Do You Know Your Goal RPA?

It’s another gorgeous day up here in the snow-covered mountains; I wish I could go out and take a picture for you, but I’ve been in bed for over a week with some kind of icky bug.  Thankfully it’s on the tail end, so hopefully I’ll be in decent enough shape to deliver my next live seminar in Albuquerque tomorrow.  In the meantime, here’s a pic I took out the back door the other day:

 

 

 

 

 

Although many of the seminars and events I do are for private companies, non-profit organizations, churches, educational institutions, etc., I enjoy doing a certain number of complimentary trainings each year that are open to the public.

Speaker motivation goal setting communication leader corporate trainer Lawrence J Clark
Public Speaker, Author, Sales and Persuasion Expert Lawrence J. Clark

For example, here’s a recording of my latest training, “Time Management for Managers and Entrepreneurs: How to Maximize Productivity and Increase Profits.”  It will be available for you to listen through Monday, January 30.

 

 

 

Click here to listen:

https://thecommunicationleader.com/free-business-training-time-management-for-managers-and-entrepreneurs-how-to-maximize-productivity-and-increase-profits/

I hope you enjoy watching this valuable training, and that it helps you to better manage both your personal and professional life. At the end of this post, I’ve also included a brief article I wrote that will help you discover 5 Easy Steps to Setting Your “Goal RPA.”  If you don’t know what a “Goal RPA” is, be sure to read through to the end of this post; you’ll be glad you did.

 

 

My next complimentary live, in-person training, “Guerilla Marketing 101: Free and Low Cost Ways to Publicize Your Business, Maximize Your Exposure, and Increase Your Profits!” will be held at Albuquerque’s South Valley Economic Development Center on Tuesday, January 24 at 4:00 pm. Here’s the link to register:

https://svedc.churchcenteronline.com/registrations/events/49181

My lovely wife, Kristen (who has published over 20 books in the past two years) will help you discover some nifty online marketing tips in our next live, in-person session on Tuesday, February 14, “Online Marketing with Social Media.” And yes, I’ll definitely be taking her out for a romantic Valentine’s dinner afterward!

Register here: https://svedc.churchcenteronline.com/registrations/events/49208

If you miss a live session or the time doesn’t quite fit your schedule or if you don’t live anywhere near Albuquerque, not to worry–each session will also be presented as a live webcast on February 7 (Guerrilla Marketing) and Feb 21 (Social Media Marketing).  There is no charge for attending either the in-person sessions or the webinars, but due to limited seating we request that you register in advance. And if the live webinars don’t match your schedule either, no problem—register anyway and we’ll send you a link to the recording, but be sure to register now before you forget.

To register for the live webcasts, please visit: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7937390213984861955

 

Ok, here’s the article I promised you; put these simple concepts into practice and you’ll suddenly start actually achieving goals you’ve been thinking about for years.

 

“5 Easy Steps to Setting Your Goal RPA”

Lawrence J. Clark, PhD

If you are aiming to live a purpose driven life, one of the most important things that you should learn is how to set clear goals. Undefined goals cannot help you at all with your journey in life, and can actually hinder your progress and even keep you stuck.

In other words, it’s virtually impossible to achieve the goals you want without defining them ahead of time.

The Communication Leader

How to Plan RPA (Realistic, Personalized, and Achievable) Goals

It’s important that you learn how to plan your goals accordingly. Although most people find this part very challenging, it is still necessary to set clear goals in life to achieve success in whatever you are doing.

I have created the following strategies that can help you in setting up clear goals easily.

Check out these five easy goal setting tips:

1. Know what you desire in life.

Even if you feel that your goals are somewhat idealistic and “pie in the sky” dreams, or on the other hand simple enough that you don’t need to plan to achieve them, you should know what you truly desire.

Let’s say, for instance, your goal is to earn more and upgrade your current financial status. You should be clear about the figures and statistics so you can track them. Or, if you are aiming to lose weight, how many pounds are you willing to shred? How many per week or month? For how long?

2. Be detail-oriented.

When I say details, I mean you want to be more specific, as I mentioned in step #1. Setting goals in life doesn’t mean that you will only aim for what you are comfortable in achieving, but how far you are willing to stretch out of your comfort zone to get there.

And again, set specific numbers, such as “I will email 3 new prospects in the next hour” or “I will post 7 social media posts per day for the next 30 days.” Or if contacting people via telephone is uncomfortable for you, step out of your comfort zone in that area as well.

Don’t just think, “I’ll call more people,” but “I’ll call five people per day for the next 5 days.” Soon you will realize that what once made you uncomfortable is now contributing to better relationships and eventually an improved bottom line. Think of it as building a path way to your success. If you want a higher position at work, what position are you aiming for?

3. Write down your goals.

I know, I know, everybody says you should write down your goals, but what is the “WHY” of this step? Well, here it is:

You have a lot of things on your mind, and the world is full of distractions, so the best way to organize these things, so you can keep track of 1) your goals, and 2) your accomplishments along the way, is to write down your goals. You will be able to set clear goals if you can organize them in a chronological manner to achieve what you desire in life.

4. Set incremental goals.

When setting your goals, keep in mind that it’s easier to achieve them if they are broken down into pieces. This makes it easier for you to understand which ones you need to prioritize and do first, then move down the list to less urgent or longer term goals.

For example, each day I create a list of 4 MUST DO items. My “To Do” list is actually much longer, as yours probably is, but I always make sure that these 4 items are completed by the end of the day, and earlier of possible.

The first two items are urgent tasks, such as paying the car insurance bill or attending a specific meeting. Items 3 and 4, though, consist of one mid-range goal (finish this article, for example) which leads to a long-term goal (create enough content in the next 6 months to publish a book).

Your list will be different, of course, but the idea is to include at least two items that will help you reach your mid-range and long-term goals–otherwise, your daily “To-Do” list will be filled with urgent tasks and other people’s agendas that will hinder your from reaching your long-term goals.

5. Replicate the process.

Try this easy 5-step process every day for a couple of weeks, or better yet, for 21 days, as research has shown that if we do anything for 21 days it will become a habit.

Following this plan can help you set up clear goals and achieve success, both now and in the future. If something worked, make note of the steps you took to get there so you can replicate the process again and again in the future.

A Few Final Thoughts

I hope these tips help you in both developing and achieving RPA (Realistic, Personalized, and Achievable) goals in your life. There are many reasons why most people fail in achieving what they want in life, and one of the main reasons is not being able to set clear and realistic goals. With the guidelines above, you should now be able to set your own goals and make your dreams come true!

 

Alrighty, then . . . thanks for reading this far, and I hope you are enjoying the content I provide for you each week.  Please feel free to comment by responding below; yes, I read and respond to every message you send.

To Your Success!

Lawrence J. Clark, PhD

 

Communication Strategies for Educators

Greetings, Fellow Educators!

This page contains some of my own thoughts, and as well as tips and strategies by others, that will help educators to communicate more clearly and effectively with their students and with their colleagues.

Why is this page needed?  Well, to start with, watch the following short video.  Ever had a conversation like this with a student?  My guess is that you have, but how can we avoid (or at least minimize the frequency of) this scene from happening?

ANSWER: by giving clear instructions at the beginning of the semester, both verbally and in writing (on the syllabus, on your course website, etc.).  I actually have my students print out and sign the last page of the syllabus before they are allowed to proceed with the course.  That page contains a statement something like, “I have read, understand, and agree to the terms of this syllabus.” 

I also assign the “I’m Worried About My Grade” video as homework so that students can see what it looks like from the educator’s point of view. Since I began doing so, I have a lot fewer conversations like the one in the video below:

 

I hope this short article and accompanying video are helpful for you in dealing with the increasing number of entitled students in your classes. When I first watched this video, I laughed and cried, then watched it again and laughed and cried some more. But once I started implementing strategies (see above) to minimize this type of attitude and behavior, my classes have run more smoothly, I’ve been less agitated and more fulfilled, and my students have come to realize that THEY must take responsibility for their own education.

Thank you for your dedication to educating our students; remember our future is in their hands!

Lawrence J. Clark, PhD

p.s. Check back often for more valuable tips and strategies!

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