Now is the time of year when we are all looking ahead with hopeful and determined eyes. “This is going to be my year. This is the year that I become my best self.”

We get to be a little selfish and ask ourselves, “What do I want?”

You might be looking at articles on how to set effective goals. These articles are likely telling you the same thing: Make the goal actionable and achievable. Give yourself a deadline. Reverse engineer the steps it will take to get there.

That’s solid advice. However, in the hundreds of articles I’ve seen fly by my screen on this topic, none of them mention a vital element to your goal-creation process.

You’ll read a lot about the when and how of setting your goals. But don’t forget the who.

Arguably, very few goals are accomplished by you and you alone. No person is an island, as the saying goes.

On your journey to success, there are four different types of people you will need. These people are the ones who will aid you in your endeavors. But if you don’t know to look for them, they might just pass you by. So, who are the people who can help you with your personal success?

1. The mentor

As Joseph Cambell famously points out with The Hero’s Journey, all great heroes have a mentor. Luke Skywalker had Yoda. The Karate Kid had Mr. Miyagi. Katniss Everdeen had Haymitch Abernathy.

A mentor is someone who has been there, done that and got the T-shirt. He or she is someone you can turn to, ask questions and get advice. If you want to grow your business, align yourself with someone who has succeeded with a similar business model. If you want to lose weight, you could get a personal trainer or you could reach out to a friend who has already succeeded in his or her weight loss journey.

Identify who has already walked the path you’re on. Build or strengthen a relationship with them. Your mentors will help you achieve your goals in less time than it would take to figure it all out on your own.

2. The mark

In my coaching and speeches, I refer to “a mark” as a shorthand way of saying “the person you want to influence.” A mark is the person you want to hear “yes” from. Everyone has marks. Your husband could be your mark while you convince him to take a vacation at a ski resort. Your co-worker could be a mark while you motivate them during a project.

Your mark is the one who can say “yes” and make your dreams come true, or they could say “no” and all efforts could feel lost. For your goals, who do you need to hear “yes” from? A big-name client? An investor? Your co-founder?

Get clear about your mark. How can you make your idea most appealing to him or her?

3. The sidekick

We all need sidekicks. Batman is better with Robin (or Alfred, depending on how you look at it). Neo needed Trinity. Doctor Who isn’t himself without a companion. (Am I getting too nerdy for you?)

The point is, we all need someone on the sidelines to cheer us on. But if you haven’t identified who will be your supporter for when you hit the bumps in the road, then you won’t know who to turn to when they happen. Identify your sidekicks, reach out to them today and give them appreciation now for being and staying in your corner.

Also, don’t forget to consider sidekick groups. Group settings can be just as empowering. If you’re wanting to lose weight, then become a regular in gym class. If you need to clear out some mental baggage, support groups can be a safe haven for exactly that. If you want to express your artistry, sign up for a weekly painting class.

So who will you bring on your team? Who will keep you accountable?

4. The connector

This is, by far, the most overlooked “who” in the goal-setting process.

You have a goal and you know you need to hear a “yes” from a mark, but you give up when you realize you don’t have direct access to that mark. How can you get a “yes” when you can’t even get a “hello”?

It’s not over yet.

If you run into this realization, then your next question is, “Who do I know who is connected to that person?” Our world is flatter than ever. Our marks are often just a LinkedIn connection away. The connector is the person who can introduce you to your mark. He or she makes the connection so you can make magic happen.

Remember the persuasive process — observe, connect, influence. In this instance, you will go through the process twice — once for the connector and once more for mark.

As you create your goals, remember to include the people who will help you on your climb up. Goal setting isn’t a one-person show. Success is always achieved in numbers.

每年到这个时候，我们都会展望未来，目光中充满了希望和决心。“今年将是属于我的。我将在今年做最好的自己。”

我们开始有点自私地问自己：“我想要什么？”

你可能正在读如何制定有效目标的文章。这些文章肯定会告诉你同一件事：制定可行的、可实现的目标，然后给自己设定一个最终期限，最后再倒推实现这一目标需要采取什么步骤。

是的，这确实是实用的建议。但是，我看过数百篇与这个话题有关的文章，却没有一篇提到制定目标过程中的一个关键要素。

许多文章都会告诉你制定目标的时间和方式。但别忘了一个重要的元素——人。

可以说，很少有目标是靠自己一个人可以实现的。俗话说，没有人是一座孤岛。

在通往成功的路上，你需要四种不同类型的贵人相助。他们将在你努力的过程中提供协助。但如果你不去主动寻找，他们可能会与你擦肩而过。到底哪些人可以帮助我们实现成功呢？

1. 导师

正如约瑟夫•坎贝尔在《英雄的旅程》（The Hero’s Journey）一书中所说的那样，每一位伟大的英雄背后都有一位导师。卢克天行者有尤达大师。功夫小子有宫城先生。凯特尼斯•伊夫狄恩有黑密斯•阿伯纳西。

导师早已经历过一切。你可以向他或她求助，咨询问题和寻求建议。如果你想推动公司发展壮大，那就找一位已经采用类似商业模式获得成功的导师。若想减肥，你可以找一位私人教练，或者已经成功减肥的好友。

寻找你所选择的道路上的先行者。建立或加强与他们的关系。与只靠自己相比，导师可以帮助你用更少的时间实现目标。

2. 目标人物

在培训课程和演讲中，我经常用“目标人物”一词泛指那些“你希望影响的人”。目标人物是你希望得到肯定回答的人。每个人都有目标人物。你在说服丈夫去滑雪胜地度假时，他便是你的目标人物。你在一个项目中激励同事时，同事便是你的目标人物。

目标人物是那些会说“是”并帮助你实现梦想的人，如果他们说“不”，你会感觉所有努力都付诸东流。对于你的目标，你希望听到哪些人的肯定回答？一位大客户？一位投资人？联合创始人？

明确你的目标人物。你如何让自己的想法对他或她产生最大的吸引力？

3. 搭档

人人都需要搭档。蝙蝠侠不仅有罗宾，从其他角度来看，或许还有阿尔弗雷德。尼奥需要崔妮蒂。神秘博士也并非单枪匹马。（我是不是有点像书呆子？）

重点在于，我们都需要有人在身边为我们加油鼓劲。如果你尚未确定，在遇到障碍时，谁将是你的支持者，那么，当你真正遇到障碍时，你将不知道向谁求助。找到自己的搭档，现在就与他们联系，感谢他们一路相伴。

此外，别忘了考虑搭档团队。团队环境可以带来积极的影响。若想减肥，经常参加健身课。若想清除思想上的包袱，支持团体绝对是安全的避风港。若想展示自己的艺术才能，每周去上一节绘画课。

你想让谁加入你的团队？谁将督促你对自己的行为负责？

4. 中间联系人

这是在目标设定过程中最常被忽略的“人物”。

你有一个目标，你知道你需要从目标人物那里得到肯定回答，但你却放弃了，因为你发现自己无法直接接触到目标人物。如果连话都说不上，你如何得到目标人物的肯定回答？

但你的工作不应该就此结束。

如果遇到这种情况，你的下一个问题应该是：“在我认识的人当中，有谁能联系到我的目标人物？”我们的世界已经变得更加扁平化。我们与目标人物之间，可能只差一次LinkedIn上的联系。中间联系人可以将你介绍给目标人物。通过牵线搭桥，他或她可以帮助你创造奇迹。

记住劝说的过程——观察，联系，影响。在这种情况下，你需要重复两次这个过程——一次是对中间联系人，一次是对目标人物。

在创建目标时，务必要将那些能够帮助你实现目标的人考虑在内。目标设定并非一场独角戏。成功往往是多人努力的结果。（财富中文网）

译者：刘进龙/汪皓

审校：任文科