Savage counsel – tackling your goals one at a time
Each week in Encore, Chris Savage answers your industry questions and career dilemmas. This week, he looks at tackling your goals one at a time.
Hi Chris,
I am struggling to progress at the agency where I work. I have been here for seven years and have done well, if I do say so myself. But in the past 18 months, I seem to have stagnated. I am still ambitious and I want to keep moving up the ladder but I feel like I have lost my mojo. How do you stay motivated to achieve your goals?
“Success is steady progress towards one’s personal goals.” Well, that’s what my fortune cookie from The Peacock Gardens in Crows Nest told me a couple of weeks ago. Achieving goals year in and out is a daunting journey littered with setbacks.
Yet watching my then eight-year-old son learn to play rugby reminded me of the secret to reaching goals. He had been playing since he was little but when he turned seven, the boys had to tackle rather than just ‘tag’ the opponent. In the first game, he did everything he could to avoid tackling. “You have to tackle,” I yelled at him during the game, and continued to hound him for the week following. Saturday came around and despite all the counselling, cajoling, encouragement and his good intentions, he did not brave one tackle. If I had hair, I would have pulled it out.
Then a local fitness trainer gave us some advice: “Just ask him to do two really good tackles in the next game. No more.” We did. In the next game, he made two great tackles and cleverly avoided the rest. Progress. The following week, we encouraged him to do four tackles. He delivered four and no more. Then we asked for six tackles and that took him to half time. You get the picture. Within six games, he was a solid tackler. He got there – two tackles at a time.
The secret is to set manageable, short-term targets. It’s this secret that has helped me to dust myself off when I’ve failed and has kept me moving forward. And it’s a secret that works whether you’re eight or 50. Always begin with the end in sight. Have clarity around the big-picture goal and set a timeframe. Write it down in the past tense as if you have achieved it. And set a deadline.
“I am a great tackler and it is only game five.”
“My firm just won the XYZ account and it’s a week before Christmas.”
“I have been promoted to account director: 1 September.”
Set manageable targets; step-by-step goals that are within reach. Be clear about what you want to achieve. Then achieve big goals two tackles at a time by setting manageable short-term targets. Good luck with your journey.
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