5 simple steps to reach your goal

Goals, who needs them?

Well, research indicates that less than 3 per cent of us regularly set written goals. However, those who do invest time in this exercise are overachievers who seem to succeed effortlessly. To them, non-goal-setters appear like dead leaves in the wind, their trails mostly decided not by them but the direction in which the wind blows fastest.

A written set of goals, organised and structured, can help keep us focused in the same way a map helps us find our destination in an unknown city. Corporations spend millions on planning and goal setting. Even at work, employees are often judged by their ability to achieve goals that have been set for them. And yet, in our personal lives, we rarely use the power of setting goals.

Davinder Sachdeva, General Manager (Sales) at one of the five largest software companies in the world, tells us how he does it. "Writing down a goal means it is important to me. Unless I write it down, it is a vague idea floating in my head. When I write it down, I can fit it into my schedule and make it real."

Here's a simple five-step process of setting goals that you can actually achieve, rather than just wish for.

Step 1: Define your goal

This seems simple, but surprisingly isn't. Most people do not clearly know what they want. Defining a goal helps you articulate what you want -- not only to others, but also to yourself. Imagine leaving your home every morning with a vague idea of where you are headed. What are the chances you will get anywhere worthwhile?

So, how do we define specifically what we want? Take a rough sheet of paper and pick an area of your life (career, education, health, relationships, spirituality, personal growth, etc) where you would like to set a goal. Write down around 20 things that you want to see happen. Don't think or analyse too much. Let your thoughts flow.

Now prioritise this list -- rank these 20 in the order of their importance to you. What you are doing is gaining clarity into what is most important. You will find yourself a lot clearer in your head.

Step 2: How will you know you have achieved this goal?

As an example, let's work on your top three goals. Most often, if we don't have good validation criteria after having set a goal, we will never know if we actually succeed in achieving it. So, ask yourself this significant question: How will I know I have achieved this goal?

This might be straightforward for some goals. If one was 'to get a promotion', or 'get admission into XYZ institute', the for that is straightforward. But, if your goal is 'to become a better manager', that's a little vague. You might want to set the validation criteria as:

1. The attrition rate in my team will drop.
2. Rewards earned by team members will grow.
3. Meetings will be shorter.
4. I will give and take regular feedback from my team.

If these things happen, you will know you have become a better manager. Now, look at your goal and try making your validation criteria as specific as possible. Notice that all four points mentioned above can be measured tangibly.

Step 3: How to go about doing it

Take a good look at your goal and validation criterion. What do you need to do to make these results happen? This is the time to break down your goal into actions and sub-actions. Come up with a list by asking yourself this question.

Step 4: Set a time frame

Setting a time frame for your goal breathes life into it and also allows you to build it into your schedule. It also helps you create a sense of urgency about your goal. If you are having trouble doing this, refine your goals and make them more specific. The more specific your goals are, the easier it will be to set a time frame around it.

Step 5: Take Nike's advice

Just do it.

Unfortunately, this is what proves to be the most difficult step for most. Inertia, procrastination and laziness hold us back from doing what we know we should be doing. Here's some simple advice on how to get things done:

1. Read your goals, your validation criterion and action steps every single day, more than once if possible.
2. Use a planner and fill in your list of actions. If you see what needs to be done in your planner, you are more likely to do it.
3. Use a reminder service. You can use an online calendar or reminder service to send you a reminder email every day.

The trick is to keep your goals and action list on top of your mind somehow, and keep taking action. If you do not do this, chances are they will meet the same fate as your New Year resolutions.

Finally, if this sounds like too much work, try to spice it up by making it fun. Introduce elements of things you like. For example, I usually do boring things like making monthly budgets and taxes while sitting at my favourite coffee shop. By combining these two activities, I am able to transfer the 'fun' element from one to the other.

Most often, we need to tweak our mindset just a little bit to create huge results in our lives.

-- The author is a corporate trainer.

Do you regularly set goals for yourself? How do you achieve them

Seven techniques to help you relax

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2006/sep/26relax.htm
Today's fast-paced lifestyles force us to push our minds and bodies to the limit, usually at the expense of our physical and mental well-being. When we become stressed, our bodies switch to a mode called the 'fight or flight response', which is characterized by increased heart rate, blood pressure, higher breathing rate, etc. Over time, these reactions increase cholesterol levels, disturb intestinal activities, depress the immune system, and leave us feeling 'stressed out.'

"Relaxation techniques are great tools for dealing with stress and promoting long-term health by slowing down the body and calming the mind," says Ashish Verma, Hyderabad-based relaxation and wellness training consultant. "Used daily, these techniques can lead to a healthier outlook towards stressful situations and a decline in stress-related disorders such as anxiety, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, insomnia, etc."

Here are some techniques you might want to consider:

1. Deep breathing

A simple but effective method of relaxation. "It works well in conjunction with other relaxation techniques such as Progressive Muscular Relaxation, imagery and meditation for reducing stress," says Ravi Tripathi, a yoga teacher based at Kanpur. Here's how to do it:

. Inhale. Close your mouth, loosen your shoulders, and inhale as slowly and deeply as you can.
. Hold. Keep the air in your lungs as you slowly count to 6.
. Exhale. Release the air through your mouth, again slowly counting to 6.
. Repeat. Go over the inhale-hold-exhale cycle 5-10 times.

2. Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR)

This is good for relaxing your body, especially when your muscles are tense. It requires slowly tensing and then releasing every muscle group individually, from the toes all the way up to the face. "It is useful for calming nerves before an important presentation or performance, and for quieting down when you are highly stressed," says Ashish Verma.

3. Meditation

"The concept behind meditation is to consciously relax your body and focus your thought processes on one particular thing for a prolonged period. Your mind thus remains occupied and diverted from issues causing you stress," says Tripathi. Follow these steps:

� Sit comfortable and quietly.
� Close your eyes.
� Relax your body muscles (you can use a technique like Progressive Muscular Relaxation for this).
� Focus on your breathing.
� Breathe in deeply, then exhale. Count your breaths (gives you something to do with your mind, helping avoid distraction).
� Repeat this for 10 or 15 minutes.

4. Self-hypnosis

"This is when you hypnotise yourself. Affirmations are often used -- positive statements we repeat to ourselves to counter stress and unpleasant thoughts. An example of an affirmation is 'I feel vibrant and alive. I love how I feel'," says Verma. Sit down at a quiet, comfortable place. Relax your body. Imagine waves of relaxation running down your body from your head downwards, washing away stress. Feel the muscles in your body relaxing as waves of relaxation wash over them.

Next, utilise suggestion to deepen the state of relaxation. You can do this by simply saying to yourself: 'I am tired and sleepy. I can feel my arms and legs getting heavier. I am becoming more and more tired�' Once you feel completely relaxed, add the affirmations you have prepared too.

5. Yoga

If you have tried it, you already know that it can help you achieve your goals with more focus and renewed spirit. "Yogic breathing reduces blood pressure and brings intense relaxation. Furthermore, it gives you improved appearance via better posture, muscle and skin-tone, if practiced regularly. Bones and muscles are strengthened and joints become more flexible. It is also amazing to see how much more positive a person's outlook on life becomes within just a few months of practice," says Tripathi.

6. Imagery

You may have noticed how particular environments can be very relaxing, while others can be extremely stressful. This is the idea behind the use of imagery in stress reduction. "You use your imagination to recreate a scene, place or event that you recall as being relaxing, safe, peaceful, beautiful and happy. You can bring all your senses into the image by, for instance, imagining sounds of running water and birds, the smell of cut grass, etc. Use the imagined place as a peaceful retreat from stress and pressure," says Verma.

7. Music or suggestion CDs

Another approach is listening to calming music or relaxation tapes. Soothing music has a lot of power to influence your thoughts and feelings. "It takes no effort from your side to listen to these. Moreover, they can be very welcome at the end of a long day," says Verma. Examples of such audio CD titles are Yoga Nidra - Complete Relaxation by Yogacharya Arunkumar (approximately Rs 150) and Ragas for Relaxation (a collection of Indian classical music by various artists for approximately Rs 295).

With continued practice in the techniques enumerated above, you may experience renewed energy, better concentration, better ability to deal with problems, more efficiency in daily activities, less indigestion, headaches, nausea, and less frequent emotional responses like anger, anxiety, crying, anxiety, apprehension and frustration.

Sounds good, doesn't it? What are you waiting for?

Have you tried any of these techniques befor

---richa pant

REDUCING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE---ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

High Blood Pressure


By David Werner. Adapted for India by: The Voluntary Health Association of India by Dr. C. Sathyamala. Revised and updated by Padam Khanna with Dr. Stella, M.P. Mansukhani and Dr. Salai Pa Cin; Illustration by Shinod AP




Crush and take one teaspoon of the juice of yellow drumstick leaves after food once a day.
Mix one teaspoon ginger juice, one teaspoon honey and one teaspoon powdered cumin seeds. Take this once a day.
Curds, raw onion, garlic and turmeric powder to be used regularly in the food also helps in reducing high blood pressure.
Avoid excessive salt and animal fat.