Recently, we addressed setting personal and professional goals for 2010. An essential step is to plan your work and work your plan. First, though, it’s necessary to make sure your goals align with your heart and mind.  Here’s why this is important and my suggestions to achieve it.

“Begin with the End in Mind” is Habit 2 of Stephen Covey’s highly acclaimed The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. Covey says most people cite a lack of discipline to execute as their major obstacle to organizing around priorities, but he disagrees. Instead,

the basic problem is that their priorities have not become deeply planted in their hearts and their minds.

Covey explains,

without a principle center and personal mission statement they don’t have the necessary foundation to sustain their efforts.

What is your purpose?

When I take individuals and teams through my Strategic Team Planning Process, my first question is, “what is your purpose?” This is defined as your fundamental reason for doing what you do. After the usual intellectual responses, I probe deeper. I ask, “What is it about what you do that gets you out of bed in the morning day after day?”

The most profound response was from Dr. Bettye Walker, founder of AMAN Inc., an at-risk youth organization, who answered, “Steve, if we get to these kids early enough they won’t end up dead or in prison.”

Your purpose may not be as dramatic, but there is always intrinsic value in the fruits of your labor, which improves peoples’ lives.

Authentic Happiness

The father of Positive Psychology, Dr. Martin Seligman’s mission is improving normal lives. Seligman suggests that what he calls the Meaningful Life is highest on his scale of happiness.

The two strategies for a Meaningful Life are these:

1. Know and use your character strengths regularly for a greater sense of fulfillment and happiness.
2. Use your character strengths in service of something higher than yourself.

To learn more, view his inspiring TED talk.

You want to use your top five of 24 character strengths regularly in your work. Mine include creativity, judgment and wisdom. My son was happy to learn his top included bravery and valor. You can learn yours by taking the VIA Character strength test.

To have greater success achieving your goals:

1. Be clear about your purpose and your values.
2. Engage your character strengths regularly.
3. Make a positive contribution to others.

These heart-mind alignment steps provide a necessary foundation to sustain your efforts in the year ahead, and making a positive contribution is easier and more valuable than you think.

As Seth Godin says,

In the connected economy we’re rewarded for being generous…. this year, you’ll certainly find that the more you give the more you get.

For best results, temper this with the words of philosopher Harold Whitman:

Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive. Then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

I’d like to hear your thoughts about this.