A Well-Formed Outcome; Get clear on what you want.

One of the most common reasons why we don't achieve our goals is that we are not really clear on what we want. Follow this model and you will boost your probability of success significantly.

1. State your goal, or outcome, in the positive.

"I want to set up own business" vs. "I want to leave my job"
Each of these statements has a different impact. The first calls you forward and puts your energy and attention on what you want. The second focuses you on what you don't want, which drains your energy.

2. Be sure that what you want is sufficiently within your control.

"I want to communicate clearly and honestly" vs. "I want my spouse to really hear me".

3. Write down your outcome in present tense and sensory specific detail.

"I'm working for people who share my values of 'investing in employees' and 'vitality in work'. My manager is an inspiring role model, by his or her vision, knowledge, and actions. I'm hearing commitment to the people we serve from my work colleagues. I'm feeling an atmosphere of fun and focus. I'm seeing people I work with who are smart, energetic, creative and resourceful, people who really care." vs. "I have fulfilling work."
Notice how the first one is motivating and compelling. The second one falls flat by comparison.

4. Identify, in writing, what evidence will let you know that you have achieved your outcome.

"By December of this year I will be working at a job that excites me so much that I want to leap out of bed to get to work at least 90% of my workdays."

These four steps are the "express" version of the NLP Outcome Thinking model. To make this even more effective, add a Meta-Outcome question to the model. See Meta-Outcome: Get clear on why you want it.

Meta-Outcome: Get clear about why you want it.

Get a clear understanding of your meta-outcome for any dream or goal. "Meta," in the dictionary, means "situated behind." This is a great definition, because situated behind your dream, there is another outcome or dream. For example, suppose you dream of having regular quiet time to yourself, and you never make it happen. Something always gets in the way, or there is always a "higher priority". Discovering your meta-outcome will feed your motivation. There is a magic question that you can use with any dream or goal that will lead you to your meta-outcome.

The question is: "What will that do for me?" So, you start with "What will having regular quiet time do for me?" Suppose the answer is "It will be relaxing." That's ok, but it doesn't pack much punch. So you keep on asking: "And what will being relaxed do for me?" "That will help me be more calm throughout the day." "And what will that do for me?" Imagine that, after asking yourself that question several times, you discover that what you really want is to live your life with a profound sense of peace and trust. (Your own answers will, of course, be different, but you get the idea.) When you get to "the" answer that is right for you, you will feel an internal "clunk". Now, that will motivate you!

As you think about your meta-outcome, there may be more than one way to go about getting it. Now that you know what you really want, you can create a specific action plan and be committed to it. And now, when you get tempted to sacrifice your quiet time for something else, you will remember your meta-outcome.

Back to the first exercise