After all, if we only do the minimum required of us, we probably won't get very far. So, if you've set your sights on world domination (or perhaps just that promotion you've always wanted), use these 18 tips to make it a reality.

Be the Best People Person

People skills are one of the most sought-after competencies valued by employers. When you work well with others, it improves productivity, creativity and job satisfaction. So, let's kick-start our top tips list by looking at what you can do to become a better people person.

1. Be a Great Communicator

Being able to communicate well – in person and in writing – is an essential skill in most workplaces. But, it's also one that is often forgotten about. In fact, a study from the National Commission on Writing reveals that blue-chip companies spend as much as $3.1 billion on writing training.

The ability to express yourself eloquently can mean the difference between getting noticed and being overlooked. Write a bad email and all anyone will remember is your poor grammar. But write one that is clear, concise and interesting, and you'll likely find that people will respond to your message quickly and positively.

2. Nurture Your Work Relationships

People skills are as important in the workplace as technical ability. These kinds of "interpersonal skills" can help you to collaborate, communicate, manage conflict, motivate, increase productivity, solve problems, and network.

When you have good working relationships you'll likely be more happy and engaged at work, too. In fact, a 2023 study revealed that positive workplace relationships can help you to avoid burnout, exhaustion and even loneliness.

3. Listen!

It can be all too easy to "tune out" sometimes. Whether you're really focused and "in flow," or you're easily distracted by emails and other minor tasks, maybe you just aren't paying enough attention to the person who's talking to you. Whatever the case, you're not alone. It seems that most of us aren't great listeners. Indeed, research suggests that we remember between just 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear!

But listening is vital if you want to succeed at work. It can help you to take in information, learn from others, build relationships, and take direction. Active listening is one of the ways you can improve your ability to listen. It involves making a conscious effort to hear not only the words someone is saying, but the key messages that they are trying to express.

4. Know How to Work With Your Boss

If you're lucky, you'll have a boss that you respect, like and admire. If you're not so lucky, however, you may have one who, for whatever reason, you just don't "click" with. If this happens, it can have a significant impact on your happiness and your productivity.

Ultimately, the onus is on you to make the relationship work. Your boss will likely have several other people to manage, so their relationship with you may not always be at the top of their list. But it should be at the top of yours! Find out more about their preferred management style. Then, adapt your own working style to suit it. Do they like to receive information in person, or prefer email? How do they tend to handle bad news? Do they like to micromanage people or are they happy to delegate tasks?

Be the Best at Taking Initiative

When you take the initiative, you take control of your career. This might be as simple as learning to organize your workload effectively. Or, it could be more complex – for example, seeking out new opportunities and understanding the purpose behind the work you do. Here are some tips for doing this:

5. Prioritize Your Goals

With so many demands on your time, it's easy to get distracted and lose sight of your main goals. Start each day by prioritizing your To-Do List, and focusing your attention on the top three items. This will help you to manage your time effectively, and to concentrate on the objectives that matter the most. And, if you're really swamped, don't be afraid to ask for help, to delegate tasks, or even to say "no" sometimes.

6. Challenge Yourself

Feeling comfortable and confident in a job likely means that you're doing it well. But, if you're finding it all too easy, you may begin to feel bored and unfulfilled.

Sure, you could carry on and "coast" your way through. But this probably isn't going to get you very far in the long term. Instead, stay challenged by setting yourself some new goals. Learn a new skill, go on a training course, or ask your boss for more responsibility. Not only will you be pegged as a "self starter," you'll also get the chance to broaden your skills, and to engage in new ways of thinking. It may even open up opportunities to work on different projects and with different people.

7. Get out of Your "Comfort Zone"

Stepping outside of your comfort zone is – unsurprisingly – uncomfortable! You might feel exposed, or worry that you'll look stupid. However, if you avoid taking opportunities when they present themselves, you'll never know just how far you can go.

Yes, doing something new can be scary. It might also mean more pressure and more work. But, it can also push you to perform better. It can make you more resilient, give you the flexibility to take risks and cope with unexpected problems, and help you to overcome fear of failure.

8. Remember the Bigger Picture

Do you know why you do the work that you do? What's its purpose? Why is it meaningful to you? And how does it help the business to achieve its goals?

Understanding how the work that you do benefits your organization can improve your performance. It adds purpose to your work, helps you to prioritize your tasks more effectively, and enables you to identify tasks or areas of the business that can be made more efficient.

Be the Best Learner

It's never too late to learn a new skill. In fact, building up your knowledge and skills is often a lifetime pursuit. So, start your learning journey today by following these tips:

9. Build Expertise and Share It!

Having a specialized skill or excelling in a particular task can put you "in demand." Even more so if you have deep knowledge of a subject that is highly sought after – for instance, analytical thinking, creative thinking or resilience.

Being the "go-to" person for a particular task or topic can enhance your reputation and allow you to help others. It can also lead to opportunities to work on high-profile tasks, and may even result in promotion. But remember that building expertise takes dedication and resolve. So, be prepared to put the time in!

10. Know Your Stuff

Rapid advances in technology, along with global political and financial developments, mean that change is fast-paced and unpredictable. And, if you don't make an effort to keep up with these changes, it can result in missed opportunities or getting left behind.

Combat this by making it a priority to stay up-to-date with your industry. Join a trade organization, attend trade shows or conferences, read blogs, and connect with industry leaders and colleagues on social media sites like LinkedIn or Twitter.

11. Set Aside Time for "Deep Work"

We live in an age of distractions. Email, social media, instant messaging, office politics, unnecessary meetings… even the weather! All of these things can cause you to lose focus on the tasks that really matter. In fact, some studies suggest that knowledge workers lose up to three hours a day because of distractions. And this can cost businesses 14 to 15 times more than absenteeism due to health-related issues.

Sure, it might be hard to ignore the 150 WhatsApp messages that you've just received. But, if you really want to produce quality work, you and your phone will need to part ways (temporarily at least). This is where "deep work" can help. It involves pushing distractions to one side, and giving yourself the time and space to really focus on challenging and complicated tasks. This has a number of benefits. For example, it can help you to build expertise and knowledge, and give you a greater sense of fulfillment and achievement.

Be the Best Professional

What qualities make you a true professional? Is it the way you dress? Your charismatic charm? Or, is it your ability to learn from your mistakes? Take a look at our tips on what it takes to be the ultimate professional:

12. Make Mistakes (and Learn From Them)

We've all had that sudden sinking feeling when we realize that we've made a mistake. But it's how you handle these "bloopers" that really matters. Do you, for instance, tend to "run for the hills" and hope that no one notices? Pass the blame onto someone else? Or, do you "fess up" and do your best to remedy the situation?

It can be hard to swallow your pride and take ownership of the mistakes that you make. But, it is only by doing this that you will ultimately learn from them.

13. Ask for Feedback and Use It!

It can be difficult to hear criticism, particularly when it's unexpected. But, if you don't get any feedback at all, you may begin to wonder whether your work is valued or even noticed.

Why not take the initiative? Ask for feedback from managers and colleagues. Not only will you be seen as a proactive member of the team, but the advice and insight that they provide will likely help you to improve your performance, too.

14. Protect Your Professional Reputation

Your reputation is what you're known for. It encompasses your personality, your skills, your values, and your temperament.

It can take time and effort to build up a good reputation, but just moments to destroy it. This means that you need to put the work in if you want to protect and maintain it. Do this by carrying out a personal SWOT analysis to assess your skills, and to create a plan for developing the professional traits and abilities that you want to be known for.

Be the Best Leader

You don't have to be a manager to be a leader. And, in fact, many businesses want people to demonstrate leadership skills, even if they're in a junior role. So, why not tap into your leadership potential today by following the tips, below:

15. Develop Leadership Skills

One of the major "pain points" for businesses is the lack of leadership skills among their employees – even those who are in senior or highly technical roles. Research shows that the best and most successful leaders are those who encourage learning and listen to feedback and ideas. And that this, in turn, can help teams to become more resilient and effective.

So, if you've set your sights on a promotion, why wait? Start preparing today by broadening your skill set to include listening, empathy, problem solving, and negotiation. And acquaint yourself with different leadership styles, such as Transformational Leadership, Action Centered Leadership and Adaptive Leadership.

16. Get Yourself Noticed

Have you ever completed a piece of work that you were really proud of, only for it to go unnoticed?

Feeling as though your work isn't valued or even acknowledged can be deeply demoralizing and frustrating. But, there are ways you can improve your visibility at work. Building a strong network of allies, for instance, can help, as can tracking your accomplishments, taking on additional responsibilities, or finding a mentor or coach whom you respect and who can help you develop your skills and career.

Be the Best You

Wherever your career takes you, and whatever role or organization you find yourself in, the one constant will be you. So, cherish your uniqueness, stand up for your values and beliefs, and always be yourself! The following tips can help you to do just that:

17. Learn How to Cope With Stress

It can be easy to get caught up in negative thoughts sometimes, particularly if you've made a mistake, received some poor feedback, or work in a high-pressure job. But, real problems can occur if you allow these thoughts to take over, such as low self-confidence, poor self-esteem, or even depression and anxiety. All of these things can impact your productivity and performance – setting the whole cycle in motion once again.

Remember that setbacks and stress are a part of everyone's life. You can either crumple under the pressure or find strategies to help you cope. These could include mindfulness, affirmations or cognitive restructuring.

Most of all, know when to stop. It can be hard to switch off, particularly when you're surrounded by "always on" devices, like smartphones or tablets. But learning how to relax – really relax – will help you to recharge, stay calm and avoid burnout.

18. Be Yourself

Pretending to be someone else or being a "yes man" (or woman) can be exhausting, confining and demoralizing. It can also hold you back from reaching your true potential. But, when you stay true to yourself and your values, you'll find that you can express your thoughts and ideas much more clearly and confidently. And you'll have a reputation for integrity that will earn the trust and respect of your peers.

Yes, it may sometimes mean "going against the grain" or taking the harder road. But it also allows you to live a more authentic and, ultimately, more rewarding life.

Related Resources

If you want to delve deeper into some of the topics we've discussed in this blog, check out our list of recommended related resources below (please note, to access some resources in full you'll need to be a Mind Tools member):

How Self-Motivated Are You?
Managing Your Career
The Power of Good Habits
Developing a Career Strategy
Pink's Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose Framework
What You're Really Meant to Do, with Robert Steven Kaplan
Plan Your Career From Here
Working With Purpose
What Are Your Values?
Job Crafting

About the Author:

Senior Editor Lucy Bishop started her working life selling ice cream in a theme park. She now heads up the video learning team at Mind Tools, and gets involved at every stage – from writing and editing scripts, to auditioning actors, to running filming days. Lucy’s a committed member of our neurodiversity panel, where she helps Mind Tools to reflect and support all forms of neurodivergence. She’s also fascinated by new technology and is currently learning about AI – especially its impact on learners. Her favorite advice is, “Before asking someone else to fix something for you, see if you can learn to do it yourself.”  

The post 18 Ways to Be the Best You Can Be appeared first on Mind Tools.

The seemingly harmless question at a catch-up with friends makes my heart sink. What have I been doing?

I had a lot of resolutions for myself this year. I wanted to write more, learn more, exercise more. And yet we're now closer to the next year than the last, and I can't seem to think of a single noteworthy achievement to show for it.

So, I hit them with the classic, "Oh, you know, just the usual," and quickly changed the subject.

It's Not Too Late to Reach Your Goals

One missed goal was to have the first draft of my screenplay completed by the time I finished my screenwriting course at the end of June. But as the last class rolled around, and my screenplay lay woefully incomplete on my desktop, I couldn't help but feel deflated. I'd missed my chance.

At times like this, it's easy to feel as if it’s too late to get back on track. You missed this deadline so what's the point in setting another? While it's natural to feel disappointed, lingering on these negative feelings and punishing yourself is only ever going to do more harm than good.

So, instead of giving up, I decided to treat this as an opportunity to look back at what I'd done well, to plan what I still had left to do, and to focus on how I could improve my chances of success.

How To Bounce Back After Failure

These four ideas helped me to bounce back and refocus on my goal.

Focus on the Positives

Instead of lingering on your failures, focus on your achievements. What new skills have you gained? What do you know now that you didn't before? Chances are you've achieved much more than you realize.

If you've missed your deadline, you may be reluctant to reward yourself. You may even try to downplay your achievements. But these successes are crucial for maintaining motivation. Keeping a note of your achievements will help you to shift your focus from minor setbacks to the bigger, more optimistic, picture.

Learn From Your Mistakes

Next, consider why you didn't meet your goal. Were your objectives too vague? Was your timeframe unrealistic? Perhaps it was a harder task than you envisaged, or outside distractions got in your way?

In my case, I may have been a little over-optimistic about what I could achieve in the time available. If, like me, you suffer from "time blindness" you may struggle to accurately determine how long a project or goal will take.

So, try breaking it down into more manageable, tangible tasks – and time yourself so you can plan your schedule accordingly.

Remember, you've only failed if you didn't learn anything. Once you've established what was missing the first time around, you'll be better equipped to achieve your goals next time.

Reset and Realign Your Goals

Be honest with yourself. It's easy to procrastinate and blame external factors instead of getting to the root of the problem. Perhaps your goals simply don't align with your interests or long-term aspirations anymore.

Change is inevitable so don’t be surprised if some of your objectives don't stand the test of time. Focus on what you love and be prepared to adjust or reset your goals according to what life throws at you!

If you don't know where to start, consider what support or training could help make your goals more achievable.

Build Good Habits

Perseverance is key. Many of us know what it's like to start a new hobby or project with the best of intentions but run out of steam after just a couple of weeks. So, how do you keep that momentum going?

The answer lies in good habits. Whether it's hitting the gym or learning a new language, set aside a specific time and place to work on your goal. No matter how unproductive or unmotivated you feel, make sure you stick to your routine. According to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, "It's the cumulative impact of always sticking to your schedule that will carry you to long-term success."

Why We Fail Our Goals

Failure to meet your goals can be demoralizing but it often has more to do with the way you set your goals than your ability to achieve them.

So, it's important not to lose sight of what's important. Effective goals aren't a box-checking exercise. Instead, they act as a framework for your learning, keeping you focused and motivated.

By reassessing my expectations and setting a new deadline, I'm pleased to say that I was able to complete the first draft of my screenplay and move on to my next goal. One missed goal doesn't have to spell disaster. In fact, it could be just the beginning of your success story!

Useful Resources

Here's a curated list of Mind Tools relevant resources (please keep in mind you may need to be a member of the Mind Tools Club to access certain resources):

Overcoming Fear of Failure
SMART Goals
Using SMART Goals to Re-energize Yourself
Fail More (Expert Interview)
How Good Is Your Goal-Setting? (Self-Test)
8 Common Goal-Setting Mistakes Video

About the Author

With a background in writing and illustration, Rosie uses her creative eye to produce eye-catching content. Specializing in videos, newsletters and articles, Rosie produces, writes, edits, and proofreads a wide range of resources. When she's not busy working, she'll likely be found whipping up cakes for her friends and family!

The post You Failed Your Goals... Now What? appeared first on Mind Tools.

Productivity research shows that workers are most productive in the autumn, once they're back from their summer vacation. But what about right now? What better time is there to set some goals to motivate yourself and your team?

Organizations can take a fresh look at defining their objectives and breaking down how they'll achieve them. Meanwhile, employees can set individual targets for what they want or need to get done over the next stretch of time.

Goals are a great way to measure progress, define priorities, and expand a knowledge area or skill you're passionate about. But it's so easy to think about what we want to achieve in ambitious, nebulous terms rather than defining the specifics. How do we set goals that matter? How can we make sure that we achieve what we set out to do?

Take our quiz, How Good Is Your Goal Setting? and then read on to discover how you can make your goals SMART – and use them to energize yourself.

SMART Goals Examples

George T. Doran pioneered the SMART goal setting approach in 1981. SMART can stand for a few slightly different sets of words, but Mind Tools uses the primary terms outlined below. Our SMART Goals article has more advice on this type of goal setting.

In short, SMART goals are concrete objectives that make sense in your real-life context. So how can we use them today?

The specific aspect of the SMART framework is about being detailed. Rather than aiming to "write some blog posts" this quarter, I might set a goal detailing the blog posts I'll write, what they'll focus on, and where and when they'll be posted.

Setting a measurable goal involves putting a number to your goal. How many blog posts will I write? What dates and deadlines am I aiming for?

An achievable goal must be something within your capacity to do, taking scope, resources and abilities into account. Let's say I want to create video content but have never done so before. I might need training before putting a video together, and I'll likely not be starting with an hour-long montage!

Relevant goals are ones that matter to you and connect to your context. I might want to learn line dancing, but that's unlikely to be an appropriate goal for my job. A more relevant goal might relate to my organization's overall objectives.

Time-bound goals, like measurable ones, take numbers into account. In this case, it's the timeline and a clear end date. Quarterly goals are one example of this, as they're typically accomplished within a set amount of time (the quarter).

Along with making sure that my goals are SMART, I've found that the following considerations are also important when setting goals at work.

Balancing Business and Personal Development

When setting your own goals within an organization, consider both your own development and the company's overall aims. What do you want to learn? On the other hand, what does the organization (or your team) aim to achieve? What skills can you offer to help them do this? Seek out overlaps between the two lists – between what you want and what the organization wants.

Some organizations differentiate between goals related to personal development, such as learning to use a new form of software, and individual goals related to company aims, such as helping to make sales or create new products. When setting your own goals, try to address both domains. It's important both to support your team and to continue growing and learning.

Sense Check

When setting goals, it helps to bounce ideas off others who know you well. You might discuss goals with your team or manager before finalizing them. Other people offer fresh ideas and a reality check when needed.

Some goal-setting processes have feedback baked in. But if your process is more solitary, try seeking out others to collaborate with and learn from.

Wishing you the best of luck with your goal setting!

What SMART goals will help to re-energize you? What else can you do to get over the mid-year motivation slump? Share your ideas in the comments below!

The post Using SMART Goals to Re-Energize Yourself appeared first on Mind Tools.

If you don't set resolutions, congratulations! If you do set them, you'll most likely ditch them at some point in the next 12 months.

According to some studies, nearly half of all Americans regularly make New Year resolutions (incidentally, just over a third never do), but fewer than 10 percent of people are successful and achieve a positive end result.

So, how are we supposed to reach our dreams, and set achievable goals?

Hope Instead of Resolution

Well, here's the alternative I can offer you: a Hope Letter. I've been testing it with my coaching clients for the past 15 years and it works. And here's why.

Drawing upon extensive research, just over two decades ago, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Kansas, C. R. Snyder, wanted to figure out what role hope played in reaching one's goals. He found that having a goal, though very important, was not enough on its own. We need two other ingredients: pathways for achieving our goals and a belief in our ability to reach them.

A Resolution for Any Time of Year

So, the process of constructing a Hope Letter is relatively easy. First, date the letter one year from the day you sit down to write it.

Second, write it as if everything in your life (career, health, relationships, finances) has gone the way you hoped it would. Write about all aspects of your life and what specifically you did to have such a fabulous year.

You can write a letter anytime. You don't have to wait for the start of the New Year or your birthday. You can write your Hope Letter whenever and wherever you want. Just set yourself a reminder to look at it again in exactly one year. Better yet, share it with someone close to you and ask them to mail it back to you.

Surprise Yourself Next Year

We always feel better when we're planning a positive change in our lives. It's a proactive act, something we can control and guide. And, as our lives move on and we get older (and hopefully a little wiser), the desire to take steps to "make things happen" can strengthen.

Always remember that some of what you write in your Hope Letter will not come true. But I think you'll be surprised by just how many things do. So, who has the courage to write a Hope Letter?

... ... ...

Margaret H. Greenberg is an executive coach and international speaker. She is co-author with Gina Greenlee of the 2021 book, "The Business of Race: How to Create and Sustain an Antiracist Workplace" and, with Senia Maymin, of “Profit from the Positive: Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business.”

You can hear Margaret and Gina in a future edition of the Mind Tools Podcast. And Mind Tools Club members can hear our review of Margaret and Senia's book, here.

This blog has been adapted from one originally published elsewhere on February 26, 2015, under the title, "Be a Positive Deviant – Write a Hope Letter."

Another way to look to the future with hope – and to achieve success – is to join the Mind Tools Club and access our thousands of career-boosting resources!

The post Replace Your New Year Resolutions With a Hope Letter appeared first on Mind Tools.

Do you have something you know you need to do – and you know how to do it – but you just can’t bring yourself to do it? Procrastination, dawdling, postponement, Akrasia – they’re all synonyms for the same ailment: not doing today what needs to be done today. And we all have these moments at some point in our lives.

"If you put off everything 'till you're sure of it, you'll never get anything done."

Norman Vincent Peale, U.S. author

So, why do these moments happen? For example, I knew I wanted to write this blog post, and I knew I had a deadline to meet. But I just couldn’t bring myself to write it any sooner than the last minute. Why the delay? What causes us to feel so challenged about doing something we know how to do? 

Size It Up, Seize the Day

I had a conversation with my 15-year-old son, who is struggling with his English Language school work. He could not, in any way, motivate himself to write his assignments. 

I asked him what he felt were the challenges of getting his work done. He responded that some of the essays were just too long, and it intimidated him to think about how much time and effort it would take to complete them. 

I asked him if he could write one paragraph on the topic. He said he could. Then I asked if he could write two paragraphs. Again, he said he could. I carried on asking the same question, and he kept saying he could. 

Eventually, we got to the full length of the document (four pages), and he realized that he could do the whole essay. It wasn’t the size of the document that troubled him, it was the thought of the size of the document. 

Don't Let Procrastination Flaw You

Delaying doing something is often referred to as "procrastination." This is defined as the force that prevents you from following through on what you set out to do. 

Procrastination is a human flaw that has been around forever. So it’s been discussed many times and many people have suggested solutions.

Not delaying on things you know how to do can provide a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. On the other hand, delaying these issues can often generate poor mental health and a sense of dissatisfaction. 

So, what does it take to stop delaying those things you know you need to do?

The "Why" of Procrastination

Our value system, as humans, has a lot to do with why we delay doing things. If given a choice between enjoying something small now or something larger, later, we tend to choose the smaller, immediate reward. 

An example is goal setting. Now goal setting is a positive activity, if you do it properly. But think of your New Year’s Resolution as an example of goal setting that can go wrong.

You experience the rewards for your New Year’s Resolution in the future, over time. Let’s say you promise to stop eating chocolate. At first, you succeed, and experience an immediate reward thanks to the satisfaction you experience from sticking to your goal. 

However, slowly you start to question the benefit of not eating chocolate. You start eating just a little at first, in order to feed your need for immediate satisfaction. 

Soon, one chocolate becomes many, because you’re more satisfied by the short-term reward of eating chocolate, than by the long-term and invisible benefits of not eating chocolate.

The "What" of Procrastination

At some point, we feel enough pressure, guilt, motivation, or whatever you choose to name it, and we move the future into the present. For example, my delaying writing this blog was fine when the deadline was far into the future. Now, though, the deadline is looming rapidly. 

This means that the future consequences are now present consequences. If I don’t get moving on writing the blog, I’ll miss the deadline and experience all there is that goes along with that outcome. 

I have to understand this in the present, because the deadline is upon me. There is a choice to be made – do I ignore the deadline or do I do everything I can to meet it? The decision I make depends on how I feel about the outcome. 

Will I still have the opportunity to write a blog in the future? How much do I enjoy writing a blog? Will I feel more satisfied once I’ve written the post than I would if I didn’t? All of these considerations will affect the decision.

The "How" of Procrastination

As well as outcomes that you may not enjoy, delaying the things you should be doing can also become harmful to your physical and mental well-being.

For example, if you go to the gym by yourself and decide one morning that you’re not in the mood, that won’t impact your physical health too badly. However, if it becomes a habit, not going to the gym could impact your physical health significantly in the long run. 

How do we, then, overcome this delaying process? There are several strategies that have come from a variety of research. One such approach is called Temptation Bundling, developed by Professor Katy Milkman at the University of Pennsylvania. Milkman suggests doing the thing you’re delaying with another thing that you enjoy.

In our gym example, make an arrangement to meet your best friend at the gym every morning. You can then exercise and socialize together, making the experience much more pleasant and easier to commit to. 

Another method of heading off procrastination is to reduce the size of the task, by breaking it into smaller pieces. As with my son's procrastination episode and his reluctance to write a four-page essay. Breaking that task down into paragraphs made it seem more “doable.”

What Next?

Changing your mindset, from procrastinating to doing what you know you need to do, will produce better outcomes in your life, and make you feel better about yourself. And moving rewards in your value system, and how you think about them, can help in breaking that "delaying" cycle. 

Having an external influence to help remind you of the things that need to be done, and even to offer help, can make you feel better about completing tasks today. Instead of in a future that isn't real. 

How to Do What You Know You Need to Do

During the #MTtalk Twitter chat last Friday, we talked about how to do the things you know you need to do. Here are the questions we asked and some of your most insightful responses:

Q1. What do you need to do – and how do you feel about that?

@emapirciu I have a long to-do list every day. Sometimes I feel motivated, but there are days in which I feel like burning that list and watching TikTok all day.

@PdJen I need to make more time for training and professional development. I also need to learn how to be more patient! I’m trying on both fronts!

Q2. Why might a hard-working, self-disciplined person fail to do what they need to do?

@Yolande_MT Emotional distress of any kind might cause someone not to be their usual diligent self.

@PG_pmp Maybe they have not realized their strength and are unable to channel their energy in the right direction.    

Q3. Is it just about procrastination, or is there more to not doing what you know you need to do?

@SizweMoyo Procrastination might be the easiest conclusion to reach but there are more reasons why reality may have unfolded different from your visualisation meditation.

@llake Trauma/unanticipated disruption can make us hesitate or completely stop. It isn't about procrastination. It's more about being in tune to what is needed at the moment. A transformation of energy.

Q4. What and who prevent us from doing what we know we need to do?

@JKatzaman We are usually the deciders of what, when and why we do things. Waiting for motivation to be delivered might not be a positive experience.

@NeViNShCe1 Laziness, other more fun tasks, social media... but most of all for me it's when I don't know WHY I need to do something. That kills me on my best days.

Q5. What is the first step you take to get started?

@MicheleDD_MT I create my goal. I need the end point to help me see the path forward. I make the goal as vivid as possible to motivate me.

@TwinkleEduCons Make a plan and start with something small - maybe even something you are already doing/have already done. Break it down into manageable, less daunting parts. Visualizing the end result can help to motivate us to start!

Q6. What can you do to break the pattern of unproductive/unhelpful behavior?

@ColfaxInsurance Focus on what you can accomplish now, no matter how small. As an example - have to start getting out of bed at 6am, but keep hitting snooze? Move the alarm so you physically have to get out of bed to shut it off.

@TheToniaKallon Shifting productivity mindset:

1) Identify what's holding you back (i.e. lack of info, low motivation, fear of failure)
2) Take small steps toward change (i.e. breaking projects into smaller tasks)
3) Recognize change takes time & unproductive patterns can be hard to break

Q7. What is the most useful tip you've been told about getting things done – and who told you?

@carriemaslen Don't over-think is great advice. Requires us letting go of perfection and accepting/seeking Good Enough.

@LernChance Do a time and task plan. Prioritize, prepare, execute. Actually, I don’t remember who told me. I guess it's a mix of what I read and my experience.  

Q8. Which technology is helpful/unhelpful for getting important stuff done?

@Yolande_MT Your phone, tablet, television can be unhelpful, but so can a book. In the end it's not about what we use, but how and when we choose to engage with it.

@NeViNShCe1 I find it helpful to work in a Team. Technology is great when I can automate a task. Reminders are great. Anything that writes the words for me. But most of the time pen and paper will do the hard work at the beginning 

Q9. How can our peers help or hinder us to keep on track?

@Midgie_MT Peers can help us by reminding us of what we said we would do. If and when we stray off track, they could provide gentle reminders!

@llake Well-meaning advice can sound like gospel. We're trained to hear outside voices when the voice that matters is the one when our soul speaks. I find the best help is when someone repeats back to me what I said or what they thought I said so I can hear it more clearly. 

Q10. When someone hasn't done the thing they need to – how can you best help them?

@emapirciu Make sure people want help before deciding you want to be a hero. Unsolicited assistance is not cool.

@SizweMoyo Try cheering them on or working on the task with them. My friends usually respond to these two gestures.

To read all the tweets, have a look at the Wakelet collection of this chat over here.

Coming Up

If you don't do what you know you need to do, it erodes your self-esteem. That might be one of the reasons why you start your sentences with "I'm sorry, but/to ..."

In our next #MTtalk chat, we're going to talk about how to stop apologizing for everything and anything. In our poll this week, we'd like to know your perspective on saying sorry all the time. To see the poll and cast your vote, please click here.

Resources

Want to dig a little deeper? Here are relevant resources for you to explore. Some may only be available in full to members of the Mind Tools Club.

Are You a Procrastinator?

How to Stop Procrastinating?

Personal Goal Setting

10 Common Time Management Mistakes

Self-Discipline

Self-Sabotage

What Is Time Management?

Improve Your Concentration

The post How to Do What You Know You Need to Do – #MTtalk Roundup appeared first on Mind Tools.

I was struggling with the realization that all my confidence that I had learned the lessons of 2020 had disappeared -- along with any confidence that my goals for 2021 were now in any way relevant.

I was trying to pick up the pieces after yet another hammer blow from this remorseless pandemic.

It was only a few weeks ago that I had described the pain of an enforced six-month separation from my husband, then the joy of our reunion and our plans to celebrate with a dream holiday to replace the one we had to cancel.

Goal Setting in Lockdown

But the Coronavirus was not finished with us. Just as I was congratulating myself on the way I had handled our situation and life in lockdown in South Africa, the virus bit back -- hard.

My husband had returned to work in West Africa and, days away from coming home, we learned that a surge in COVID cases had closed the borders once more. Our plans were in tatters, our holiday once more just a mirage.

I had set goals, planned work, and started 2021 with a clean slate and big ideas. But someone must have hit the "repeat 2020" button. I, who had powered through similar events so strongly last year, fell apart spectacularly. I cried. Hours and hours of heart-deep "ugly crying."

But, sitting down with my coffee, I realized that I had set 2021 goals with a 2020 mindset. I actually need different types of goals to reflect the likely ongoing unpredictability of 2021. I need to be adaptable.

I'm usually very flexible in my life and work, but that has never been reflected in my goals. Now, my first goal for 2021 reads, "Be flexible in everything, all the time. Rigidity will make me break. Flexibility will help me bend and adapt."

A New Approach for 2021

My traditional goals -- all centered around career, learning and financials -- now include more personal aims, and more learning. So-called "Big Hairy Audacious Goals" have been be replaced with small, consistent, but nevertheless powerful actions.

And I'm not the only one reassessing the way I approach goal setting for 2021. Surveys conducted by Mind Tools' parent company, Emerald Works, show a huge increase in the number of people setting goals for 2021.

Nahdia Khan is Emerald Works' Head of Learning Community and Customer Voice, and she was my co-host for Friday's #MTtalk Twitter chat.

Nahdia said, "In the post-Christmas lull, it's normal to evaluate your personal and professional goals for the coming year.

"And as we bid farewell to a tumultuous 2020 and look forward to a more stable 12 months, people are slowly but surely starting to exercise more thoughtful control over aspects of their lives.

"Before the pandemic, 52 percent [of those surveyed] described themselves as having personal goals and a development plan. But during COVID, this increased to an astonishing 75 percent. [1]

Is Professional Goal Setting Easier?

"We've all had so much more time to reflect on where our priorities have lain in the past, and where they should actually lie."

For me, my priorities are spending quality time with the people I love and care about. When it's safe to do so, I'll visit my parents. Not half-working and half-visiting -- I want to be with them and be fully present.

Similarly, when my husband is home again, I'll have clear boundaries around work so that I'm not "sort of" with him while working disjointedly, and feeling frustrated by both.

I'm going to relax more, spent time in nature, laugh more, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.

But Nahdia's research shows that, generally speaking, we are not good at prioritizing genuinely "personal" goals. Only 11 percent of people surveyed set themselves personal goals since COVID began, compared with a still modest 13 percent before the pandemic.

Nahdia said, "Are professional goals easier to set, and stick to, than personal goals? After all, aspirations within our careers are often built on the pre-existing foundations of our companies, and so provide us with a ready-made framework around which we can organize and arrange our ambitions.

"When it comes to our personal lives, goals are harder to set, not least because they are highly specific to us as individuals: blueprints on how best to achieve them are far less readily available."

Another important factor explored by Nahdia and her team was the psychological impact of the pandemic and other stressors. Personal goals for 2021 are considered almost a luxury.

Nahdia said, "For huge swathes of the population, 2020 was about surviving, not thriving. Lots of us felt fortunate and privileged to even remain in employment, and the psychological safety provided by a steady and reliable source of income is difficult to overstate."

Rethinking Goal Setting: What's Really Important?

During our #MTtalk Twitter chat Nahdia and I guided the discussion on resetting our goal setting.

Here are the questions we asked, and a selection of thought-provoking answers from participants in the chat:

Q1. What's the point of setting goals with so much uncertainty around?

@AnuMeera2024 goals bring much-needed structure where nothing is certain. All the more important as it gives a plan or sense of working toward a goal, no matter how small it is. That helps to reduce anxiety of uncertainty or feeling lost.

@SocialSMktg Having something to focus on gives one a sense of stability. We focus on the goal, we change our tactics. Tactics change not the goal.

RossGarnerEW Goals let other people know what we're working on too. They can protect us from getting overwhelmed with new requests.

Q2. How have the events of 2020 influenced your thinking about goal setting?

@comhunicate I now plan on what I can control, and have a very flexible event horizon looking forward.

@Mushcado 2020 (and now) hasn't changed how I view goals at all. If they need to change, change them.

Q3. What are you doing differently regarding your goal setting process for 2021?

@CoachHollyW I'm intentionally setting up small wins toward the beginning of the year, so I can stay motivated, engaged, and continue to gain momentum for the bigger goals I have set toward the end of 2021.

@Mphete_Kwetli Collaboration is key in winning. Plan ahead and reflect on changes, and take chances/opportunity to inspire others.

Q4. Do you ever look back to previous goals in setting goals for the future? Why?

Data collected by @EW_Research highlights that learners were looking at past goals in setting future goals. This has increased hugely: 59 percent pre-COVID to 86 percent during COVID.

@Midgie_MT Yes, I look back to help me to adjust my current goals. Did I aim too high or too low? Did I tackle too many big goals or do I need to focus on fewer big goals?

@J_Stephens_CPA Yes. If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know yourself well. Look at what made you struggle with a goal that you may not have reached. If it's in your control, adjust. If not, consider it in your plan.

Q5. What stops you from setting goals, and what could you do to overcome that?

@NgukaOduor I have never set goals before, since I didn't love me enough. Also, everything seemed so far-fetched since nobody in my family had done so before. Now I learn and want to learn from those who have achieved their goals. Everything is possible.

@lg217 The main reasons that goals are stopped is lack of organization, stress, or not working to your full potential. The best way to stop this is by coming up with a game plan to accomplish your goals and stick with it.

Q6. How can you set goals related to intangible things such as joy, happiness or peace?

@ZalkaB Think of your life and identify areas where you'd like to do more of what makes you happy, where you'd like to experience more peace. Then look at small actions you can apply to change what you're missing. Small changes can make big differences.

@MapDorcas Tricky one, as intangible things are subject to individual perception. I guess by actually enjoying both the means and the end? Not being too prescriptive?

Q7. How much of your personal goal setting is about learning and development?

@llake Off-hand, I'd say it's a thread of 100 percent of every goal. Life is about learning and the growth it brings.

@MicheleDD_MT I am an avid learner, so many of my personal goals focus on learning and development: learning to roll a kayak, trying a new hobby or developing a new skill. It's all learning.

Q8. What would you like from your manager to support you in setting your goals? How critical is their feedback?

@MarkC_Avgi Feedback from managers has always been beneficial, but even more so now when many are working remotely, both from the perspective of the individual and their manager. The loss of in-person contact has had a significant impact on morale and mental health.

@carriemaslen Development plans should be employee owned and manager supported. Lots of ideas that are no cost: shadowing, reading, podcasts etc.

Q9. How have you changed how you set your team's goals for 2021?

@NahdiaKhan Support for managers so that they can support their teams will be vitally important.

@Yolande_MT I think people have realised the value of managing according to output and values, rather than hours. Hopefully they've adjusted their goals accordingly.

Q10. What support or accountability will you put in place to help them progress with their goals?

@JKatzaman Think of goals as content creation where we all need editors. The strongest goals will reflect the review of a trusted partner and coach, who can suggest filling in weak points and keep you from going overboard and into frustration.

@ColfaxInsurance I heard from someone last year that they have an "accountability wall," where they post sticky notes saying what they did to reach a particular goal each day/week/month/etc and then they talk about these milestones at team meetings, and I LOVE it!

Coming Up

Over the past weeks, we've explored and discussed self-care, lessons we've learned, and rethinking our goal setting. In our next #MTtalk chat in the "Reflect, Recover & Reset" series, we'll be talking about building our mental muscle, with guest host, Dr Supriya Dhongde. In our poll this week, we'd like to know what has most helped you to become mentally stronger. To see the poll and cast your vote, please click here.

Useful Resources

In the meantime, here are some resources to help you rethink your goals and adapt to achieve them. (You’ll need to be a Club member or a Corporate licensee to access them all in their entirety.)

Overcoming Fear of Failure

8 Ways to Prioritize Your Professional Development

Building Confidence in Other People

Helping People Take Responsibility

Motivating Yourself

Breaking Bad Habits

Self-Sabotage

Developing Personal Accountability

Managing Your Boundaries

Finding the Right Work-Life Balance

[1] Data taken from: the Learning Health Check with a sample size of n=1123 learning leaders and the Learner Intelligence with a sample size of n=5644 (Pre-COVID), and n=1036 (During COVID) employees.

The post Rethinking Goal Setting -- #MTtalk Roundup appeared first on Mind Tools.

But what if the tables were turned and it was your colleague that slipped up? Would you remind them about their failures? Or tell them that they would have succeeded had they only worked harder?

Unless you're the most unpopular person in the office, chances are the answer is no. Instead, you'd try to make them feel better, offer some perspective, or question why they're wasting their time over something that can't be changed.

So, why do so many of us deny ourselves the same level of compassion that we give to others?

Your Top Tips for Showing Self-Compassion

We wanted to know how you show self-compassion. So, we asked our friends and followers on social media, "How do you show yourself self-compassion when you fall short of your goals or make a mistake?" Here is a selection of your great replies.

What Is, and Is Not, Self-Compassion?

Self-compassion isn't an opportunity to pity yourself or inflate your ego. Instead, it's about caring for yourself in painful moments and guiding yourself to the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether that's with kind words of encouragement, or even just a slice of cake!

According to the author, professor and leading authority on self-compassion, Dr. Kristin Neff, "with self-compassion, we give ourselves the same kindness and care we'd give to a good friend."

Twitter follower Paul Gray, a marketing manager from Scotland, adopts this same technique when he makes mistakes. He said, "I imagine I'm advising someone else if I'm being heavily critical of myself. What advice would I give a friend or colleague in my situation? This then challenges the issue at hand and often takes away the 'big stick' that I'm beating myself with."

On LinkedIn, director and leadership coach Fiona Gifford echoed this sentiment. She believes that in order to be kind to yourself, and look at your failures objectively, you have to "treat yourself as you would a friend."

Watch Your Language

The first step to being kind to yourself is silencing your inner critic.

Often, this voice represents the perfectionist inside of you. But, according to Brighton-based managing director and LinkedIn follower Georgia Rooney, "Perfection is a red herring that stops us from just getting on with it." She recommends Tara Mohr's book, Playing Big, to learn more about how your inner critic affects your ability to achieve your goals.

Many overly self-critical people are compulsively negative. As a result, they often won't notice their inner critic until it's too late. If you're prone to habitual negativity, it may be time to develop your self-awareness.

Our Facebook friend Jordan Williams, an admission counselor from Utah, uses self-awareness to "correct negative self-talk and replace it with affirmations." Positive affirmations are a great way to ditch unhelpful, negative thought processes. But a compassionate, positive outlook doesn't have to be all sunshine and rainbows. It's about making the best of a bad situation.

Have You Set the Bar Too High?

One way you can adopt self-compassion is to ask yourself why you didn't succeed. Your cynical side may try to convince you that you weren't good enough or didn't try hard enough. But perhaps the real reason was that you set the bar too high.

Perfectionists often have a habit of setting themselves outlandish goals with unrealistic deadlines. But no matter how much time and effort you invest, you are only human, and can only do so much.

On Linkedin, CEO Cheryl Clemons asserted that sometimes, good enough is good enough. She said, "Remind yourself that you did your best within that specific set of circumstances, e.g. with the information you had, how you were feeling on the day, and what else you were juggling. Reflect and think about what can improve things for next time, and don't feel shy about sharing your experience with others."

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Louisa‏ suggested shifting your focus from the big picture to small wins. When working toward her own goals, she said, "I remind myself how far I've come and that it really is OK to take small steps toward my goals."

Jo Cook‏, from Surrey in the U.K., highlighted the importance of regularly reviewing your goals: "Remember that goals aren't written in stone. They can, and should, change." In other words, if you're struggling to get the job done, then you may need to reassess your game plan.

A Matter of Perspective

They say time heals all wounds. It can offer perspective and help you to see your blunders as opportunities to learn, rather than moments to forget. 

From all the way across the pond in Cincinnati, our Facebook friend Aaron Spaulding reminds us that "failure and shortcomings are only temporary. As a chronic perfectionist, I often remind myself that perfection doesn't happen overnight. It takes practice and a lot of patience."

On Linkedin, Mind Tools' own Charlotte Buckingham and Suzanne White both said that they see mistakes as lessons. Charlotte asked, "In a year's time, will you be upset over it? If not, try not to let it stress you too much." Suzanne added, "I think mistakes are positive as they create an opportunity to learn and/or change something!"

Twitter follower, Eric Nulens, also uses perspective as a tool to show self-compassion. He said, "I will listen to what I've been criticized about, ask myself what's the reason, and put it in perspective. Most of the time, anything you say or do is almost immediately forgotten by other people."

It's important to remember that you can't change what has already happened. Torturing yourself over past failures will only waste precious time and effort. Instead, use the lessons you've learned to develop yourself and prevent future mistakes.

Turn Self-Compassion Into a Habit

Dr. Neff maintains that self-compassion is a positive habit that requires regular practice and attention. Jo Cook reinforced this point by quoting mindfulness expert Dr. Shauna Shapiro's wise words, "What you practice grows stronger." She went on to say, "If that is a self-critical voice, you'll be awesome at it. I'm trying a compassionate voice."

The post How to Show Self-Compassion – Your Top Tips! appeared first on Mind Tools.

When I spoke to him for our Expert Interview podcast, I asked him to expand on that idea. He said it's all about the "flexible 50 percent."

Flexible and Fixed 50 Percent

"Half of what influences our performance at work we cannot do a darned thing about," he explained. "We call those things the 'fixed 50' – 'fixed' meaning you're not going to do a darned thing about them, so stop worrying about them. But that leaves 50 percent that you can control, and that's the 'flexible 50.’"

The fixed 50 percent is things like our level of intelligence, our core personality, our socioeconomic background and, to some extent, our appearance.

The flexible 50 percent is what we have "complete power over," Effron says – such as our goals, our level of fitness, the strength of our networks, and, perhaps most importantly, our behavior. These are the focus of his eight steps to high performance, and he backs them up with science-based research.

Change What You Can

Step Two, Behave to Perform, digs into the difference between the natural behavior that reflects our personalities, and the behavior that we choose to display. Effron uses a vivid example to show how we can change one, but not the other.

"I compare this to our natural hair, when we wake up in the morning," he says. "It looks different right now than it did first thing in the morning, right? And we do [our hair] because, over the years, we've realized people don't want to see that natural hair. They want to see it slicked back or blown out or whatever we do."

"Use that same comparison of personality to behaviors: personality is your natural hair. It's always going to be there, it's always going to look that way. It's a gift, or a penalty, from your parents. You can't do a darned thing about. But you might also recognize, 'Hey, not every element of my core personality might be wonderful, and I'm going to slick some of that back or blow some of that out, so that it appears to other people to be more attractive.’"

We Decide How We Come Across

"All of us have complete 100 percent control over our behaviors," Effron insists. "People saying things like, 'Oh, that's just who I am. I can't change' – completely untrue. You can change if you want to."

But even if you agree that you can change undesirable behavior, some of us need a bit of support in seeing that through. A coach can really help with this, Effron says. He or she doesn't need to be a professional performance coach. Anyone can give you coaching insight. You just need to ask.

"Most of us are going to have at least one, hopefully more, trusted friends at work. So go to that trusted friend with your goal for the year," he suggests. "You might say, 'Hey, Bobby, I tend to be someone who doesn't speak up a lot in team meetings. I don't really like calling attention to myself – it's kind of embarrassing – but I know I need to show up a little more boldly. I'm going to try doing that over the next month. Would you mind just listening and letting me know at the end of meetings if I’m actually showing up a bit more present in those meetings?’"

Valuable Feedback

The feedback you get from such an appeal can be invaluable. For Effron, our goals are the starting point and the driver for high performance, so it’s not surprising that there’s a lot about setting and achieving goals in his book.

"The science around goal setting and its ability to motivate us is unbelievably powerful and conclusive," he says, adding, "the bigger goals we have, the more we will stretch to achieve those goals."

Who Said We Can't Change?

He offers a four-part process that helps us sift through our potential goals so that we focus our effort on the ones that will deliver the best results. The four parts are align, promise, increase, and frame, and in this clip from our Expert Interview podcast, he explains how that process works.

Listen to the full 30-minute interview in the Mind Tools Club.

What are your tips for achieving high performance? Join the discussion, below!

The post Who Said We Can't Change? appeared first on Mind Tools.

“When you truly study top performers in any field, what sets them apart is not their physical skill; it is how they control their minds."
– Tina Brown, British journalist and author

An Unlikely Champion

The Comrades Marathon is one of South Africa's annual sporting highlights. It's a 56 mile (90 kilometer) ultra marathon that takes place in the middle of our southern hemisphere winter. It owes its name to the many thousands of athletes who, over its 97-year history, have helped their fellow competitors to cross the finish line.

The cutoff time for receiving a medal is 12 hours. Just let that sink in: 12 hours of running! Now imagine running that far, for that long, with a physical disability.

There was one man you couldn't fail to notice in the 2018 race. Xolani Luvuno was allowed to start long before the rest of the field, and it took him longer than 12 hours to complete the distance. But he competed on crutches, because he only has one leg.

That alone is a remarkable story, but it was the finale of an even more extraordinary tale…

A Second Chance to Succeed

Xolani grew up in a poverty-stricken, drug-infested neighborhood. He dropped out of high school at 16 and turned to a life of crime. He became a gangster, notorious for robbing people at knifepoint.

Xolani spent five years in prison and, after his release, he was diagnosed with cancer in his one leg, and had it amputated above the knee.

Homeless, with no qualifications, and with even a life of crime ruled out by his disability, he turned to drugs. He begged during the day, and would "shoot up" at night.

One day a man stopped to chat to the one-legged beggar he saw near his business every day. When the man asked if he was an addict, Xolani denied it, and the man offered him a job.

Two days later, Xolani confessed he was an addict, but that he wanted to recover. He decided to go cold turkey and suffered terrible withdrawal symptoms, but a week later he was "clean." Unfortunately, he started drinking and subsequently lost his job.

Two weeks later, Xolani returned and asked if he could have his job back, without pay, so that he could prove that he was sober and willing to work. The businessman gave him a second chance.

Top Performers Don't All Look the Same

The company that hired Xolani offered their employees financial incentives to run, to boost their health and well-being. The incentives were linked to race distances, and the biggest incentives went to employees who finished the famous Comrades Marathon.

Xolani decided to start training for the Comrades – and he completed it with the owner of the business by his side. But he didn't take his prize money. Instead, he asked his employer to donate it to a school for disabled children.

What Do Top Performers Do Differently?

Xolani wasn't the fastest person in the race. But, in my opinion, he is still a top performer. He had to overcome a deprived upbringing, a terrible reputation, and a criminal history, and he had to beat incredible odds both mentally and physically.

Yet, he went on to become the first person to complete the Comrades Marathon on one leg and two crutches.

During our Twitter chat last Friday, we discussed the topic of what top performers do differently. Here are the questions we asked, and some of the responses:

Q1. How do you define top performance?

@ShereesePubHlth Top performers are not always those who are recognized, but those who give their all. There are the "celebrated at work" and the "work to be celebrated." They're two different things.

@Singh_Vandana Top performance can be defined as that little extra bit which is visible and differentiates one from the average. Someone who is consistent and passionately committed.

@MduduziTNtuli Top performance is defined by the outstanding results achieved in target time, and especially by smart teamwork.

Q2. Why does top performance matter?

@s_narmadhaa Top performance motivates everyone to top the top performance.

@MissionHired Companies say they want top performers because it pushes people and makes them more money. To me, it only matters if it matters to you. If it helps you grow and meet your goals, great! Being a top performer should not be used to make others feel "less than," or pit people against each other.

@GodaraAR It leads an organization to new heights and it’s the mother of all innovation.

Q3. Which characteristics do top performers have in common?

@temekoruns Top performers don't quit during a challenge, always believe in themselves, don't mind giving up sleep to deliver, always prepare and persist.

@Yolande_MT Top performers never stop learning.

@SaifuRizvi They are the restless people. They believe in finding solutions rather than merely talking about problems. They have a strong urge to contribute to projects.

Q4. What role does does being naturally "gifted" play?

@NWarind Being naturally gifted gives you a head start, but a person still has to perform at his/her best.

@BrainBlenderTec Everyone is gifted in something; it’s about finding out what those gifts are and using them to the max.

@sittingpretty61 Being naturally gifted is often subjective, and yet tangible. You contribute a special skill or innate ability which hopefully fulfills a greater quality of life to others.

Q5. How do top performers approach their work?

@carriemaslen Top performers approach their work logically, start with the end in mind, and keep everyone informed.

@MicheleDD_MT They set goals for everything that they do. Standards of quality and results are high. They are efficient and effective – excellent at managing their time and energy. Very focused and passionate about achieving their goals.

Q6. How can being a top performer be a disadvantage?

@K1llustrator By not being able to be there for everyone simultaneously. A top performer has a lot of responsibilities which depend on his/her skills alone.

@dialbanese Many will come to you for help because they know you're reliable. If you don't organize your time properly, this can set you back in your own work or stress you out.

@PG_pmp Many times people have unreasonable expectations of the person.

Q7. What effect do top performers have on other members of a team?

@TwisterKW A double-edged sword, methinks. They can motivate, inspire, mentor… or intimidate, be resented, and demotivate. Though the "effect" is a combination of how they choose to behave and how others perceive/respond/and choose to behave in return.

@Midgie_MT They can help raise the performance for others by being the example, sharing their approaches and strategies.

Q8. What are you willing to do differently from today that will increase your performance?

@PIPability Constantly ask others: "What can I do to help you?" Ask myself: "What one thing, done well, will have the biggest and most positive impact on my job, my co-workers, and my company?"

@nitinwelde Look at what is the metric for assessment. Work towards being the best in each of the metrics. Make a plan to get better in each trait expected and then implement the plan diligently and with determination. Keep fueling the fire in the belly.

Q9. What obstacles do you need to be prepared for while working to become a top performer?

@Jikster2009 Perseverance, resilience, lack of motivation and energy, coping when things don’t go to plan, others trying to sabotage your progress. Mental and physical stresses, too.

@KobusNeethInst You might get impatient if success doesn't come as quickly as you thought it would. Persevere. Keep on. Patience is your friend!

Q10. In what ways could you help someone to become a top performer?

@ZalkaB By supporting, being genuinely happy for their success and achievements. This mindset can not only be encouraging, but helps attract positivity and success for everyone involved.

@SanabriaJav Provide them with guidance, especially on issues where they lack experience.

To read all of the tweets, have a look at the Wakelet collection of this chat.

Coming Up

The good thing about working with people is exactly that: you work with people! But working with people can also be a major challenge. As a manager and a leader, you won't always work with top performers – and in our next #MTtalk Twitter chat we're going to discuss the daily pain points of managing a team. We'd like to know what characteristic, when it's displayed by a team member, is likely to frustrate you the most. Click here to see all of the options and to cast your vote.

Resources

In the meantime, here are some resources that will help you to learn more about becoming a top performer:

Emotional Intelligence
How to Be Conscientious
Prioritization
Personal Goal Setting
Eight Common Goal Setting Mistakes
High-Performance Coaching
Managing High Achievers
Beware the "Cheater's High!"

Members of the Mind Tools Club can also access the full versions of the following articles:

Overcoming Cultural Barriers to Change
The Power of Good Habits
Performance Planning
Pygmalion Motivation
Self-Discipline
Stop - Keep Doing - Start
Coaching With Feedback
Using Well-Formed Outcomes in Goal Setting
Visualization
How to Develop Long-Term Focus

The post What Do Top Performers Do Differently? – #MTtalk Roundup appeared first on Mind Tools.

You have to know how to define your goals, how to create a plan to achieve them, and how to stay the course when the going gets tough.

Chances are, you do have a number of goals that you'd like to achieve, and a date by which you hope to do so. But, in between, there are well-trodden steps that you need to follow. These will help you to stay focused, and to avoid the pitfalls and mistakes that can block your route to success.

For example, it's important to set goals that motivate you. If you don't really value the outcome, or set goals that don't have a high priority in your life, you'll likely lose focus and interest in them. Here at Mind Tools, we are big fans of the SMART Goals model. This is a powerful set of rules for ensuring that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.

But we wanted to know what rules or top tips YOU follow to achieve your goals. So, we put the question to our friends and followers on social media, "How do you stay focused on your goals?" 

Facebook friend Chetan Agarwal, believes the key is to take a bite-size approach to larger aims. He said, "To accomplish my goals, I will break each of them down into smaller action items, and set aside time in my calendar for six months, and follow through on these." Chetan also keeps himself on track with a very motivational tip: rewarding himself for success! He added, "I set up a reward mechanism for myself after I complete each action item, like a bowl of Alfredo sauce pasta."

On Twitter, Mind Tools insider @Midgie_MT argued for the need to be flexible. She said that she makes "weekly reviews of my goals and what progress I have made during the week, so that I may readjust and refocus as necessary to keep progressing."

ZayNb R, an HR specialist from Egypt, offered a three-pronged approach to staying focused. Writing on LinkedIn, she said, "1. Write them down everywhere so I can see them every day. 2. Read at least two articles a day, or watch videos of what I am passionate about, to motivate myself. 3. I try to control my mood to stay focused and enthusiastic about what I am going to do throughout the day."

Also on LinkedIn, Aisha Minhas, a team manager in Manchester, U.K., said, "I have a vision of where I want to be in the next 3/5 years, so I have been understanding what I need to learn to achieve and focus on this. I’m extremely lucky that I have mentors and a good manager who steers me, but I'm someone who is relentless and will keep striving once I know what I need to do."

Daniel Takara, a client performance adviser from Hawaii, said, "I get easily distracted by all the ideas in my head. I've started writing them down and putting an "after this" mental label on them. Some still won't get done, but it makes focusing much easier."

Talent acquisition manager Erica Rogers, from Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S., keeps a monthly schedule to review her progress, and even sets reminders on her phone. She said, "I write the goal and then plan accordingly. If I want to do good deeds, I would need to plan how often each month, who I will do good deeds for, what deed I will do. It's on my calendar each month (in my phone to alert me), I reach out a month ahead to my target. It can work for an entire year, if I have a big picture and set objectives and timelines every month."

Thank you to everyone who contributed ideas and suggestions. If you have any more top tips to share, then please do so, below.

For information on what NOT to do when setting goals, see our article, Eight Common Goal Setting Mistakes, and to find out where you might need help on this issue, take our quiz, How Good Is Your Goal Setting?

The post Your Top Tips for Staying Focused on Your Goals appeared first on Mind Tools.