Day 89: Introduction to Goals

I can begin this article writing about getting in a car without having a destination, shooting a bow and arrow but not having a target, or any of the other hundreds of goal setting analogies, but I am not going to. If you passed the fourth grade, you have probably heard most of these analogies anyway so I won't insult your intelligence. I will get right to the point: proper goal setting is an important part of success. Over the next three lessons you will read about why we need goals, how to set goals, and most important, how to achieve goals. By the end of this three-part article, you will have taken a major step toward your success.

What is a goal? By definition a goal is "the purpose toward which an endeavor is directed". In this sense, everybody has goals. Unfortunately for most people, their goals are as simple as making it through the day or making it home for dinner before six o'clock. In terms of success, I like to define a goal as "an outcome that one strives to achieve by proper planning". There are two main differences between my definition and the dictionary's definition - the words "strive" and "proper planning". For a purpose to be goal, you must exert much effort or energy toward its achievement. In addition, a goal must be consciously planned beforehand in such a way that makes its achievement more possible in your mind, and therefore more probable.

To illustrate the importance of having goals, let's examine why most people do not have goals.

1) Unsure of need for goals. At the very, very least, goals allow you to put conscious effort into taking regular "baby steps" to achieve an outcome. For example, one really does not need to set a goal to go to the store and pick up some bread. This is something that can be easily and immediately done at a subconscious level. However, setting a goal for learning how to make bread would be appropriate because one can't simply just start making bread. There are several steps that must be taken before one can get to the point of actually making the bread like 1) buying a book on bread making, 2) reading it, 3) buying ingredients, etc. It is goal setting that allows one to take these small steps that will eventually lead to the achievement of the goal.

- Creating goals provides your life with purpose and direction
- Having goals allows to you focus on the future when the present seems bleak
- Reviewing your goals can fill you with excitement and motivation

2) Unsure of wants and lack of decision. Too many people wander through life waiting for opportunity to find them. They know they want things like a good job, a nice car, a nice home, love and friendship, but they have never really taken the time to be specific about what they want. They despise being broke, yet they fear success; they love the single life, yet want the security of marriage; they want to do something meaningful, yet cannot seem to get the motivation to do it. This is where the power of focus and decision comes in. If you have trouble deciding on the things you want, remember that most decisions you make today can be changed tomorrow if needed. Flexibility is an extremely important part of goal setting. Without decision, you cannot move forward.

3) Lack of belief in the power of goals. This reason is one of the easiest for me to understand. There are so many goal setting books, tapes, workshops, seminars, and gurus out there who preach goal setting as "the key to success" or the magic bullet to instant financial, spiritual, and emotional success. While I do believe having goals is an important part of success, it won't do much good without applying the many other principles of success described within this course. With authors exaggerating the benefits of goals, it is easy to see how so many become discouraged and lose faith in the power of goals.

A great example of this exaggeration is a story told by many goal setting gurus about a 1953 study done at Yale, where the 3% of the students that had goals did better 20 years later than the other 97% combined. The fact is, goal setting is a powerful step toward the achievement of success; however, like anything else, it is the continual persistence and effort that makes goal setting as powerful as it is.

4) Belief that goals are too rigid. Assuming that you never change your goals this is true, but an important part of goal setting is being flexible and allowing new opportunity to change your goals. Columbus did have a goal... to sail to India. However, a new opportunity arose when he found America. Without his initial goal, he may never have made the discovery he did.

5) Unsure how to set goals. This will be covered in detail in the next article "How To Set Goals".

6) The fear of both failure and success in achieving goals. If this applies to you, review the articles on "The Fear of Failure" and "The Fear of Success". Along the same lines, a common objection to goal setting is, "Focusing on goals that you have not achieved leads to disappointment." The excitement and anticipation of the achievement of a goal is a much more positive thought than focusing on the fact that you have not yet achieved it. True disappointment comes from not having any goals at all.

7) Poor self-image. Believe it or not, many people just do not believe they are worth the effort. If this applies to you, it is best to refer to the article on "Self-Esteem".

A goal is an outcome one strives to achieve by proper planning. It is something one puts conscious effort into taking regular steps to achieve. This systematic process, or formula, makes the impractical practical, the unreachable reachable, and the improbable probable. With clearly defined goals, your chances for success increase significantly.

Day 92: How To Set Goals

There are many goal setting strategies available and, just as expected, some strategies work well for some people, and other strategies work better for other people. I cannot stress enough the importance of using a goal setting strategy that works best for you. This usually requires adapting a general strategy and removing the steps you see little value in and/or adding steps of your own.

I will list all of the goal setting steps that are used to make up the strategy I have found works best. You can either adopt mine as is, or create your own strategy by using some or all of the steps listed below. Have fun with this!

Brainstorm. Before you choose a single goal to set and focus on, use a blank sheet of paper to write down as quickly as possible all the things you want in the following categories: Artistic, Career, Educational, Ethical, Family, Financial, Mental, Physical, Pleasure, Social, Spiritual, and any other. There is no need to include detail here. Once you have created this list, prioritize each of the items on your list. This will allow you to begin immediately focusing on the potential goals that are most important to you.

Goal Setting Steps

1. Identify your goal. Pick the goal you will be setting and write the goal in positive terms as if you have already reached the goal. For example, "I weigh a lean, mean 170 pounds". Make sure your goal is quantifiable, that is, do not simply say "I want to be lean". Write your goal with as much detail as possible at this time while remaining flexible. For example, on your way to purchase a red Ferrari, if you find that you like the silver Ferrari much better, then buy that one.

2. Put your goal through the test by asking questions. Is this really your goal or someone else's goal? Is this goal bold enough? Do you honestly believe you can achieve this goal? If not, why? List the limiting beliefs you have and change your beliefs. Does this goal conflict with any of your other goals? How would you feel 5, 10, 20 and 50 years from now if you never achieved this goal? Would it really matter? Having asked and answered all of these questions about your goal, do you still want this goal?

3. Set a "maturity date" for your goal's achievement. It is important to have both long and short-term goals. Set the exact day that this goal will be achieved.

4. Identify the obstacles you must overcome in order to achieve your goal. Who or what will be an obstacle for you in the process of pursuing this goal? How can you overcome these obstacles?

5. Identify the people, groups and organizations you need to work with in order to achieve your goal. Must you rely on others to meet this goal? Or perhaps with help from others this goal can more easily be met?

6. Identify the skills and knowledge needed to help you achieve your goal. What can you learn that will help you achieve this goal?

7. Ask yourself if you are willing to pay the price in order to enjoy the benefits. A goal is a goal because of the effort it takes to achieve. Is that effort worth it to you? Are you willing to overcome the obstacles, work with the people, and acquire the skills needed to see this goal through? Are you 100% committed to this goal?

8. List benefits of achieving and reasons why you are committed to your goal, and visualize yourself having already achieved the goal. What pain will you experience in your life if you do not achieve this goal? Here you create enough leverage to convince yourself that you must absolutely reach your goal. It is this step where you turn the want into desire.

Repeat the steps above for each of your goals. Once you do this, you will have created a clear strategy to the achievement of your goals. Tomorrow, we will conclude this three-day section on goals with the most important aspect of goals, which is the achievement of them.

Day 93: Achieving Your Goals

By now, you should be absolutely convinced of the importance of having goals and its direct relationship to success. You should have also defined and set at least three goals using some or all of the steps in the goal setting strategy in the previous article. Now it is time to create your plan of action and see your goals through.

Create your plan of action. A plan of action in this sense is essentially a "to do" list. However, the plan of action includes a list of monthly, weekly and most important, daily actions that will bring you closer to your goal. The concept of taking small, daily actions toward the achievement of your goals is, to me, the most important factor in achieving goals. Do your best to find some action that you can do on a daily basis that will bring you closer to your goal. Add, "review goal" or "reevaluate actions based on progress" to your daily, weekly, or monthly action here.

The second part of the plan of action, or to do list, is the list of non-recurring actions. Here you list the action, the date it needs to be done on or by, and the approximate time it will take. You can even implement your plan of action in your existing to do list if you already have one.

Here is an example of our plan of action for weighing a lean, mean 170 pounds:

DAILY: cardio exercise for one hour, eat a light lunch
WEEKLY: weigh myself and take measurements
MONTHLY: reevaluate actions based on progress

Action: lift weights at gym with trainer
Date: Sept 1,3,5,8,10,12,15,17,19,22,24,26
Time: about 1 hour per session.

Follow your action plan like you would follow a written prescription from your doctor (assuming you listen to your doctor). An action plan is worthless unless you honestly plan to follow it.

Without question, you will meet adversity. For some reason, at some time, you will find yourself not as committed to reaching your goals as you were when you first wrote them down. Do not despair, for this is all part of the process. Here are some suggestions to help you stay committed to your goals and follow them through.

- Change what isn't working. Be flexible. If you are not making progress on your goal, or you are not satisfied with the level of progress you are making, change the action steps you are taking to reach your goal. Don't confuse activity with accomplishment. Be sure to reflect on the progress you have made, not on the time or effort you have put into the goal.
- Know when to share your goals with others. Here is a simple rule for when to share your goals with others: share your goal only with those who you feel will be supportive of your goals; otherwise, keep your goals to yourself.
- Don't procrastinate. Your goals have maturity dates and dates associated with action steps for a reason. Practice self-discipline. If you don't have any self-discipline, make getting some your #1 goal.
- Keep motivated. If you are taking this course and have made it this far, this should not be an issue for you. Motivation comes from within so whip some up when you need it.
- Believe in yourself. Millions of people reach their goals every day. Why can't you be one of them?
- Reward yourself. Whenever you reach a goal, celebrate. Treat yourself to something special, give yourself a pat on the back, post it on our forum and let other members know about it, eat a Scooby snack--whatever it takes. Show appreciation for yourself and your commitment.

Goal setting is not easy and achieving your goals is even more challenging. It has been said that you must pay the price for achieving your goals, but the truth is, you enjoy the benefits. You pay the price for not setting goals at all. Set goals in your personal and professional life that will provide your life with purpose and direction. The discipline you learn and character you build from setting and achieving goals is more valuable than the achievement of the goal itself, so enjoy the process and have fun!