“My goal is to be making $20 million profit in three years time,” the business owner told me. My heart sank. Then I gave him this piece of critical advice. Do this, and any business or career goal can be achieved.

I went to the doctor last week. “Chris,” she said. “You have to lose 25 kilos.” Crikey! Outrageous. Do you know what I did immediately? I changed doctors. But no, dammit, the second doctor said the same thing. Now — I can’t lose 25 kilos! It’s a massive goal. I just visited Europe for three weeks and my suitcase weighed 25 kilos. I could not pick it up. 25 kilos! No way!

But here’s the magic. I can lose 5 kilos, right. And within say 12 weeks. And that’s the key. To achieve goals, in life, business and careers, please — adopt with energy this powerful technique:

Be passionate about the Art of the Attainable

Set yourself short-term, achievable goals in everything you do. Set goals that have ambition, absolutely, but that ARE attainable.

I challenged the business leader about his $20 million goal. We did some quick projections and sums. A more realistic yet still aspirational goal, given his business was barely breaking even, was to make $5 million profit in three years time. That was within reach. Believable. Would need hard work and focus, but it was in sight.

So too my 5 kilos. That’s something I can comprehend, visualise. I can start making progress quickly. Within two weeks I could be half way there.

The ‘Art Of The Attainable' in goal setting helps you get started with enthusiasm and confidence…. with real hope.

And then, when within a reasonable time frame you hit your goal, you have momentum and new habits. You set another short-term achievable goal. Perhaps 2 more kilos before the long-weekend three weeks away. You get there. Celebrate. Pride and self-belief are rising. You target 3 kilos by a new ‘within reach' date. Suddenly, you’re 10 kilos in and the big prize — the main goal — is there — just ahead, winking at you.

As you think about your career goals and what you want to achieve, please do back yourselves. Have big and powerful ambition.

Then start by embracing the Art Of The Attainable.

Set a shorter-term, achievable goal. Make a long list of everything you have to do to achieve it. Then make a phased plan…Phase One, Phase Two, Phase Three. Laminate the plan and put it in your shower! Look at it every day. Take one step of action against it daily. And before you know it, you’ll be motoring towards a celebration of a goal achieved.

That fuels hope. It energises optimism and self-belief. It makes you want to give yourself a mighty hug. Your shoulders pull back and you stand taller. And very quickly you’ve set the next goal- doable, within reach, attainable. It really is an art. And here’s the weird thing. IT WORKS!!

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