To achieve the goals of your dreams, ask yourself four questions a business coach might ask you.

Imagine a partner whose only intent is to help you maximize your potential—someone knowledgeable and objective, a great listener, who helps you move toward achieving the goals of your dreams.

There may be no personal coach at your beck and call—but you can still make real headway by asking yourself the kinds of questions a business coach might ask you. These questions come courtesy of Kay Cannon, an internationally recognized executive coach and leadership expert.

“What is it I truly want to accomplish?” Do you want to earn more money? Reduce your stress? Make better use of your talents? Be more confident?

“Asking yourself this first question helps you make the connection between that pile of work in front of you and the end purpose it’s going to serve your employer and yourself,” Cannon explains. It’s easy to get caught up in daily details. “You need to think bigger than that, and then link what’s immediately in front of you to that bigger goal.”

“What’s standing in my way?” Once you’ve identified where you want to go, your next task is to identify any obstacles to getting there. Your first inclination might be to list all the external hurdles—your coworkers’ attitudes, the boss’s demands, your endless to-do list. But you have little control over most of those obstacles. Instead, focus on what you can control: who you are and how you react to external challenges.

“Often the challenges we face are rooted in the nooks and crannies of who we are as people,” Cannon explains. “Look inward at what you’re doing or thinking that’s standing in your way and at how you’re investing your time as a result.”

Try to notice an unconscious mindset that may contribute to your behavior, she suggests. One common mindset is the desire to feel that something—anything—has been accomplished by day’s end. This leads many people to tackle their easiest tasks first.

“Unfortunately, they don’t get to those really big, hairy things on the to-do list that will require a lot of time and attention,” says Cannon—important things that could impress an employer and bring job satisfaction.

“What is one action I can take that will help remove that obstacle?” Let’s say your most meaningful goal now is to finish an important project, and a major obstacle is your tendency to focus on easy, less-important tasks. Perhaps the one action with the greatest value in removing this obstacle is simply to close your door for two hours so you can focus on the project.

“What benchmarks will I look for that will indicate I’ve succeeded in overcoming the obstacle?” Your benchmark might be turning that big project in to your boss—or not adding any more unimportant tasks to your to-do list.

The idea is to create a framework for yourself on where you want to go, what’s standing in your way, an what’s the greatest action you can take to overcome the obstacle. This fourth question gives you feedback on whether you’ve been successful.

If you have a chance to work with an actual coach, do so, Cannon stresses. Often, only an objective expert can point out where you are sabotaging your own best efforts.

“If you can’t access a coach,” she adds, “I strongly encourage you to have this conversation with a trusted colleague or coworker—someone who knows you very well and will be very honest with you.”

Polly Turner spoke with executive coach Kay Cannon, M.C.C., president of Kay Cannon Inc. and past president of the International Coach Federation. For a free referral to a credentialed coach, visit www.coachfederation.org.

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