The goals you set for yourself determine what you will accomplish. Somewhere along the way, you probably learned to set attainable goals for yourself and you may have accomplished a number of these goals. After all, the goals you set were attainable. Unfortunately, too many of us have come to equate attainable goals with mediocre goals. When you set mediocre goals for yourself, you get mediocre results.

In my work with coaching clients, I have observed an interesting phenomenon. When I ask clients what they want for themselves, their typical response is a mediocre goal. How do I know it is a mediocre goal? Usually, the stated goal is preceded by a pause. During this pause, I imagine my client is considering what she really wants and then deciding that is too much. When my client states what she wants, there is usually only slight enthusiasm in her voice, and the stated goal is then followed by a comment, such as, That would be do-able. Now I get the opportunity to ask, What do you really want? Sometimes that question is enough to get my client talking about her true hopes and dreams for herself. However, another response I often hear is something along the lines of, Well, I dont think what I really want is possible, which is then followed by my client listing obstacles that prevent her from living the life she really wants to live. Rather than buy into the justifications for why my client can not have what she truly wants, I invite my client to put aside her notions about what is do-able and ask again, What do you really want?

Thats when coaching becomes exciting! At this point, my client begins to talk about her true hopes and dreams. It is always such a privilege to hear another persons true hopes and dreams for herself. Most of us keep these tucked away deep inside and share these with few people, perhaps because of fears we would be perceived as being arrogant, haughty, lofty, or full of ourselves for even dreaming of such possibilities for our lives. Once a client is talking to me about her true hopes and dreams, then we have something with which to work. By the end of the coaching call, my client will have developed a plan and have identified steps to take in the coming week to make these previously perceived unattainable goals a reality.

How valuable would it be to you if you were able to design the life you really want for yourself, and begin living that life...not some time in the future, but beginning right now? If you take a risk and state what it is you truly want, you are on your way to attaining amazing results!

For a sample coaching exercise to set the highest goals for yourself, visit http://www.tapthepotential.com/goalsettingexercise.html