How Successful People Reach Their Goals

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How Successful People Reach Their Goals
(Harvard Business Review, 2014)
http://hbr.org/video/2363646220001/how-successful-people-reach-their-goals
Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not others? If you aren’t sure, you
are far from alone in your confusion. The intuitive answer, that you were born predisposed to certain
talents and lacking in others, is really just one very small piece of the puzzle. If fact, decades of research
on achievement suggest that successful people reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but
more often because of what they do.
Based on my review of the research literature in psychology, here are four tips on how to set and achieve
your goals.
First, get specific about what you want to achieve. Also, think about the specific actions that need to be
taken to reach your goal. Just promising (that) you’ll get better at responding to e-mail is too vague. Be
clear and precise. I’ll acknowledge every e-mail within twenty-four hours leaves no room for doubt about
what you need to do and whether or not you’ve actually done it.
Second, decide where and when you’ll act on your goals. Given how busy most of us are and how many
goals we are juggling at once, it’s not surprising that we routinely miss opportunities to act on a goal. Did
you really have no time to work out today, no chance at any point to return that phone call?
Achieving your goal means grabbing hold of these opportunities before they slip through your fingers.
Again, be as specific as possible. Block out time in your calendar. For instance, you might decide that if
it’s Monday, Wednesday or Friday (that) you’ll spend thirty minutes at 9 am researching new sales leads.
Studies have shown that this kind of planning will help your brain detect and seize that opportunity when
it arises, increasing your chances of success by roughly three hundred percent. Many of us believe that
our intelligence, our personality, our physical aptitudes are fixed, that no matter what we do, we won’t
improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves rather than developing and
acquiring new skills. Try to shift your mindset to a “get-better” mindset instead of holding yourself to
impossible standards of perfection.
Finally, focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do. Research on thought suppression has shown
that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind. For instance, if I tell you not to
think about white bears, then all (that) you’ll wind up thinking about is white bears.
The same holds true when it comes to behaviour. By trying not to engage in a bad habit, our habits get
strengthened instead of broken. If your goal is to overcome a bad habit, like losing your temper at work,
focus on what you’ll do instead.
For example, if you’re trying to gain control of your temper, you might make a plan like, if I’m starting to
feel angry, then I will take three deep breaths to calm down. By using deep breathing as a replacement
for giving in to your anger, your bad habit will get worn away over time until it disappears completely.
Remember, you don’t need to become a different person to become a more successful one. It’s never
what you are, but what you do.
1.
2.
3.
4.
GET SPECIFIC
DECIDE WHEN AND WHERE YOU’LL ACT
SHIFT YOUR MINDSET
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WILL DO, NOT WHAT YOU WON’T (DO)
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Vocabulary
01. in reaching .. goals
02. you are far from alone
03. and lacking in others
04. research on achievement
05. tips
06. on how to set and achieve
à atteindre, réaliser des objectifs
vous êtes loin d’être seul
et manquant d’autres (talents)
la recherche sur les accomplissements, la réussite
conseils
comment fixer et atteindre (vos objectifs)
07. get specific
08. you‘ll get better
09. I’ll acknowledge
10. within 24 hours
11. whether or not
12. you’ll act on your goals
13. given how busy
14. we are juggling at once
15. we routinely miss opportunities
16. to work out
17. no chance at any point
18. means grabbing hold
soyez précis
vous vous améliorerez
j’accuserai réception
dans les 24 heures
si oui ou non
nous jonglons en même temps
nous ratons régulièrement
faire du sport, de l’exercice physique
pas l’occasion à aucun moment
signifie saisir
19. before they slip through your fingers
avant qu’elles ne vous glissent entre les doigts
20. block out time
21. for instance
22. sales leads
23. when it arises
24. by roughly 300%
25. no matter what we do
26. as a result
27. try to shift your mindset
28. a “get-better” mindset
29. instead of holding yourself
30. bears
31. you’ll wind up thinking
32. holds true
33. when it comes
34. get strengthened
35. instead of broken
36. overcome a bad habit
37. like losing your temper
38. take three deep breaths
39. to calm down
40. to give in to anger
41. will get worn away
42. over time
réservez du temps
par exemple
des tuyaux pour vendre
lorsqu’elle se présente
par à peu près 300%
peu importe ce que nous faisons
par conséquent
essayez de changer votre façon de penser
un désir de s’améliorer
au lieu de vous imposer
des ours
vous allez finir par penser
est vrai
quand il s’agit de
se renforcent
au lieu de se casser / se défaire
surmonter, éliminer
comme perdre son sang froid
inspirer 3 fois profondément
se calmer
céder à sa colère, se mettre en colère
sera “usé” = partira petit à petit
avec le temps
vous allez réaliser/exécuter vos objectifs
vu à quel point nous sommes occupés
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How Successful People Reach Their Goals
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
Why have you been so successful in _r______________ some of your _g____________, but not others?
atteindre
objectifs
If you aren’t sure, you are far from alone in your confusion. The intuitive answer, that you were born
predisposed to certain talents and _l__________i_____ others, is really just one very small piece of the
manquant d’(autres)
puzzle. If fact, decades of research on _a___________________suggest that successful people reach
accomplissement, réussite
their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.
Based on my review of the research literature in psychology, here are four _t________ on how to
conseils
_s________ and _a____________ your goal.
fixer
atteindre
First, _g_______s___________ about what you want to achieve. Also, think about the specific actions
soyez précis
that need to be taken to reach your goals. Just promising (that) you’ll _g_______b____________ at
(vous) améliorerez
responding to e-mail is too vague. Be clear and precise. I’ll _a________________ every e-mail
(j’) accuserai réception
_w_____________ twenty-four hours leaves no room for doubt about what you need to do and
dans (les)
_w_____________o____n_______ you’ve actually done it.
si oui ou non
Second, decide where and when you’ll _a________o______ your goals. Given how busy most of us
(vous allez) réaliser / exécuter
are and how many goals we _a______j_________ _a____o________, it’s not surprising that we routinely
jonglons
en même temps
miss opportunities to act on a goal. Did you really have no time to _w______o_____ today, no chance
faire du sport / de l’exercice physique
_a____a_____p_______ to return that phone call?
à aucun moment
Achieving your goal means _g___________h_______o____ these opportunities before they slip through
saisir
your fingers. Again, be as specific as possible. _B_______o_____t________ in your calendar.
réservez
_F______i______________, you might decide that if it’s Monday, Wednesday or Friday (that) you’ll
par exemple
spend thirty minutes at 9 am researching new sales leads.
Studies have shown that this kind of planning will help your brain detect and seize that opportunity when
it _a______________, increasing your chances of success _b______r_____________ three hundred
se présente
par à peu près
percent. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, our physical aptitudes are fixed, that
_w_________________ what we do, we won’t improve. _A_____a_r____________, we focus on goals
peu importe
Par conséquent
that are all about proving ourselves rather than developing and acquiring new skills.
_T_____to_s______your_m_________ to a “get-better” mindset instead of _h________y_____________
Essayez de changer votre façon de penser
to impossible standards of perfection.
(de) vous imposer
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Finally, focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do. Research on thought suppression has shown
that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind. For instance, if I tell you not to
think about white bears, then all (that) you will _w_________u____t_________________ about is white
(vous) allez finir par penser
bears.
The same _h________t_______ _w_______i___c________t____ behaviour. By trying not to engage in
est vrai
quand il s’agit de
a bad habit, our habits _g______s_______________ instead of broken. If your goal is to _o___________
se renforcent
surmonter, éliminer
a bad habit, like _l_________y_______t____________ at work, focus on what you’ll do instead.
perdre votre sang froid
For example, if you’re trying to gain control of your temper, you might make a plan like, if I’m starting to
feel angry, then I will take three _d___________b_____________to _c_________d_______. By using
profondes inspirations
(me) calmer
deep breathing as a replacement for _g__________i__________to your anger, your bad habit will get
céder
worn away _o________t__________ until it disappears completely.
avec le temps
Remember, you don’t need to become a different person to become a more successful one.
It’s never what you are, but what you do.