“I can accept failure... I can't
accept not trying” - Michael Jordan
At the start of 2014, I committed
to walk and run approximately 50km during the month of February and to sleep
outdoors in solidarity with the homelessness on February 21st, the
coldest night of the year. While I was successful in first part of my goal, I
failed to carry through with sleeping outdoors. The task of sleeping outdoors
was an important component to my objectives of helping to create public
awareness around the issue of homelessness in Brampton and other cities around
the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Looking back at 2014 and this
specific goal here are five magical tips to avoid failure in 2015.
1. Set Goals that are challenging
but at the same time achievable
My goal of sleeping outdoors was
both compelling and achievable and obviously extremely challenging. Why did I
fail? Although compelling, achievable and challenging I fail because of
extremely poor planning. I did not establish a sufficiently adequate support
team. This is not to say that people who are homeless and living outdoors have
a support team to bring them coffee or provide security or provide shelter from
our brutal and bitter winter.
To be successful our goals must
be challenging in order to avoid monotony and failures. The greater the
challenge, the greater the level of details required in planning. State your
goals in writing. Your goals should be realistic and suited to your present
capabilities. Sometimes you have to take small, progressive steps toward
reasonable, long-term goals. At the same time your goals should also push you
to extend yourself beyond where you are.
2. Create Visual Images of Yourself
When You Achieve Your Goal
In order to avoid failure, you
should find compelling images of yourself when you achieve your goals. For my
goal of sleeping outdoors the only images I had in my mind was being mugged and
abused. Call it doubt or fear. The reality is people who are homeless are
frequently mugged and abused. To be successful at this goal I needed to have
created a more compelling image of myself successfully sleeping outdoors in
solidarity with the homeless. Looking back a compelling image of myself could
be winning award from the city of Brampton for my humanitarian work. For the
hectic of it, it could be winning an award from the United Nations. What is the
point of dreaming, if we are not dreaming big?
3. Share Vision and Goals With Others
and Stick to Positive Emotional Connectors
One of best ways of avoiding
failure is sharing your vision and goals with others. In early 2014, I used my
blog, McKenzie’s Voice to share information about my goal of sleeping outdoors
in solidarity with the homeless. By doing so, I received lots of positive
encouragement. As the date of February 21st drew closer, I felt confident
I could successfully achieve this specific goal. A failure of this natures
leads to regrets. I have to admit, it is even difficult writing about it.
Success could have been monumental
in helping me to build awareness on the issue of homelessness in Brampton and
other cities around the GTA. To the contrary, I harboured doubts and fear. Consequently,
the subtle negative things got the better of me and led to my failure. In
setting goals, if you focus on the negative you will fail. Allow your goals and
outcome to excite you. Approach your goals with great anticipation and
enthusiasm.
Share your vision and goals with
others and focus on the positive in order to avoid failure.
4. Have Patience and Be Flexible
Nothing in life is achieved with
haste. You have to set a reasonable time within which to achieve your goals.
You have to make time to celebrate small successes. For example, while I failed
to sleep outdoors on the coldest night in 2014, I was successful in walking and
running over 50km during the month of February 2014. Despite failing to sleep
outdoors, by setting one of my goals to sleep outdoors in solidarity with the
homeless, it provided me with a platform from which I can help to create
awareness around the issue of homelessness.
In addition to having patience is
also the ability to be flexible. Remember nothing in this world stays the same
forever. Consequently, good strategies and goal setting requires flexibility.
In order to stay on course you have to be able to adapt to changing
circumstances by being flexible. I accepted the fact that I was unsuccessful
and have made adjustments to continue my awareness campaign. Success requires the
ability to be flexible.
5. Learn From Your Mistakes or
Failures
My failure to sleep outdoors reinforced
an important lesson in goal setting which is the importance of adequate
planning and building a support team. Life is about ebbs and flows. It is about
success and setbacks. We will make mistakes. We will fail at some of our goals.
However, one of the most important things in life is to always learn from your
mistakes or failures. With a little more planning and the help of others I am
going to attempt this goal again. I am confident that with better planning and
the help of others I can accomplish this goal.
Did you fail to achieve your most
important goals for 2014? Why did you fail?
Mark McKenzie is a leading
Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well
as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth
mentor. He can be contacted by email
mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog
http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share.
Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+,
Facebook and Linkedin.
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