Goals are Useless; Motivation is a Myth.

Goals are Useless; Motivation is a Myth.

Tomorrow is the first day of the month. Most managers or teams will have you set a goal for the month. Some will break it down to the week, some the day. You will be motivated, ready to do it. It looks easy, do this, and it will happen. Just as surely as 2 + 2 = 4. Easy, or so it looks. How many of us reached our goals last month, last year?

 If Pareto’s Principal is true, 20%. I think that number is high. Pareto was smoking something.

You are not in sales. What was your goal to start the year? Save 10% of your income, lose weight, workout more. Why did you not reach your goal?

Goals and Motivation. Are they a myth or old wives’ tale?

If not, why don’t they work?

Managers, team leads, closers usually set goals and motivate one of two ways.

What is your goal for this month? 8, no let’s set that at 12. Ok, your goal is 12, how are you going to do it?

Ok, Bob your closing rate last month was 25%. You sold ten cars, what is your goal for this month? 12, good choice, now how do you get there? 12/.25 = 48. 48/ 21 working days = 2.3. 2.3 customers per day easy, your goal needs to be bigger. You can sell 12 easily.

Set a goal, showed them how to reach it. Natural right, math is math. Why do most sales people not hit their goals?

Goals and Motivation. Are they a myth or old wives’ tale?

The key is in the decision. Everything we have comes about because of a decision we made.

Each decision affects what you become. We form our decisions, and our decisions form us. There is no escaping this; the smallest choices are important because - over time - their cumulative effect is enormous.

Never overlook the obvious: The nature and direction of your life change the instant you decide what you want to pursue. If you have indeed made the decision, goals and motivation are the paths you take.

Draw a line in the sand, make a conscious decision to step over it. Decide today. What do you want? Once we make that decision, we are a force of nature. Incredible. Make it happen. It is up to you.

Think about it – your decisions represent and express your individuality. You seal your fate with the choices you make. You define yourself by your decisions.

Your dialogue with success is ultimately a solo one. Decisions made must be your own if you are to call your life a success.

Be the ruler of your decisions, do not let them rule you.

Remember, you are always in the right place at the right time if you have the right attitude.

Life is a constant surprise to me. We never know what will happen next, what we will see. What important person will come into our lives or which one we will lose. Life is change. If we are lucky we will find comedy in it. We must be thankful for every moment of every day no matter how flawed.

An open letter to my Dad

Tom,

You were my best friend. I loved that you came to my work and just talked. “Your mom is driving me nuts; can I just sit here for a while.”

Come on back whenever you want.

You stopped and showed me the Cadillac of hitches you bought. I did not know at the time, you would never use it. We towed the jeep up to Soapstone one last time for you. I cracked the grill on the jeep, thought to myself, “when Tom sees this he is going to be mad.”

You allowed Mom to meet Tom again. She never stopped talking about “Tommy”.

Whenever I get discouraged about the world, I think of you. Would what I am doing now make you proud? If not I do not do it.

“As we look back over time
We find ourselves wondering…
Did we remember to thank you enough
For all you have done for us?
For all the times you were by our sides
To help and support us…
To celebrate our successes
To understand our problems
And accept our defeats?
Or for teaching us by your example,
The value of hard work, good judgment,
Courage and integrity?
We wonder if we ever thanked you
For the sacrifices you made.
To let us have the very best?
And for the simple things
Like laughter, smiles and times we shared?
If we have forgotten to show our
Gratitude enough for all the things you did,
We’re thanking you now.
And we are hoping you knew all along,
How much you meant to us.”

Tom, I promise, I will never forget. I live every day to make you proud.