What Works: Create Your Own Yellow Brick Road
Submitted by editor on Mon, 03/17/2014 - 7:19am
(Editor's Note: This is the second What Works column by Carson City Business Coach Diane Dye Hansen. This column appears every Monday on Carson Now.)
I have a confession to make. I have been found guilty. I was guilty of over-extending myself. I was guilty of focusing on hindsight, which is always 20/20, and taking a big emotional battering ram to my ego. I deserved to be locked up for putting pressure on myself that was so great that I felt like nothing was working. Why? It’s because I’m a dreamer.
Dreams are wonderful, grand things. They drive us forward and give us a reason to move onward. However, without structure, those dreams can be very frustrating. Without direction, those dreams can kick you in the butt harder than you imagine. Think about it. What if Dorothy didn’t have a yellow brick road to follow in “Wizard of Oz?” What if Glenda and the Munchkins just said, “yeah, go in that general direction?” Would Dorothy have found Emerald City?
With direction, dreams are not only possible — they are achievable! This topic was sparked by Raquel Fulghum, a reader who commented, “my brick wall is getting into law school” on last week’s column.
I call dreams Big Hairy Audacious Goals for a reason. They are hairy. Your choice is this. You can tame those goals by breaking them down into bite-sized, achievable chunks and make your dream a beautiful fuzzy creature. Or, you can fail to plan for success by hoping and dreaming, but leaving the planning to “whatever happens, happens.”
Guaranteed, this will turn your dream into more of a hairy scary monster that makes your goal seem larger than life and just about as unattainable as free climbing the Sierras (if you aren’t prepared).
Making your goals bite-sized is one way to live what most call “a charmed life.” Bite off more than you can chew and you will soon feel like you need to relieve yourself of some of the pressure.
Master Goals are goals achievable in one year or less. This may or may not be your Dream or BHAG. Occasionally, you will need to achieve a few master goals to get to your dream.
Ask yourself: What is my dream? What are the bigger steps I need to take to get there? For example, Raquel is looking to get into law school. I would ask if she has taken her LSAT yet and what law school she wants to go to—local or in another state. Every choice has a different set of steps that go with it.
The smaller goals that take less time to achieve, I call Mid-Goals and Mini-Goals. Mid-Goals are achievable in six months or less where a Mini-Goal is achievable in a month or less.
Ask yourself: What are the smaller things I need to do, and in what order, to achieve my Master Goals? I would ask if financial aid had been secured. I would see if her current work situation supported the commitment that law school provides.
Every goal you set should be made SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. It’s the difference between, “I want to get into law school,” and “I want to get into the William S. Boyd School of Law in Las Vegas for the fall semester having obtained $20,000 in student aid to cover the majority of my first year.” Is that attainable? Well, that’s when you break that down further into mini and mid goals and test it. Deadlines, test schedules, work schedules, all of this, can play into the REALISTIC portion of your goals.
As goals get more bite-sized, they get more attainable. You can reward your smaller achievements and see measurable progress. In essence, you are creating a path to your dreams. Isn’t that exciting? Wouldn’t you love to look down at a piece of paper and not only visualize your dreams but KNOW how you are going to get there? It’s incredibly exciting. Try it!
This is an interactive column, meaning I will answer questions in the comments and encourage open discussion. Each week, I will pick a topic inspired by your posts. So watch for my column every Monday. For now, here’s my question to you.
What is your dream? Do you have a clear plan to achieve your goals or do you just have a “rough idea” in your head? What are your Master, Mid, and Mini Goals on the path to your dream? Do you know how to create your personal yellow brick road to success? The floor is yours.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start.
