Why Goalonaries Don’t Exist

By Marjorie Wolter, Ph.D.

Liam was at a breaking point.  Economic pressures at work and home were unrelenting.    He was used to having a clear sense of how to be a winner for his company but the game had changed.  For the first time, Liam hadn’t a clue about how to pull a success out of thin air.  More than well trained, he was disciplined at goal setting and achieving, but the market conditions he depended upon to chart his course had been decimated.  How could he assemble a new roadmap without any landmarks?  What had been a hyper-speed success trajectory felt like it was ready for a nosedive.  Only one thing could alter Liam’s crash and burn mentality: a vision of success in spite of the apparent chaos in his industry.

Periods of invention and periods of crisis are similar in that effectively navigating them employs vision.  These times delineate differences between “goalonaries” and “visionaries.” “Goalonaries” are individuals who progress through, committing to and fulfilling a series of goals, forsaking the big picture and alternative opportunities. Without a visionary’s command of foresight, of prying into the future, goal setters are of no use.  Routinely employed problem solving skills are either no longer meaningful during breakthrough/chaos, or they must be applied from a new perspective.   Visionaries thoroughly comprehend this - thus the designation.  They are not swayed, at least not for long, by what lesser mortals brand as calamity. 

No matter how jazzed up the thinking, only your logical mind is activated when delineating goals.  Vision accesses unadulterated creativity and inspired thought.  It is vital to understand that the essence of vision is uniquely your own, a distinct combination of mind, body and spirit. The results you bring to the table will never be able to be duplicated.  Vision is the manifestation of your unencumbered virtuoso in action and it answers the age-old question: what would you do if you knew you could not fail? 

Accessing authentic vision can be tricky if, as in Liam’s example, he cannot relax.  Coaxing vision out of the shadows of stress calls for the twin strengths of rock solid self-esteem and inner calm.  Here are a few steps on making vision’s appearance a sure thing:

·         Remember a time when you were unquestionably successful in your personal life or business.  It doesn’t matter how or when this happened, just hone in on what that event felt like.  Focus on every detail leading up to and including the moment when your achievement became real.  Spend at least five minutes a day going back to that time and focusing on the sensation of being successful.  When times appear to be getting tough, people often think in circles of negativity etching those patterns in their brains.  There’s no more efficient method for unwinding a downward spiral than anchoring in the absolute truth of personal accomplishment.

·         Think about what you did that got you to victory in the first place.  What internal talents did you employ?  This step requires total self-trust, and reacquainting with long-forgotten talents without judgment.     List them specifically, refer to them in your five-minute sessions (from step #1).  Repetition of this regimen will undoubtedly yield previously unrecognized faculties.   No matter how much you have already achieved, there are multitudes of assets lying dormant within the scope of your intelligence awaiting discovery and your authorization to go to work.  Let them perform for you by continuously adding attributes to your list as they become apparent.

·         When you spend time anchoring on your chosen achievement, breathe deeply.   Deep breathing has a natural calming effect necessary for resurrecting your internal genius and allowing vision to flow.  You will literally be able to sense your body downshifting.   Your genius self knows exactly how to employ circular thinking to fixate on positivity.  You may even ask for vision to send solutions during your sleep that will really get any remnant of conscious doubt out of the way.

·         Keep a pencil and paper, or your favorite note-taking device, close by.  You don’t want to miss a single bit of the information your inner genius is begging to release.  Stay open to being awed at the information vision presents to you because you are always bigger than your circumstances.

·         Repeat step #3 whenever your attitude takes a dive.  This is the cue to use your wings inherent expertise (not a business-y phrase) allowing ONLY a positive outcome to occur.  You will feel better, be more effective, and anchor powerhouse-thinking patterns, as any visionary leader would.

Whatever your position in business, you are, by default, a leader.  Leading one’s self is an essential.  Disciplined personal development unavoidably becomes reflected in professional preeminence.  Take responsibility for that fact, knowing with absolute certainty you have a failsafe operational system for maneuvering through every situation with exponentially paced proficiency.  Relax with the assurance that five minutes a day spent securing a clear vision will systematically generate success.

Read other articles and learn more about Marjorie Wolter, Ph.D.

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