This New Year we all tend to have a heightened sense of the opportunities and possibilities that 2010 will bring. The need for goal-setting and having a vision for every area of our lives is paramount. It helps sharp who you become in the process of achieving the goal.
What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get. That is why goals are so powerful. Goal-setting provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve.
Also, goals compliment the long-term vision in our lives. We all need lots of powerful, long-range goals to help us get past short-term obstacles. We dream for the future and live in the present. Unfortunately, the present can produce many difficult obstacles.
But fortunately, the more powerful our goals & visions (because they are inspiring and believable) the more we will be able to act on them in the short-term and guarantee that they will actually come to pass!
Let's get started
1. Evaluation and Reflection. The only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future and how we will get there is to first know where we are right now and what our level of satisfaction is for where we are in life. So first take some time and think through and write down your current situation, then ask this question on each key point - is that okay? Write down were you are and over the days, weeks, and months monitor your progress.
2. What are Your Dreams and Goals? These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. So second, make a list of all the things you desire for the future. One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not just pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. If you can --Think it, you can achieve it, Wow that's Powerful!
Take time to be quiet. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.
Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don't think of any as too outlandish or foolish - remember, you're dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.
Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.
3. A Good Goal is a S.M.A.R.T. Goal. S.M.A.R.T. means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.
Specific: Goals are no place to waiver. They are no place to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Incomplete goals produce incomplete futures.
Measurable: Always set goals that are measurable. That you can track your progress.
Attainable: One of the detrimental things that many people do - (even with good intentions)- is to set goals that are so high they are unattainable. Ex: I am going to make $5K-$10K in (5-7)months consistently.
Realistic: The root word of realistic is "real." A goal has to be something that we can reasonably make "real" or a "reality" in our lives. There are some goals that simply are not realistic. You have to be able to say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes, indeed, it is entirely realistic -- that you could make it. You may even have to say that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but if those happen, then it can be done. This is in no way to say it shouldn't be a big goal, but it must be realistic.
Time: Every goal should have a time frame attached to it. I think that life itself is much more productive if there is a time frame connected to it. Could you imagine how much procrastination there would be on earth if people never died? We would never get "around to it." We could always put it off. One of the powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time in which you are aiming to accomplish it. You start working on it because you know there is an end. As time goes by you work on it because you don't want to get behind. As it approaches, you work diligently because you want to meet the deadline. You may even have to break down a big goal into different parts of measurement and time frames.
4. Accountability (A contract with yourself or someone else). When someone knows what your goals are, they hold you accountable by asking you to "give an account" of where you are in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some "skin in the game"When a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any power? Many times, no. At the very least, it isn't as powerful as if you have one or more other people who can hold you accountable to your goal.
Therefore--Evaluate/Reflect; Decide What You Want; Be S.M.A.R.T.; and Have an Accountability partner. When you put these 4 key pieces together, you are putting yourself in a position of power that will catapult you toward achieving your goals and visions! http://www.myfinancialfreedompoint.com this was shared with me by a colleague,please share with others as well.
