Here’s How to Succeed at
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| "A goal is a dream with a deadline." Napoleon Hill |
Whether you like it or not, an objective analysis of your current situation is critical in the process of setting and achieving goals. You should know that:
- It does not matter where you are in life today to get to where you want to go, and
- You must have an awareness of where you are today to develop smart goals to get to your new destination
Why should you set goals? Because:
| "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau |
- Decide what they want to be, do and have
- Take consistent actions to realize their goals from the moment they decide. They do things today rather than postponing it to tomorrow.
So setting and achieving goals starts with deciding what you want.
It requires good amount of thinking to know what it is that you want.
As Henry Ford once said, "Thinking is the hardest part."
This may be one of the reasons why 95% of the world's population doesn’t really set goals.
But let's talk about you. Are you serious about self improvement?
Then, you MUST be willing to spend the time to DREAM the life you desire. So, you should do this ONLY when you have set aside 2-3 hours at a time, in a place where you are alone and not disturbed by anyone or anything. This whole process may take you few days or even a week, but you already know the importance of time management, right?
Before you start, let’s review seven goal setting guidelines:
1. Ensure your goals are in line with your values, or else you will fall short of them. For example, you may think that to provide a safe and secure home for your family, you need a high-paying corporate job; but this might get in conflict with your core value of living in nature.
2. In setting and achieving goals, break them down into little achievable steps. If your goal is to climb Mount Everest, it is foolhardy to think you can immediately go into high-risk, high altitude mountain-climbing without extensive training; you risk damaging your self confidence.
3. Write down your goals clearly and frame them in the positive. Be as detailed as you can be to activate the secret Law of Attraction. Say them out loud at the start of each day.
4. Develop a system of accountability. Share the process of setting and achieving goals with a life coach or a very close friend. They are to ensure that you accomplish your goals within the time frame that you have established. Some flexibility is required, but you never lose sight of the overall goal.
5. Establish goals over short, medium and long-term to keep yourself motivated. Short-term goals are the little steps that you take to achieve the medium term goals. For example, if your long-term goal is to earn another degree, your short-term goals are to attend classes, and your medium term goal is to pass your exams.
6. Track your goals. Frequent goal tracking is just as crucial as setting and achieving goals. When you are making a decision, ask yourself if a path will take you closer to or deviate you away from your desired goals - that really simplifies a lot the decision making!
7. Don’t spread yourself too thinly - pick the goals most important to you and work on those first. A selective focus enables you to harness your energy with laser-sharp precision and cut through any mental or emotional clutter that may stand in the way.
Goal setting activity is meant to be fun. If you start out with an attitude that it is difficult and tiresome, then you have lost even before you have begun. Just remember, your emotional intelligence accounts for 80-90% of your success, so make the best of it.
Finally, make sure you think big in setting and achieving goals...
| "If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's OK. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot." Robert Townsend |
The following 5-step goal setting process will guide you in setting goals that are worthy of you.
^Top^ Setting and Achieving Goals
STEP 1: Preliminary Goal Setting Activity >>
