The following is a guest post by someone I admire a great deal. Michael Hyatt is a writer, a publisher, a speaker, a mentor, and a leader. Here’s his post in support of his AMAZING new book.
I’m convinced that one reason why many people fail at what they try to do (me included sometimes) is that they don’t properly define what they want to achieve.
Let me unpack that a bit…
If you are an author, professional speaker, business owners, entrepreneur, etc. then you need to know what you want to accomplish so that you can plot the proper course. More so than know, you need to write it down. If you don’t, the drift will set in and you’ll wonder aimlessly off the path.
Sounds like common sense right? Well, it is but itÃs so common that most of us miss it.
If you want to build a brand, attract more followers, and gain the attention you think you deserve (and probably do) then defining your goals is an imperative step.
Below are 5 ways to do just that from my friend Michael Hyatt, a top blogger and Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers. The tips are from his brand new book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. It’s really more than a book though, it’s a step-by-step guide to help you do what works in order to be seen and heard. I highly recommend it.
Bonus: To celebrate the launch of the book this week, Michael is giving away $375.98 worth of free Platform bonus content for those who purchase the book between May 21 and May 25. Complete details are available at http://michaelhyatt.com/platform
Five Reasons You Should Define Your Platform Goals
(Adapted Excerpt from Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt)
1. Because it will force you to clarify what you want. Dave Ramsey, author of The Total Money Makeover, helps people who want to become debt-free to be crystal clear on their goals. Every credit card balance, each car loan, every dollar they spendóeverythingómust be written down and tracked constantly. Why? It forces them to be certain about their goals. Ramsey calls it “gazelle intensity.” He got the term from watching a program about how cheetahs stalk gazelles. While the cheetah is the fastest animal on land, it only catches a gazelle about one in nineteen times. “Around our office,” he says, “the counselors can predict who will make it out of debt based on how ‘gazelle-intense’ they are.” Writing down your platform goals can help you clarify what they are so you can become “gazelle intense” about achieving them.
2. Because it will motivate you to take action. Writing your platform goals down is only the beginning. You must execute on your goals. You have to take action. I have found that writing down my goals and reviewing them regularly provokes me to take the next most important action.
3. Because it will provide a filter for other opportunities. The more successful you become, the more you will be deluged with opportunities. In fact, these new opportunities can quickly become distractions that pull you off course. The only antidote I know of is to maintain a list of written goals by which to evaluate these new opportunities.
4. Because it will help you overcome resistance. Every meaningful intention encounters resistance. From the moment you set a goal, you will begin to feel it. But if you focus on the resistance, it will only get stronger. The only way I have found for overcoming this is to focus on the goal. Steven Pressfield’s book Do the Work is must reading on this topic.
5. Because it will enable you to seeóand celebrateóyour progress. Life is hard when you arenÃt seeing progress. You feel like you are going nowhere. But written goals are like mile markers on a highway. They enable you to see how far you have come and how far you need to go. They also provide an opportunity for celebration when you attain them.
Michael Hyatt is the Chairman of Thomas Nelson publishers and a speaker on leadership and much more. Get his amazing new book here.