The work involved just to win the proposal to host the Olympics was a monumental task, however once the votes were counted and Great Britain were declared official winners, that’s when the real work took place to ensure London was worthy enough to hold such a prestigious event.
So just how did we pull it off? Firstly it all started with an intention, a dream or an aspiration to deliver an experience that had the chance to change the lives of millions of people.
But how do you turn that dream into a reality? Primarily it is clear thinking and excellent planning. That’s what ensured London 2012 Olympic Games was such a phenomenal success. Some care free live for the moment individuals would gasp at such diligent structure being implemented in their life as they would feel suffocated from the bliss of treating everyday as it comes. Or is this care free attitude just an innate fear of failure or a fear of getting it wrong and having their dreams shattered in the wake of realising their efforts have been thwarted by something outside of their control?
Yet planning where you are going in your business, professionally and personally minimises the obstacles and their severity that inevitably crop up because that is just he nature of things. Life is not linear or offers you a defined path towards what you ultimately want to achieve.
Below are 5 reasons why it is essential to plan where you are going in your personal and professional life. This is by no means an exhaustive list, however like double Olympic Gold Medalist Mo Farrah said, “You can achieve anything you want if you know what you want and you are prepared to graft and work for it”:
- Your Brain Needs Co-Ordination– The brain is the most powerful yet most complex mechanism on the planet. That grey matter that sits between your ears can accomplish amazing feats that still baffle doctors today. However it does have a life of its own and if you do not consciously give it instructions then it will automatically focus on your most dominant thoughts. Heard of the old saying “you are what you think?” Well take a look around you and what’s currently in your life is a reflection of what you have created so far.
- Helps Identify and Minimise the effects of Perceived Obstacles– You have to be careful here. When goal setting it is all too easy to not even get off the blocks when you realise to achieve your goal the task ahead and the work involved. Obstacles are a part of life, that’s just the nature of things. However taking the time out to think into the future and what is likely to get in your way is essential for successful goal attainment. Remember that obstacles are opportunities to grow, improve and mature as a person knowing that you have overcome the adversity. The real value of having a goal is not in the physical thing itself, it’s in who you become as a person when pursuing your goal.
- Increase Your Level of Motivation– Successful goal achievement is attained through having a clear and specific intention. Having this in mind as if it is already achieved gives you that continuous flow of energy required for consistent action to be maintained and progress to be established. Supporting the intention of what you want is also having fundamental reason why you want this goal. The questions to ask your self are ‘what will I gain once I achieve this goal?’ ‘What is the purpose of my intention?’ Take your time with these questions because your initial answers are not necessarily the core reasons. When you think you have exhausted the point, keep pressing. At this point there will be recognition of why you are pursuing your goal.
- Living a Life of Choice, rather that Chance – People who set goals report that they have a life that is governed predominantly by choice and control, rather than living a life of wanting and disillusioned hope that something will come good one day and that will be the end of their struggle. Those that chisel their own path in life also report a feeling of fulfilment, ownership of their success and a nourished sense of self. A client of mine described setting his own goals as ‘like having a satellite navigation system for the brain. Tapping in co-ordinates for where I want to be ensured that I have somewhere I am heading and if I go off route, then my brain will come up with alternative routes.
- Gives You Meaning to your Existence – Having a clear and compelling goal gives you the purpose to take action that many people lack. Virtually everybody has a range of criteria that is important to them, but how many people truly work within their purpose, their true calling. A purpose is applying oneself to something bigger and more meaningful to what they are as individuals. When you work within your calling the work that you do does not feel like work anymore. The energy that you possess can be generated to overcome the obstacles that naturally come up on your life path. There is scientific research to prove that those with purpose in their life have increased levels of recovery and invariably never fall ill. I wonder what doctors surgeries would look like if there was a major increase in people working within their purpose?
There is no doubt about it without careful planning and long and short term targets to aim for the London 2012 Olympic Games would not have gained the success it has achieved. The London Olympics touched the hearts and minds of so many people and surely this will have enabled them to create the legacy that was ultimately the overall aim of the project. To deliver something that was to collectively lift the spirits of millions of people and together to celebrate the finest collection of athletes from around the world.
Think how you or your business touches the lives of others? How do you connect with those around you and what is the knock on effect of that? Are you creating a positive experience beyond the service or product that you offer?
Most of all ask the question “where is me and my business heading and how far away am I from it?”