What Am I Trying To Achieve?

By
Jun 22 3

Part of the Ask Yourself, Improve Yourself Series

Question Usage

  1. Asking yourself “What Am I Trying To Achieve?” is particularly powerful just prior to going into a meeting to focus your mind on what you need the outcome to be.  Get specific and only aim to come up with three things maximum, one is fine.
  2. You can also use this question where you sense that a discussion is wandering away from where you need it to go so you can ask yourself “What am I trying to achieve?” which will refocus your mind on the goal.
  3. If you find yourself daydreaming, then ask yourself this question and you will refocus and take 1 more step closer to your goal.
  4. If you are stuck on a problem or spending longer than expected on something
This question is an ideal question to get your conscious and subconscious brain working together on the same goal.  It will keep you focused on your own goals in life.

How to embed this question in your mind

This is such a powerful question and tool that it is well worth embedding in your mind so you can use it regularly.  All successful people are focused and with this question, you can push yourself to the point of being focused and driven.  Let’s face it, driven people get places and driven, focused people get where they want to go.

Embed by using this question daily for a month (quite achievable) then it will automatically embed.  Alternately, picture a situation and an emotion when you should have used this question.  Then relive it with a physical movement saying “What am I trying to achieve 3 times.

For example, Picture yourself in a meeting where the discussion is off-topic and you are getting frustrated.  Allow yourself to feel frustrated now clench your fist and bang it on the table asking “What am I trying to achieve” 3 times.

Question heritage

This question was given to me by a mentor who’s role straddled upper-managerial, sales/marketing and technical and lives the concept of next meeting, next goal.

Additional Thoughts

There is one thing I add to stretch myself when I ask this question.  I aim to simultaneously ask the question in 2 time frames.

IE

  1. What am I trying to achieve in the next 12 months ? (long-term, specific)
  2. What am I trying to achieve now? (Immediate, specific)

 

Stay focused,

Ramon

Tags: , Categories: Life, Productivity, Psychology
  • Wrench50
  • http://www.lifestyleupdated.com/ Slavko@LifestyleUpdated

    I personally prefer to try and see the picture forming down the road. That way seeing the results in my head forces me to apply whatever change required now in order to keep or completely erase the picture forming. This also plays on your subconscious mind in a way that you will be driven more and more towards what you like to see in your vision of the future.

  • http://www.thoughtful-self-improvement.com/ Natalie

    What a great question to focus your thoughts! It’s much better than the one I’ve been using. “What’s the best use of my time?”

    I’ve been in meetings, and even held meetings myself where I couldn’t have given a clear answer to your quest without a lot of thinking first.

    Thanks!