RAP Challenge Day 6: Combat Goal Drift!

Posted on October 14th, 2009 by Keith Ferrazzi

Welcome to the final day of our Relationship Action Plan Challenge, designed to give you just a small taste of the system I teach at the Relationship Masters Academy, currently enrolling for the March 4 class.

The final piece of the system? RENEW! Today’s challenge helps manage Goal Drift. Reassessing your goals (and the relationships you need to achieve them) over time is essential. Goal drift isn’t necessarily bad; as you devote yourself to outreach, you take in new information, your horizons expand, and as a result, your goals often shift. But that's why it’s important to renew and refine those goals and your Relationship Action Plan on a regular basis - and at least quarterly.

The Renew step is best accomplished with one or several trusted sparring partners – preferably lifeline relationships, but most importantly someone you respect and who will be honest. The idea is to engage in a no-holds-barred discussion of your goals from top to bottom. Are they the right ones? Are they overly ambitious or too tentative? Have you missed someone obvious on your outreach list? Once you’ve sparred with your partner, you should find another two or three and repeat the process. As your thinking develops, you'll amend your strategy.

Today's challenge: Make a date to spar over goals with someone close to you who's interested in doing the same - or just willing to help! Share your goals in writing before the session, so you and your partner have each had time to think and perhaps even research the issues at hand.

Hope you enjoyed the Challenge! I'd love to hear your feedback if you participated in all or any days - what happened?

Today’s challenge has to do with Goal Drift – reassessing your goals (and the relationships you need to achieve them) over time. Goal drift isn’t necessarily bad; as you devote yourself to outreach, you take in new information, your horizons expand, and as a result, your goals often shift. But that's why it’s important to renew and refine those goals and your Relationship Action Plan on a regular basis - and at least quarterly.

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One Response so far | Have Your Say!

  1. Great post Keith. OK, I just noticed yesterday that I'm suffering from goal drift and it just so happens I have a lunch meeting today with someone who I'm looking to for some mentoring. Although I don't have time to swap ideas beforehand, I'm getting right on this by bringing my goals in writing to the meeting.

    Thanks for a timely (for me) post!

    Best,
    Glenn

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