Friday, January 30, 2009

Why Goal Setting is Not Enough

Setting goals can be powerful when it comes to changing your life and leading yourself to accomplish what you have always dreamed of. Yet, just setting a goal is not enough. Just writing down what you want does not make it happen. You have to dig a little bit deeper and go a little bit further if you really want to achieve the big things in life.

First of all, you have to make your goals become a compelling and beneficial obsession in your life. That may sound a little bit like a paradox as we are taught that obsession is not a good thing. But, when you make your goals a compelling obsession in your life, they are almost sure to come true.

You cannot just have a lazy kind of approach to achieving your goals. You can not have a matter of fact attitude about them. You have to have a gnawing sensation in your gut that makes you get up early in the morning and stay up late at night pursuing your goals. You have to be willing to keep pushing forward even if it seems like all you are facing is resistance.

The people who have achieved great things throughout history have all done this. They have not relied on wishes or hopes or dreams. They created real and true desire.

Create this desire within yourself and move yourself forward towards your goals. Get up and get moving and achieve what you want out of life!

By Bryan Appleton

Learn how to attract love, money, or happiness or all three in YOUR LIFE NOW! Go to http://www.successfulfather.com and SIGN up for the FREE newsletter and BOOKMARK the site and return as often as you can!

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Bryan Appleton is an investor/entrepreneur who has dedicated himself to teaching others how to achieve their dream life. He is also a proud single father with one son.

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Seven Steps to Achieving Your Goals

This is the time of year when many goal setting gurus being to talk about reflecting on your goals for the past year and looking ahead to the new goals you will create for the coming year. I recognize the huge importance of having goals but I also think it is useless to talk about goal setting without an even stronger focus on goal attainment.

Anyone whose ever celebrate the New Year has set a goal but what takes goal setting to the next level? I'd like to share with you my seven-step system for actually reaching and attaining your goals. Are you ready?

Step 1: Begin at the End:

Many experts in goal setting will tell you that you must begin at the end. Imagine yourself and all you want to accomplish in the future. That way you can develop the roadmap of just how to get there.

After all, you wouldn't get on a plane without knowing its destination, would you? Then why would you live your life that way? Decide right now, to the best of your ability where you want to end up when it's all over.

Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People says his second habit is: "Begin with the End in Mind." He suggests that you imagine your own funeral and just what you want family, friends and community members to say about you, your character and your accomplishments. That way you will be able to plan step-by-step what exactly you will need to do to get there.

What is your purpose? What are your unique skills, talents and abilities that help you to contribute to humankind? If you aren't sure, take some time to daydream about it. Keep trying new things until you find something you love and at which you excel.

Step 2: Balance is the Key:

Many times when you think of setting goals, you focus on the area of professional objectives. While this is a very important part of your goal setting strategy, it shouldn't be your only center of attention. You are so much more than what you do at work, aren't you?

Think about it. At the end of your life, do you think you will be looking back regretting that you didn't work harder? Probably not. So, when you have a goal setting strategy session, you must look at all the important areas of your life. When I do my goal sessions, I look at work, love, play and spirituality.

There are many systems out there that divide our lives into different focal areas. I don't favor one over any others. My advice is that you find one that works for you and set goals in each of those areas.

Step 3: Take Stock: Where are you now? What are your strengths?

What would you have to give up?

As important as knowing where you are going is knowing where you are right now. It's impossible to get good directions anywhere unless the person giving directions knows where you are starting from.

Take the time to scrutinize the reality of your life. Where do you stand in each of the areas you identified in Step 2? This is not a time to be overly critical or overly optimistic. Just take an honest look at your current situation.

Then make an assessment of your strengths. Enumerating your strengths can be very helpful in setting future goals. Sometimes it's your strengths that will make goal attainment possible.

Finally, I ask you to answer the question, "What would you have to give up to be successful with this particular goal?" When you have your answer, you must then assess if it will be worth it. Many times we don't move forward toward our goals because of fears that remain just out of our conscious awareness. We must bring them to the forefront where they can be confronted and managed.

Step 4-Work Backwards/Time Management:

Once you know what you are striving for and where you are, then you plot out the course to get you there. You can have 10-year, 5-year, 3-year, 1-year, 3-month, 1-month, 1-week and daily goals. I generally review my big picture goals quarterly and set my shorter goals according.

While doing some positive goal setting, it is important to attend to time management issues. These things will not happen unless you prioritize and protect your time to do the things that you have identified as important.

Step 5: Affirmations/Visualizations/Meditations:

This is not just some new age hog wash. There has been extensive brain research that backs up the use of affirmations, visualizations and meditation.

If you are serious about accomplishing your goals you must write them down. Back in 1953, a Harvard University study showed that 3% of the students graduating that year actually wrote down their specific career goals. Twenty years later, a team of researchers interviewed the class of 1953, and found that the 3% who had written down their goals were worth more financially than the other 97% combined. (Make no mistake, writing down goals pays off, big time!)

An affirmation is simply writing your goal as if it were already true in the present moment. You then say these affirmations daily, at least once but more if possible. Be very clear about what you are trying to accomplish.

A visualization is just like a mental rehearsal. In your mind's eye, you imagine what life would be like if you had the goal accomplished. The more vivid and sensory-based you can make your visualization, the more effective it will be.

Meditation is a quiet time you take to get in touch with your inner self or your higher power. It is a time of deep reflection where you may ask questions and seek answers from a place or entity that has the answers.

Step 6: Positive Attitude:

There is a Universal Law of Attraction that says we attract into our lives that which we focus on. If we are focused on what we don't have, then we will bring more lack into our lives. If we are constantly complaining about our bad luck, then that is what we can expect.

When working in harmony with our true selves, it is important to maintain an attitude of gratitude. Even when things don't go as you planned, you can always be grateful for the lessons learned along the way.

Step 7: Continuous Improvement/Staying Motivated:

This may be the difference between goal setting and goal attainment. The first part is never being satisfied that you have arrived. There is always something more that you can do, another improvement that you can make. Life is a continuous journey.

Staying motivated is a challenge. Sometimes meeting our goals will motivate us; sometimes it has the opposite effect. I find having an accountability partner, a coach or a mastermind group to whom I am accountable makes all the difference. I can promise myself I'm going to do something all day long. If I don't, who will be the wiser? However, when I say out loud to someone else what my intentions are, then my integrity won't let me fail.

Stop goal setting and start goal attaining and make this your year!

By Kimberly Olver

Kim Olver is a life, relationship and executive coach. Her mission is to help people get along better with the important people in their lives. She teaches people how to live from the inside out by empowering them to focus on the things they can change. She in an internationally recognized speaker, having worked in Australia and the continent of Africa, as well as all over the United States. She has consulted with the NBA and other major league player development specialists. She is the author of Leveraging Diversity at Work and the forthcoming book, Relationship Empowerment. She co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard, Les Brown, Mark Victor Hansen and Byron Katie, entitled 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life. She works with individuals, couples, parents, social service agencies, schools, corporations and the military--anyone who will benefit from gaining more effective control over their lives. She has consulted on relationships, parenting, self-development, training, leadership development, diversity, treatment programs and management styles. Find out more information about Goal Attainment.

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Business and Personal Goal Setting

Have you procrastinated about your career goal setting or maybe your business goal setting. I truly believe you need to do some smart goal setting if you want to achieve specific things in your career, business or personal life.

First of all I truly believe everyone can create a great life. I believe money is a byproduct to a great life. However, the key is to keep it in perspective and to take the time to create a balanced life with great relationships, health and wealth.

How To Achieve Smart Goal Setting

So what do you have to do achieve smart goal setting? I believe the key to goal setting is that they are written positive and present tense. You need to write them daily (7 times), listen to them or read them out loud daily (7 times) with 7 second intervals. You do this to get them into your subconscious mine. You will achieve 99% of your goals using this technique.

The Best Affirmation

On another note, most people don't achieve their goals because of their Worth Barometer - which is a term I use to describe someone's beliefs and self worth. One of the best affirmations you can say to help your self worth is "I am enough". Many people's fear of succeeding or their cause of failure has to do with their self worth and this is the best affirmation, I have found, to replace that belief.

The Key To Smart Goal Setting

The key to smart goal setting is actually making a commitment to do your goal setting. You need to take the time to sit down and put your goals together. Find 7 goals, write down positive and present tense goals. Get in the habit of writing them down every day, read them out load every day, and then visualize yourself achieving these goals.

By Mark J. Nelson

Do you want to grow your wealth and business?

Learn from Mark Nelson. Mark works from his home part time on several businesses. Get your free articles, audio, and a free e-book on Building Your Wealth now - visit his internet business sites, FinancialHat and Your Money And Life

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Goal Setting For Your Business and Your Life

An entire month of 2009 is gone forever. What will you do with what's left? Think about it: You have a brand new 334 days. Nothing has ever been done with those 480,960 minutes. ANYTHING could be done with them, but so far no one has touched them.

Don't you think that potential deserves some preparation? So, how do you begin to prepare for such a monumental undertaking?

Start by examining 2008.

Ask yourself:

  • What was the greatest thing you accomplished in 2008?

  • What were your major setbacks or obstacles in 2008?

  • How did you overcome them?

  • Could you have handled the situation differently, better, more calmly, more efficiently, etc.?

  • What is the one thing you most want to accomplish in 2009?

  • Why do you want that thing?

  • What 3-5 areas of your life would you most like to improve in 2009?

  • What one thing would you most like to improve in those areas?

  • What three things can you do in the month of February to help you accomplish those things?

  • What will your greatest accomplish be in 2009?

  • Why? What will make that your greatest accomplishment?

  • What date will you start to plan for 2009?

It is up to you to make those things happen. Will you start today and move steadily through the year without having to jump any hurdles, without getting pushed back by a sickness, or a death, or an injury, without getting turned around and going backward for a while? Probably not.

But you will have a plan, a map, an idea of what you should be doing, what you want to do, and what you WILL do--steadily, confidently, and courageously to make 2009 the BEST YEAR EVER!

By Paula Farris



And now I invite you to claim a copy of a free ebook called "How to Understand the Economy in 1 Hour." This book is invaluable in today's uncertain economic times. Your business will benefit and you will be able to set more appropriate goals by understanding how the economy really works.

Claim your copy here: http://www.AggressiveSuccess.com

Copyright 2009, Paula Farris, All Rights Reserved

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