do and try this year.  With that in mind, I began searching for ways to help me accomplish my goals. One thing that I found is an article titled, “Maintaining Your Focus on Your Goals During Turbulent Times,” by Goal Success Consulting.  They suggest using the GAIN method.

Step One: Goals- Set specific and challenging goals.
Step Two: Action plans- Develop detailed and realistic action plans.
Step Three: Inspiration- Identify your compelling inspirations.
Step Four: Networks of Support- Build strong networks of supports.

Most times, I am a linguistic learner, but in this case, my mind immediately formed this image for my goal using the GAIN method.

My action plan for becoming more technologically innovative in 2010.

So now what? Where do I go from here? Well, from here, I will probably print a few copies of that image out.  I’ll tape one to the back of my office door where I can see it everytime that I come and go.  I will put another in the folder that I keep with all of my important papers. After that, I will probably began to divide the image up and create mini-goals.  I will then focus on finding the right tools to help me accomplish each of these smaller goals.

In true “Marti” fashion, it looks as if I’ve made goal #29 – staying focused - much more complicated than it really needs to be.  But, I know where I’m going, and I know how I am going to get there, so maybe it’s more simple than I originally thought!