“Start at the target and work backwards” This is the mantra the instructors at MAWTS-1 drilled into my head as a student going through the Weapons and Tactics Instructors course.  We were continually admonished to first analyze the target itself – what kind of munition needed to be used against it.  Is the target hard, soft, or underground?  What is the terrain like around the target; is it defended by anti-aircraft batteries?  From there you move into what route are you going to take to the target; what is the terrain like?  Is there a way to avoid detection?  Then you think about your fuel numbers, the time it takes to get there, and the list goes on.  But the bottom line is that in order to successfully accomplish the mission, you need to start from the objective and then plan backwards.  In many ways, the goals we make are just like target attacks:  we have to start with the objective itself and move backwards, taking into account the steps needed to reach our goal.

This time of year is a natural time for setting goals we hope to accomplish in the New Year. Unfortunately, according to Forbes, only about 8% of those who set goals actually accomplish them.  What a depressing fact!  There has to be something we can do to assist us in achieving our goals.  Well, I think there is, and I think it is just like conducting a target attack – we have to start from the target and work backwards.

First – Let’s define the goal.  The goal can’t be too easy, or we really don’t feel accomplished when we reach it.  It can’t be too hard, or we will lose motivation and quit.  The goal has to be right there in the center – in a place where we are stretched but not broken.  For example: I love to run.  As I set my goals for the year in regard to running, I can’t simply say that my goal is to run a 50K, I have already done that, and doing so again would not be that significant.  Similarly, I shouldn’t set a goal of winning the Western States.  What lies in the middle is a goal of a 50 miler – it is a build upon my last accomplishment and is a mileage I have never run before, thus it will stretch me.

Second – Let’s plan backwards.  If I am going to run a 50 miler, I need to have a plan.  I need to determine my training schedule and schedule out each day with the mileage I need to accomplish.  In this manner, each day becomes a goal.  Each day that I run the required number of miles, I enjoy the sense of satisfaction each run brings.  I also know that to accomplish a run like this I will need good shoes, socks, portable water bottles, running shorts and shirts.  I space out the purchase of each of these needed items to reward myself for the training and to make the upcoming accomplished goal that much more of a reality.

Third – Visualize the end state.   What is the finish of the race going to feel like, what will I see, smell, etc?  According to Sports Psychology Today, “your performance is often the result of what’s happening inside your head, or more specifically, the movies and soundtracks playing in your head.”  Visualizing the accomplishing of our goals is a powerful tool.  So, as we move toward the attainment of our goal, take the time to visualize what it will look and feel like when you reach the goal.

Goals are an awesome way to push ourselves beyond our own self-imposed limitations and reach the joy of self and organizational achievement.  So this year, let’s not just make a goal, but really have a plan to accomplish it.  Let’s start from the target and work backwards.