The interview was great and time flew by. Leon shared his knowledge on such subjects as building customer relationships, making that jump from Technician to Manager, shaving hours off his working day, long-term goal setting, delegation skills, sharing his passion for productivity and, of course, blogging.

Last week, I listened to the interview with Leon again as sometimes when you listen to something the second, third or fourth time, you hear something new. That is the great benefit of audio. As you are listening, your mind wanders and you miss something. Listen again and it is as if you are hearing something completely new each time.

Easy Question To Ask, Difficult Question To Answer

This last time of listening, Leon’s discussion on ‘Long-term Goal Setting’ jumped out for me.

I realised that I had never set long-term goals (i.e. 5 or 10 years away) for myself. Well not seriously anyway.

It is a bit like the question at an interview ‘Where do you want to be in 5 years time?’ An easy question to ask. A hard one to answer.

I think most individuals answer by saying ‘In your position’!

Leon’s passion is sharing his knowledge on productivity, software engineering and company start-ups. Everything Leon does today ensures he is one-step closer to achieving his long-term goals in each of his passions.

That is what gives Leon his energy, his passion, his drive to succeed and why he has been so successful in his short career.

So do you have long-term goals?

Leon suggests he would not be where he is today if he did not set himself long-term goals.

Here are six steps to support you to creating long-term goals:

   1. You need to understand your passions. There is no point in creating a future for yourself, which you are not passionate about.

   1. What are your strengths? You have a far superior chance of succeeding if you use your natural strengths.

Your passion can be different to your strengths. Your passion maybe writing but it just might not come natural to you.

   1. If you are unsure of your real passions and strengths, try out new things. What are you naturally good at? What excites you? What task are you doing when time just flies by?

What task would you love to do and would be willing NOT to receive income for it?

That is a great question isn’t it.

   1. Once you understand your passions and strengths, take your time to set your goals. Once set, see yourself achieving the goal NOW. What does it look like? Does it feel right? Does it excite you? Your answers will know if you have set the right goals.

   1. Once you are happy with your goals, write them down and read them everyday. Also, add to each goal, all the major tasks that you have completed which gets you closer to achieving the goal. By reading them everyday it will help focus you and give you the energy to move towards them

   1. Regularly review your goals – at least quarterly. You can always add to them, change them, and tweak them to meet your new requirements.

Therefore, if you do not have long-term goals, set some time aside over the next few days and follow the six steps. They can make a huge difference to your success and life.