Goal Setting Success for High Achievers

What Drives High Achievers

High achievers are leaders that I characterize as people that are driven to be the absolute best that they can be compared to the norm. They are driven for promotions, success (in everything they do) and usually either recognition, money, or power. In my experience as a coach and mentor over the years, I have discovered that high achievers are incredibly hard on themselves as well!

Why High Achievers Feel Unsuccessful

The high achievers that I work with – including myself – are driven by goals.  They usually have a detailed plan for where they are going and are constantly reviewing progress to their plan.  They usually have a detailed checklist or ‘to-do’ list on the go and love to check things off that are completed!

The problem is that once a high achiever has achieved, they hold up a virtual sign that says: “Next!”  This then causes high achievers to inevitably, down the road, tell me that they have not achieved anything with their lives.  At this point, they are often comparing themselves to other high achievers and saying things like: I will never be as successful as this or that person. 

How then, can anyone who is goal oriented and driven to be the best they can be, recognize where they have come from and what they have achieved? 

Goal Setting Success

In keeping with my own need for high achievement and working from checklists, here is my (list of) advice: 

1. Work from a written plan.  If you write down what you want to achieve, it engages a very powerful part of your brain that is driven to help you be successful. 
2. Is it measurable?   All goals need to have a way to measure that the goal has been achieved, otherwise you will keep working towards perfection and… there is no such thing as perfect.
3. What is the payoff?  This is the BIG IDEA in this blog.  When you determine what it is that you want to achieve, you need to determine what the reward is going to be for success.  The simple idea of a reward keeps you focused on the goal and… it helps you recognize when you have achieved.  It is this simple act of recognition that helps the high achiever recognize that they are moving forward and being successful. 

The reward does not have to be BIG and EXPENSIVE.  Your reward can be something as simple as an ice-cream or a bottle of your favorite wine.  It is all about the reward being the proverbial “You are a Winner!” indicator.   

Robert Murray is a Vancouver, BC based Business Strategy Consultant, #1 Best Selling Author, and International Keynote Speaker. For further advice, insight and inspiration on how to unlock your inner leader, follow Robert on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

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