Goal setting does work

I recently got some feedback and questions from my recent blog, “The Four Secret Steps to Achieving Your Personal Goals”.  

These folks were saying, “Dr. Lee, it can’t be that easy because I’ve never been able to …”  You fill in the blank.  It could be to lose the extra 50 pounds, quit smoking, learn the guitar, get that promotion, speak comfortably in public, etc. Perhaps you have been frustrated with achieving certain goals in your life and feel the same way.

No Pain, No Gain

What I told the earnest questioners is the steps to success may be fairly straightforward, but the process isn’t without effort and possibly some pain.  As the saying goes, “no pain, no gain.” We all will suffer pain in life, either the pain of regret and disappointment of not achieving our goals or the pain of working hard to achieve our goals. Let me illustrate with a broad overview of cases I’ve worked over the course of my career and how this goal achievement process can work.  (Please note: name and details are fictitious to maintain confidentiality.)

A Driving Motivation is Essential

Dan came to me a few years back in his mid-40s.  He had a successful career in the entertainment world as a set designer.  But in his early 40s, he had felt it was time for a career change, so he had gone back to graduate school to study psychology and get his doctorate.  He wanted to have a more direct and personal impact on people by becoming a psychotherapist. Having more meaning and purpose in life is a rather common desire and dynamic in the workplace today and that was Dan’s driving motivation.

The Challenge of Setbacks

Dan had made great progress completing his course work and practicums in almost record time, especially considering he had a full-time job and took courses at night and weekends.  But almost a year before Dan first saw me, he had a major setback.    He had been in a serious auto accident that wasn’t his fault.  He wasn’t seriously hurt, but his car did catch on fire, destroying it and the laptop computer inside which held much of his dissertation research information.  Needless to say, he was traumatized by this and seriously discouraged, finding it very difficult to get back on track.  This was even affecting his health.  He had stopped exercising and was eating poorly, putting on an extra 25 pounds.

How Goal Setting and Coaching Help

To help you see how the goal setting and coaching process might relate to your situation, let me share more about how Dan and I worked together for his progress and success.

The first step in my coaching process was to listen carefully to Dan, providing him with empathy, understanding, and support.  This is essential before launching into the problem solving and goal-setting process.  But soon Dan was able to set a clear written goal of graduating in one year and everything else began to fall into place.  This included exercising again and regularly eating healthy foods, which resulted in a lot more energy, positive mood change, and better sleep for him. 

He also decided to form several support groups for himself, including his fellow students, friends, and professional colleagues with whom he met and shared his progress regularly.   Dan’s clarity, commitment, dedication, and hard work combined with the support, guidance, and accountability that his support groups and I provided, allowed Dan to achieve his goals and graduate one year after starting his coaching process with me.  He states, “this is a process that will work for just about anyone if they stick with it.”

Today Dan is a licensed doctoral-level psychologist directing a large corporate employee assistance program and positively impacting the lives of thousands of employees and their family members!!  He states that the goal setting and coaching process was a key part of his personal and professional development, helping him achieve his true life purpose! 

I hope this case study encourages you to continue to pursue your challenging and significant goals by forming and utilizing your support groups, and if needed, the services of an executive coach.  Looking for leadership coaching and training for your and your team? Be sure to schedule your free 15-minute discovery call today!