The Goal Ahead (Oct 25, 2009)
If our current challenges seemed insurmountable, look ahead toward where we are going. Keep ourselves focused on the goal at the end of the road, and we'll find the strength to move steadily down that road.
There is no secret in achieving success in life. The very first step is to define what we want in life and proceed to achieve it. I believe in planning. All the successes of our life depend very much on the combination of plan, direction and belief.
When we have no concrete goals, life just seems to pass by without a ripple. During this phase of our lives we may be feeling somewhat free, yet empty at the same time. Once we start setting up clear, defined and passionate goals, we will likewise come to acknowledge that we – and we alone – are now fully responsible for our life.
Many of us dream about where we want to go, but we do not have a map to get there. We do not have clear, precise, written down objectives backed up by a clear and concise plan to get there. Goal is just like a map that we can rely on to show us direction to our destination.
Imagine this, your car is packed and you are ready to do your first ever Cross-China trip. It is the dream of your lifetime. The trip will take you from Beijing in the north to Xishuangbanna in the south of Yunnan province, from the surrealistic landscape of Guilin to the Dalai Lama’s palace in Tibet and then up through Xin Jiang.
You get into the car, engage the gear, press on the accelerator and off you go. The first stop is at the ancient caves and Buddha Statue near Datong about 5 hours drive west of Beijing. After shooting several photos with your new Canon D5 Digital Camera and a good night’s sleep you are off the next morning at sunrise. A little while into the morning you need to check the map because you have reached an intersection and you are uncertain which way you should go. You search frantically for it and then realize that you have forgotten to bring the map along. At this point of time you try to convince yourself that you can reach your destination because you know where you want to go. By following your instinct, you may decide to take a right turn or a left turn or go straight. Needless to say you will never reach your destination this way.
I believe majority of people would treat goal setting the same way. We dream about where we want to go, but we do not have a map to guide us to get there. We do not have clear, precise, written objectives backed up by a clear and concise plan.
So what is the difference between a dream or a wish and a goal? A wish or a dream is vague, fuzzy and an in-descript mental pictures of something. It is a fantasy, a someday I will but that some day will rarely arrive!
Setting goals however is more than simply scribbling down ideas on a piece of paper. It needs to be complete and precise much like a map, in writing and backed by a specific detailed plan of action. Goal setting and planning can be fun and easy. It may look difficult but not necessarily so. The answer to the question: “How do we eat an elephant?” is simply “One piece at a time!” We can break down the plan into simple and manageable steps which are easier to achieve. In fact we may find that writing goals down will give us some results.
In order to make goal setting a pleasure rather than a pain, it helps to try taking some outrageous but fun risks. Move out of our comfort zone and apply some proven techniques, you will be surprised that you can attain the desired results with considerably less efforts.
We must first understand that goal setting should not mean hard work; it should mean enjoying ourselves as we turn our vision into realty. Getting what we really want should create enthusiasm and energy, not resistance and negativity.
If we find ourselves faced with goal setting resistance, make a self examination to make sure that we really want the goal. Sometimes, the best approach is the willingness to make another approach. Give ourselves some options. Don't become so focused on the process that we fail to reach the goal. If what we're doing is not working, have the honesty and confidence to re-evaluate and adjust our approach.
I always use a journal to keep track of my goals journey. We may keep daily or weekly records of our progress including affirmations, successes, appreciations for our hard work, rewards, resistances, obstacles, etc. There are a number of paper products and digital media for keeping these records such as notebooks, planners or professional goal tracking software. Develop consistent habits of writing down our thoughts and goal progress. They will propel us forward at a faster pace. Use color pens and have fun! There are many ways we can put our goals on our computer. Scan an inspirational poster or picture into our computer, convert it to a bitmap and use it as wallpaper. We can create a screensaver with our scanned images or just put up a digital “post it” with our goals list. Try sending ourselves an encouraging email. We can also create our own custom posters, personal stickers and printouts using a graphics program.
Often in life, the comfort zone we are in can work against our desire to reach our goals because it holds us in place instead of pushing us forward. Our comfort zone is what makes up most of our life, all the things are familiar to us and we already know how to do them well with all the habits and reliable experiences we’re used to having. To avoid the tendency to stay within our comfort zone, we need to be conscious of our actions and thoughts.
Learn to be honest with ourselves about our progress and whether the goal is still appropriate. If it is, does it need any changes? Are we following through and taking consistent actions? Have the courage to admit our blind spots and be humble. Sometimes we may need to change a belief or habit.
Goals fall into varying time periods such as immediate goals, 30 day goals, 6 month goals, 1 year goals, 5-years, 10-years or longer. Make sure we can accomplish what we want within the time frame we have set.
Learn to practise the3 “R’s” - Review, Reevaluate, and Rewrite. We review our goals regularly and write the steps for the day on your “to do list”. Reevaluate and rewrite our main goals every three to six months. Because things change, we may find that what we wanted a few months ago is not exactly what we want now. Be sure to reevaluate sub-goals, steps and strategies.
In order for us to have effective goal statements, we can learn to use motivating language. To get ourselves passionate, committed and motivated, add emotional language to our written goals. Here’s an example “I absolutely love and am excited about my beautiful new home in the hills” which is much more passionate than “I like my new home in the hills”. We can learn to say it as if it’s already happened. When writing our goal, say it like it has already happened. Put our goals in words and picture that we already have achieved them. For example, “I now have new black E200 Mercedes Benz.” Write specifically and in details, because our sub consciousness manifests things literally, we must write specific detailed goals. Use language that is clear in describing exactly what we want. Write in positive terms rather than negative ones. Examples of positive statements might be: “I am now free of the habit of smoking”, or “I am now a smoke free person”. Negative examples might be: “I don’t smoke anymore” or “I’m not a smoker”.
We start with what we have got right where we are. We must believe that, no matter where and what our current set of situation is, we can reach where we want to be from where we are! In a magazine that I read, the late great Earle Nightingale said,” your problem is to bridge the gap between where we are now and the goals we intent to reach.” It is totally true that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. A statement quoted by Martin Luther King Jr., “Take the first step in faith. You do not have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”
People with clear, specific goals backed by clear and specific action plans, and who know exactly where they are going are among the elites on this planet. They are clearly different from the masses who drift aimlessly through life as if their destiny is pre-planned and they can only hope that things will work out for them.
Always remember, we are never too old or too young, too rich or too poor, to direct the energy of our life toward a compelling objective. Life is about making a difference, and that’s something we can do no matter what our circumstances may be. There is somewhere we truly wish to go, something that we sincerely desire to achieve right at this very moment. Take the time to find it out, commit ourselves to it, and make the efforts to make it happen!
There is no secret in achieving success in life. The very first step is to define what we want in life and proceed to achieve it. I believe in planning. All the successes of our life depend very much on the combination of plan, direction and belief.
When we have no concrete goals, life just seems to pass by without a ripple. During this phase of our lives we may be feeling somewhat free, yet empty at the same time. Once we start setting up clear, defined and passionate goals, we will likewise come to acknowledge that we – and we alone – are now fully responsible for our life.
Many of us dream about where we want to go, but we do not have a map to get there. We do not have clear, precise, written down objectives backed up by a clear and concise plan to get there. Goal is just like a map that we can rely on to show us direction to our destination.
Imagine this, your car is packed and you are ready to do your first ever Cross-China trip. It is the dream of your lifetime. The trip will take you from Beijing in the north to Xishuangbanna in the south of Yunnan province, from the surrealistic landscape of Guilin to the Dalai Lama’s palace in Tibet and then up through Xin Jiang.
You get into the car, engage the gear, press on the accelerator and off you go. The first stop is at the ancient caves and Buddha Statue near Datong about 5 hours drive west of Beijing. After shooting several photos with your new Canon D5 Digital Camera and a good night’s sleep you are off the next morning at sunrise. A little while into the morning you need to check the map because you have reached an intersection and you are uncertain which way you should go. You search frantically for it and then realize that you have forgotten to bring the map along. At this point of time you try to convince yourself that you can reach your destination because you know where you want to go. By following your instinct, you may decide to take a right turn or a left turn or go straight. Needless to say you will never reach your destination this way.
I believe majority of people would treat goal setting the same way. We dream about where we want to go, but we do not have a map to guide us to get there. We do not have clear, precise, written objectives backed up by a clear and concise plan.
So what is the difference between a dream or a wish and a goal? A wish or a dream is vague, fuzzy and an in-descript mental pictures of something. It is a fantasy, a someday I will but that some day will rarely arrive!
Setting goals however is more than simply scribbling down ideas on a piece of paper. It needs to be complete and precise much like a map, in writing and backed by a specific detailed plan of action. Goal setting and planning can be fun and easy. It may look difficult but not necessarily so. The answer to the question: “How do we eat an elephant?” is simply “One piece at a time!” We can break down the plan into simple and manageable steps which are easier to achieve. In fact we may find that writing goals down will give us some results.
In order to make goal setting a pleasure rather than a pain, it helps to try taking some outrageous but fun risks. Move out of our comfort zone and apply some proven techniques, you will be surprised that you can attain the desired results with considerably less efforts.
We must first understand that goal setting should not mean hard work; it should mean enjoying ourselves as we turn our vision into realty. Getting what we really want should create enthusiasm and energy, not resistance and negativity.
If we find ourselves faced with goal setting resistance, make a self examination to make sure that we really want the goal. Sometimes, the best approach is the willingness to make another approach. Give ourselves some options. Don't become so focused on the process that we fail to reach the goal. If what we're doing is not working, have the honesty and confidence to re-evaluate and adjust our approach.
I always use a journal to keep track of my goals journey. We may keep daily or weekly records of our progress including affirmations, successes, appreciations for our hard work, rewards, resistances, obstacles, etc. There are a number of paper products and digital media for keeping these records such as notebooks, planners or professional goal tracking software. Develop consistent habits of writing down our thoughts and goal progress. They will propel us forward at a faster pace. Use color pens and have fun! There are many ways we can put our goals on our computer. Scan an inspirational poster or picture into our computer, convert it to a bitmap and use it as wallpaper. We can create a screensaver with our scanned images or just put up a digital “post it” with our goals list. Try sending ourselves an encouraging email. We can also create our own custom posters, personal stickers and printouts using a graphics program.
Often in life, the comfort zone we are in can work against our desire to reach our goals because it holds us in place instead of pushing us forward. Our comfort zone is what makes up most of our life, all the things are familiar to us and we already know how to do them well with all the habits and reliable experiences we’re used to having. To avoid the tendency to stay within our comfort zone, we need to be conscious of our actions and thoughts.
Learn to be honest with ourselves about our progress and whether the goal is still appropriate. If it is, does it need any changes? Are we following through and taking consistent actions? Have the courage to admit our blind spots and be humble. Sometimes we may need to change a belief or habit.
Goals fall into varying time periods such as immediate goals, 30 day goals, 6 month goals, 1 year goals, 5-years, 10-years or longer. Make sure we can accomplish what we want within the time frame we have set.
Learn to practise the3 “R’s” - Review, Reevaluate, and Rewrite. We review our goals regularly and write the steps for the day on your “to do list”. Reevaluate and rewrite our main goals every three to six months. Because things change, we may find that what we wanted a few months ago is not exactly what we want now. Be sure to reevaluate sub-goals, steps and strategies.
In order for us to have effective goal statements, we can learn to use motivating language. To get ourselves passionate, committed and motivated, add emotional language to our written goals. Here’s an example “I absolutely love and am excited about my beautiful new home in the hills” which is much more passionate than “I like my new home in the hills”. We can learn to say it as if it’s already happened. When writing our goal, say it like it has already happened. Put our goals in words and picture that we already have achieved them. For example, “I now have new black E200 Mercedes Benz.” Write specifically and in details, because our sub consciousness manifests things literally, we must write specific detailed goals. Use language that is clear in describing exactly what we want. Write in positive terms rather than negative ones. Examples of positive statements might be: “I am now free of the habit of smoking”, or “I am now a smoke free person”. Negative examples might be: “I don’t smoke anymore” or “I’m not a smoker”.
We start with what we have got right where we are. We must believe that, no matter where and what our current set of situation is, we can reach where we want to be from where we are! In a magazine that I read, the late great Earle Nightingale said,” your problem is to bridge the gap between where we are now and the goals we intent to reach.” It is totally true that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. A statement quoted by Martin Luther King Jr., “Take the first step in faith. You do not have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”
People with clear, specific goals backed by clear and specific action plans, and who know exactly where they are going are among the elites on this planet. They are clearly different from the masses who drift aimlessly through life as if their destiny is pre-planned and they can only hope that things will work out for them.
Always remember, we are never too old or too young, too rich or too poor, to direct the energy of our life toward a compelling objective. Life is about making a difference, and that’s something we can do no matter what our circumstances may be. There is somewhere we truly wish to go, something that we sincerely desire to achieve right at this very moment. Take the time to find it out, commit ourselves to it, and make the efforts to make it happen!
