Personal Goals Achievement

A wise man once said that going through life without a purpose is like sailing without a compass, which is the essence of the human need for targets and goals. It is true that there are some people, even successful ones, that do not have clear goals and no foreseen targets and yet they are moderately successful, but the huge difference here is that while some successful people have no goals all the rest of the successful people certainly have a few clear goals.

Why is setting goals important? Well naturally the first thing to say about setting goals is that it is important just so you have a reason to get up in the morning, to start your day and set you going. Most successful people will tell you that a goal puts a lot of drive and ambition into ones life, adding a true feeling of passion about your goals and placing you in a mind set of readiness to achieve and to work hard at it.

Many people do not know how to find their goals, it doesn’t mean that they would never have goals or that they lack the motivation to create a goal from themselves, it is simply a question of imagination and self trust, or self confidence. Try and think of a successful, famous person, the biggest internet entrepreneurs or the space scientists at NASA, they clearly did not have any solid base to create their goals on, they had to imagine how a market will evolve or ? even more simply a goal. When a person wants something, it is clear to him, kids used to say “I want to go to the moon” without considering the chances of actually making it to the moon, this is what they wanted, if you look at things this way you will be surprised to realize that the road to your goal is much more possible than what you first thought it was.

This brings me to the second part, believe, you must believe in yourself and in your goal for it to be a real goal. This is not a lottery ticket that you fill in and forget about it, a goal is something very demanding, you will need to focus on it and passionately involve yourself towards getting it almost every waking minute of your life, and once you achieved one goal you would probably move to a new one, because the moment you start living by goals you will not want to spend your time on anything less great than striving and achieving goals.

When you think of the goal try and imagine it as clearly as you can, the idea is to set clear goals just like walking towards a point in space, imagine that you are in the desert, there is nothing around you, no building no tress or body of water, as you walk you see something in the horizon, it looks like a tower, now you will walk as straight and as directly as you can possibly walk towards that tower ? this is the perfect way to set a goal and start getting it.

One last important thing is that you have to keep working on the goal, finding paths that leads you to reaching it, and monitoring your advancement as you go, do not close your eyes and run towards the goal since you never know what’s on your way, trust your instincts and keep believing in yourself. You will need to work hard to get your goals but the good thing is that if you can dream it, you can make it real, this is the only thing you need to remember.

Goals give you direction in all areas of your life Personal, Career, Spiritual, Material, and Contribution. Goals give you a purpose in life. A reason to get up early in the morning and go to bed late at night. Goals will put drive and passion into your life. Not having goals is similar to sailing a ship across the Atlantic without a map. Goals, like maps, help you get to your destination much faster than sailing though life aimlessly.

HOW DO I SET GOALS?

First you must dream! Dream of everything you want, and have always wanted in every facet of your life. There are no limits.

Ask yourself, What would I attempt to do, if I knew I could not fail? What would I want for my life if I knew I could have it?

Allow yourself to dream like you did as a child. Let your imagination run wild! Brainstorm. Write your ideas down on paper and decide which ones are the most important to you.

Now its is time to define your dream precisely. Which of these goals are most important to you, and why? On a fresh piece of paper, write down one goal at a time. Beside the heading, write down a deadline for achieving that goal. Be sure that the deadline is realistic.

To help achieve the long term goal, set a time line using short term goals. For example, if your long term personal goal is to loose 60 lbs. in one year, set short term goals leading up to the long term goal. In this example you might set short term goal to loose 5 lbs. per month. This is an effective way to evaluating your progress helping you to determine if you have to make changes to your action plan.

THE SECRETS OF ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

1. Make your goals inspirational.

You need to set goals grand enough to challenge yourself. Remember that if you don’t have to push yourself beyond your current limits to reach your goals, you’re not really achieving anything. To truly be successful, and reach your true potential, you must constantly push yourself to move outside of your comfort zone.

2. Define your goals with clarity.

Be precise in what you want. The more clearly defined your goal is, the easier it will be to attain. For example, let’s say you want to buy a house. To say you want to buy a house is not enough. To find a house you’ll really be happy with, you have to specify exactly what you want. Do you want to live in the country or the city? Do you want a two story or a bungalow? Do you want a brick house or a wood house? How many square feet do you want? Do you want a pool? How much can you afford? As you can see there are many questions to ask. The more questions you ask yourself, and are able to answer, the clearer your goal will be. Once you know the exact outcome you want, you will be able to create an action plan that will ensure your success.

3. Write a paragraph.

Write a paragraph or two describing exactly why you absolutely must attain your goal. Write down all the reasons why you are committed to attain your goal. Feel the emotion stir up inside of you. Feel the passion and drive. This will bring the goal to life!

How would you feel one year from now if you were to attain all your goals? How would that make you feel about yourself? Would your feel proud? Would your self-esteem be increased? Would you feel unstoppable? Would you feel more confident in your ability? What results would you get from reaching your goals? Would you have greater job security? Would you be up for a promotion? Would you be earning more money? Would your family and friends be proud of you? How would that make you feel?

4. Write another paragraph!

This paragraph or two should explain what will happen if you don’t attain your goal. How will you feel? What will happen to your lifestyle? Will you be embarrassed? Will you loose self-esteem? Will you loose your job? The more emotion you can put behind the reasons why you must succeed and why you must not fail, the more committed to attaining your goals you will become.

5. Constantly evaluate your progress.

Having an action plan is not enough. The captain in the previous example will have to constantly evaluate his progress in order to be sure he is on target. Unforeseen obstacles are sure to arise, such as a hailstorm, or increased southerly winds. As a result, he may have to increase his speed or guide the boat in a more westerly direction. In other words, notice what is working and what is not. If an approach is not working, don’t waste your time with it. Change your approach.

6. Never lose sight of your goal.

Take the time to review your goals every morning when you get up and every night before you go to bed. This will keep them fresh in your mind. If you think reviewing your goals twice a day is too much to ask, maybe you should reevaluate what it is you want. Ask yourself, How important is it to me that I attain my goals?

7. Don’t procrastinate.

Procrastination is a silent killer. Understand that the only way to achieve your goals is to take action! Knowledge means nothing if you don’t apply it. How many people have you come across with an unbelievable amount of education working a mediocre job? The world is full of people who don’t apply their knowledge. On the other hand, chances are you know of people with less educational background who apply everything they learn. These people are usually the ones who are most successful in all areas of their lives.

Do something right now that will help you to achieve your goals. There is no time like the present! Get the ball rolling. Each step you take brings you one step closer to the life you want. Remember the motto, The road to Someday, leads to the town of Nowhere. Someday is today!

THE BENEFITS OF GOAL SETTING

You will notice an increase in your energy level as you begin to live your life with passion, the passion that having a meaningful goal will give you. You will be in control of your life and the direction you are heading. Your life does not have to be determined by fate alone. With goals, you create your destiny. Goals give you a purpose in life. A reason to get up early and go to bed late.

EVIDENCE

The following are examples of individuals who have achieved their goals. How has it changed their lives and possibly the lives of others?

Mother Teresa

Nelson Mandella

Michael Jordan

Mark McGwire

What goals have you achieved that have changed your life, and possibly the lives of others? Maybe it was,

Education

Relationship

New car

Job interview

Weight loss

Exercise program

Everything you do is a cause set in motion. No matter how small the act may seem, it will ultimately have an effect on your life.

OBSERVATIONS

You will soon notice your mind will become a magnet for attracting any information or opportunity that can help you achieve your goals more rapidly. For example, have you ever played the game, Punch Buggy? If not, it goes something like this. When driving in a car with a friend, the first person to see a Volkswagen “Bug gets to punch the other person in the shoulder while exclaiming the color of the car Punch Buggy Red! Once you begin playing this game, you will be surprised to find how quickly your arm becomes sore! That’s right, all of a sudden you will become a magnet for Volkswagen Bugs! Everywhere you look, you will see one.

The same thing is true of your goals. When you know exactly what you are looking for, it will mysteriously present itself. This is based on the phenomenon that You Get What You Focus On.

Remember to enjoy the ride. This is the key to a successful life. There is little point in only allowing yourself to enjoy life at the point of achieving a goal. If that were the case, think of all the time that would be spent not fully enjoying your life. Learn to happily achieve rather than achieving to be happy. After all, whether you are conscious of it or not, the majority of your time is spent striving to achieve goals. Such as, getting up in the morning, getting to work on time, making time to see a friend of loved one, and so on. Although these goals are pretty exciting, let’s not forget the big ones. The ones we create with passion and drive. The goals that can truly change our lives if we commit to pursuing them.

It’s time to change the way we think and speak about our dreams. Transforming a conversation, just like manifesting a dream, begins by setting an intention. Your intentions will assist you in taking greater control of your life.

A working definition for intention is: “to have in mind a purpose or plan, to direct the mind, to aim”. Lacking intention, we sometimes stray without meaning or direction. But with it, all the forces of the universe can align to make even the most impossible, possible. My intention is to transform the conversation around dreams from fear and doubt, to hope and possibility, followed by action and results.

Some might say this is not the right time to dream. The media and masses say, “It’s time to be realistic.” Consider this. Without our dreams all we have is our present reality. Reality is not a bad thing. We have to know where we are so we can design the appropriate strategy for getting to where we want to be. The challenge is our attitude around “reality” and being “realistic” and what being realistic has cost us. Often that’s our passion and joy, our hopes and dreams.

Given the unknowns and sometimes craziness of life, there’s never been a more important time to dream and setting your intention is the first step. When should you set an intention? You could set an intention every day. Your intention could be to work less and make more, or to find a new career that you are passionate about. It could be to get healthy and physically fit, or to spend more quality time with loved ones or alone. It can be specific and about something in particular or more like a quality, such as to be more relaxed or involved with life.

At seventy, Bessie set an intention to become a world famous photographer. Although many thought she was too old, she didn’t. She entered a photo contest where she won the first prize of $10,000. Her prize-winning photo toured around the world with a Kodak exhibit. She told me, “We’re never too old to make a dream come true.”

People set intentions on all kinds of dreams; to get married or have children, to get a job or make a career change, to write a book, lose weight, or move to a foreign country. When you set an intention and then act on it to demonstrate your commitment, amazing things occur. Intention can also give us fortitude for dealing with tough times.

I am currently rebuilding my home. I simply wanted to add on a new bathroom, but with all the surprises an old (and charming) house can offer, every turn has been a shock, sometimes even a nightmare. It looks like the entire building may need to be rebuilt. My intention is to live through this process with dignity and grace. I am tested daily. It’s often not easy, but this intention has helped me maintain composure, sanity, and on a good day, a sense of humor. Intention can be used for community or social issues, global events or (literally) in your own backyard.

For example:

Before you get out of bed, you can intend to have a fun or productive day.

Before you leave the house, you can intend to have quality time with your family or roommate.

Before you start your car, you can intend to have a safe ride to work.

Before you enter your workplace, you can intend to learn something new or be helpful.

Before the meeting begins, you can intend to be brilliant or calm.

First Steps:

1. Get clear about something you want and write it down.

2. Share your intention with someone in a way that will supportively hold you accountable to taking action.

3. Do something today to demonstrate your commitment to your intention.

4. Acknowledge that you did what you said you would and then, take the next step.

By setting an intention, you make it clear to yourself and others, just what you plan to do. Set an intention to redefine what it means to be serious about your dreams.

Why are there so much stress and unhappiness in the work force? One reason is that 95% of workers never find their niche. Most of them drift through life taking whatever job they can get. Although one can make a living in this manner, it would be much more enjoyable and profitable to find what fits your talents.

The trouble is that many don’t have a clue what they want to do. It is impractical to try every position. The first thing you need to do is evaluate your talents and what is attractive to you. Investigate the abilities needed for the jobs that appeal to you. Talk to people in those jobs to get a feel for them.

Technical schools do a good job training students to do the work, but if that job ever becomes obsolete you would have to start over. A good college education gives a broad enough education that you can change occupations without too much sweat. If you have to continue working, perhaps you could go to night school, get on the job training, or opt for a correspondence course. If you are in a position to afford college, take courses that relate to the jobs you are interested in. Narrow the field so that you can focus on what best fits your talents. Some fields are related and a knowledge of the basics permits you to move from one to the other.

If you can’t go to college, a technical school is the next best thing. The best schools provide hands on experience with what you will be working with, on the job. Correspondence courses give you the facts and may provide kits for some experience. Unfortunately, you sometimes have questions that are difficult to get explained by mail. What you have pondered for months could be explained in a moment in a resident school. Some first go to college and then to a technical school.

You need to do what you have a passion for. Focus on the one thing you want to do and use your energy to learn all you can about it and become an expert. You feel much less stress if you love your work. If you hate your job, it is as if you have lead shoes. If you love it, it’s like you are floating on air. The key to becoming an expert in any field is to find a mentor. You need someone to take you under their wing and show you the ropes. Sometimes a fellow worker who has experience can show you what you are doing wrong and explain what you don’t understand.

You may want to try your hand at an internet business. This has many advantages, but it’s not for everyone. Being the owner of a business means that you are in charge of everything. Some can function in this manner, but many don’t know how to handle a broad scope of authority. In this case you may be better off specializing in one area of work.

Use your imagination. Discover what you have a passion for and reach for the stars. Taking whatever position you can find, is more stressful and much less thrilling, than following your dream. Develop a single chief aim to train for the job you want, and be the best you can be.

Even in January, more and more people forget about the well-meaning resolutions they made on New Year’s to improve their lives.

Here are five tips from my new book, Inside Every Woman, Using the 10 Strengths You Didn’t Know You Had to Get the Career and Life You Want Now, to turn resolution road kill into a thing of the past.

1. Stop being a commitment queen. Eliminate one or two items from your busy schedule to free up time to pursue your passionate interests. Which will they be?

2. Do something even if it’s wrong. Ninety percent of success is showing up. Whether you’re selling an idea, trying to land a new client or learning how to paint, the point is, you have to show up. What idea will you pursue this year?

3. Plan for growth. In life, as in business, when you neglect growth, the passion inside you cools. Plan not only for a bigger house or an updated vehicle, but for inner growth. Try to reinvent yourself on a regular basis. You don’t want to wake up five years from now and greet the same woman in the mirror. You want to see a new person who has transcended former boundaries.

4. Challenge your obstacles. Let go of the notion that you don’t have enough time, energy, money or discipline to do what it takes to succeed. When you challenge that thought you will magically make more things happen.

5. Stick with it and endure. Many women who fail in reaching their goals simply turn back too soon. The path is long and the terrain is tough. When your endurance is tested and you’re tempted to give up, remember this: You will miss not only the gold at the end of the rainbow, but also a wealth of other treats along the way.
Here’s wishing you a Happy New You. And remember: We are women and we can do anything!