How to achieve your goals with a single page | Sarah Glova | TEDxShawUniversity

Summary

Dr. Sarah Globa shares an insightful approach to achieving big goals using a simple, single-page plan. She emphasizes the importance of defining a specific, personal goal, identifying key actions, setting deadlines, and leveraging community support. Drawing on years of experience interviewing successful individuals, she highlights a common pattern among high achievers—focusing on priority tasks that push them forward. Globa encourages the audience to keep their plan concise and actionable, believing that a clear, focused strategy will help more people turn their ambitions into reality.

Takeaways

• 📄 Keep your goal-setting simple, even big goals like becoming president can be planned on a single page.
• 🎯 The key to success is having a specific goal that is unique to you, making sure it is something only you can own.
• 📝 Write down your goal, the reason behind it, your unique strengths, and a timeline for completion.
• 🚀 Focus on priority actions, not just the easy tasks, to make real progress on your goal.
• 📅 Set clear deadlines and milestones that will help you move the needle on your goals.
• 📞 Community is essential: Identify the people who can support you when you get stuck.
• 🧠 Think about the people who have been where you want to go and expand your network to include them.
• ⚡ Keep your plan simple and focused to cut through the noise and distractions of life.
• 💡 The single-page plan helps maintain clarity and focus, especially in a busy world.
• 🌍 The speaker believes that when people achieve their goals, the world becomes a better place.

Q & A

What is the main concept the speaker is discussing in the transcript?

The speaker is discussing the idea of creating a simple, single-page plan to achieve big goals, arguing that even the most ambitious goals can be broken down into manageable steps on a single sheet of paper.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of keeping the plan on a single page?

The speaker emphasizes the single-page plan to encourage clarity, focus, and simplicity. In today's fast-paced, busy world, having something small and concise helps keep the goal front and center, making it easier to take action.

What does the speaker suggest as the first step in creating the single-page plan?

The first step is to write down the specific goal, making sure it is highly personalized and unique to the individual, so that no one else could simply trade their sheet of paper. The goal should be specific enough to include why the person wants to achieve it and what strengths they can leverage to reach it.

What problem does the speaker identify that people often face when working toward their goals?

The speaker identifies that people often get stuck in the planning phase, setting up small tasks like 'tweaking resumes' instead of taking big, risky actions that truly move the goal forward. They often mistake planning for progress.

How does the speaker suggest overcoming the tendency to get stuck in planning?

The speaker suggests writing down key deadlines and milestones on the single-page plan. These milestones should focus on priority actions that move the needle forward, even if they feel risky or uncomfortable.

What is the role of community in the speaker's single-page plan?

Community plays a crucial role in the single-page plan. The speaker encourages identifying people who can help when one gets stuck, as well as thinking about who might be needed in the future to navigate new challenges. Building a strong support network is vital for achieving big goals.

Why does the speaker highlight the need for community when pursuing a goal?

The speaker highlights community because when working on something new or challenging, it’s inevitable that one will encounter obstacles. Having a support network helps overcome these challenges, and tapping into the experience of others who have been through similar situations can provide valuable guidance.

What mindset does the speaker encourage when taking big, risky actions?

The speaker encourages a mindset of resilience and learning. Even if a person fails or falls short after taking a risky action, they will learn from the experience and be better prepared for future actions. Failure is framed as part of the learning process.

How does the speaker define the difference between 'working on' a goal and 'working around' a goal?

The speaker defines 'working on' a goal as taking direct, impactful actions that move the goal forward, while 'working around' a goal involves staying in the safe, comfortable planning phase without making real progress.

What is the ultimate message the speaker wants the audience to take away from the single-page plan?

The ultimate message is that having a clear, simple, single-page plan helps focus efforts on big goals, making them more achievable. The speaker believes that if more people followed this method, they would be more likely to reach their goals, ultimately making the world a better place.