Symptoms of overwhelm can be physical (nail biting, clumsiness, neck ache); psychological (forgetfulness, rudeness, defensiveness); social (poor hygiene, inadequate boundaries); or spiritual (loss of sense of purpose, unsure of what’s important).

Its triggers are just as individual: a deadline, a certain tone of voice, change.

Noticing these symptoms and triggers is like setting off the two-minute warning buzzer—giving you time to implement your proven intervention techniques.

The Strategies

Write down all the nurturing things you can think of to do when overwhelm begins to visit. They’ll help you reconnect with yourself, to re-collect and re-focus your energy inside. Keep a copy with you and one at home. When you begin to notice your particular symptoms and/or triggers, use the list to remind yourself of things that have worked in the past. Here are just a few suggestions. Be as creative as you want.

• Breathe. Remember the breath’s metaphor: Let in; let go.

• Wrap up in a blanket. Cuddle a doll.

• Dance alone, with or without music. Let your body lead the way.

• Listen to violin, cello or piano music. Let the music elicit tears.

• Light a candle. Maybe it’s one small candle at your work desk or lots of candles around your house.

• Watch a funny video. Laughter has a positive effect on brain chemistry.

• Ask for help. It’s a gift that allows others the opportunity to give.

• Go for a walk. Exercise increases adrenaline and endorphins, the body’s natural antidepressants.

• Lie on the grass outside (weather permitting!). Connect with the earth’s regenerating powers.

• Go to your room—or your car—and sing to yourself. Or hum quietly as you work.

In Thursday’s post I will share some practices you can adopt to get you through overwhelm. Stay tuned!

And to continue the discussion started on Tuesday…

Try Intentions Instead

If you’re still having trouble setting goals, you might want to try a different approach. Recent brain research suggests that it’s not so much the goal itself, but the intention that gets us where we want to go. Some people feel goals push us (requiring unsustainable effort) while intentions pull us (they’re more efficient and effective).

Goals use ‘‘numbers” (pounds lost, sales made, products developed). Intentions bring to light what is personally fulfilling.

Intention allows us to visualize ourselves (and how we’ll feel) when we’re successful. It eliminates the “failure” option often associated with the goal achievement process.

How to State an Intention

If the goal is “five new clients by next month” ask yourself, “What will my business be like with those new clients? How will I feel?”

Now, state your intention in the present tense. “My business will be prosperous,” becomes: “My business is prosperous.” And “I will feel successful” becomes “I feel successful.”

Attaining new clients means feeling empowered, confident, proud and successful. You focus on the feelings rather than the numbers to welcome and gauge your success.

Whether goal setting or intention setting one thing is clear—success isn’t achieved by accident. Planning ahead is what successful people have always done to get what they want out of life.

Athletes set goals to win competitions. Students set goals to graduate. Business owners set goals to increase revenue.

From everyday “to-do” lists to New Year’s Resolutions, goal setting is part of the human experience. People have always needed something to strive for—something upon which to focus energy and effort.

So, if goal setting is so ingrained in our nature, why are most people so bad at it? Perhaps it’s the way we approach it. Try the following ideas to gain a fresh perspective on setting your goals.

How to Get Better at Setting (and Reaching) Goals 

Size matters. Too many big goals can overwhelm. Incorporating the “half marathon approach” (starting small) helps “build the muscles” necessary for bigger challenges. Try limiting big-ticket goals to one or two.

Make it personal. Asking yourself “Why do I want this?” “How will I feel?” “What will it mean to me?” personalizes goals, making them easier to achieve.

Sharpen your pencil. When written down, priorities get clear. If the goals aren’t worth the time or effort to record, maybe they’re not worth the time and effort of achieving.

Create an environment. A physical environment can remind you how daily tasks add up to achieving longer-term goals. Use posters or a computer calendar to create visual reminders.

Stay on course. Even Columbus referred to his maps more than once per journey. Periodic checking of progress allows for re-charting the course or timeline.

Put it on the line. Sharing goals in public (family, friends, co-workers) means public accountability. Pride can be a great motivator.

Get help. Success is always easier to find with support. Talking to people about business and personal goals gets them on board with morale and tangible support.

Thursday’s post will discuss Intentions as another approach to setting goals. Stay tuned!

And to continue the discussion started on Tuesday…

For large firms, coaching consultancy MetrixGlobal suggests seven critical steps for measuring ROI from a coaching engagement:

1. Set objectives for the coaching session that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time bound. Establish a benchmark for performance from existing appraisals and reviews.
2. Ensure that coaching objectives flow from overall project objectives and/or business objectives.
3. Communicate the methodology for measuring the monetary value of the coaching program before the program begins.
4. Identify the opportunity costs of the client’s time for participating in coaching.
5. Capture the monetary value of the coaching in tandem with the intangible value.
6. Validate the calculation with the managers being coached.
7. Communicate the results of the coaching program to key stakeholders in the organization.

Smaller firms, on the other hand, often cannot spend the time and effort to achieve the same level of measurement precision. In that case, there are several steps they can take to come up with quantifiable measures, if not quite ROI metrics. Among them are:

• 360-degree surveys
• Climate surveys within the organization
• Employee performance metrics
• Customer surveys