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How to Set and Achieve Goals

10. How to set and achieve goals

Life is a journey. Not just any journey, but the most fantastic journey in the universe. Life is a journey from where you are to where you want to be. You can choose your own destination. Not only that, you can choose how you are going to get there. Goal setting will help you end up where you want to be.

  • When it comes to setting goals, start off with what's important to you in life. Take out a sheet of paper. Sit quietly, and on that sheet of paper, brainstorm what you want to accomplish between now and the end of your life.
  • Second step-use another sheet of paper, and this time consider yourself and your personal goals for the next 12 month period. Some key areas in which you might set personal goals include: family, personal growth, financial, health, social, career, hobbies, spiritual, and recreation. Write down the things that you plan to accomplish or achieve or attain during this one-year period?
  • Now, as a third step, go back and compare the two goal lists you have made. Make sure that the items on your short-term list will, as you attain them, be helping you attain your long-term or lifetime goals. It is important that what you are doing short term is taking you in the right direction toward your lifetime goals. Please rewrite your short term goals now if you need to.
  • As a next step, looking at the goals that are on your list at this time, if there are any that you are not willing to pay the price for, go ahead and cross them out, leaving only those items you are willing to cause to happen in your life. This does not necessarily mean you have the money or the other resources for attaining the goal right now. However, when you do have it, would you spend it on or trade it for the goals you have on your list?
  • Now, on still another sheet of paper, create the job goals that are important to you during this upcoming 12-month period. Identify what outcomes you wish to attain or achieve during this one-year period in your specific area of responsibility and authority.
  • Some key areas in which you might consider writing job goals, if you did not already, include: quality, quantity, cost control, cost improvement, equipment, procedures, training, sales, financial, and personnel.
  • As a next step, look for the blending between your job or work goals and your personal goals. Anywhere you notice that you are attaining a goal on the job while at the same time you are attaining a personal goal, note this relationship: it is in these areas you will be most highly motivated.
  • For each of the three lists that you have just created, take an additional sheet of paper and list the activities that you must do to attain the most important goal that you have on each of your lists.
  • Now on another piece of paper titled "Things To-Do List" identify from the activities you just listed, the ones that you must do tomorrow to move you toward your most important goal.
  • Rewrite your goals in these categories at least every three months.
  • The only thing in life that is constant is the fact that everything is changing. It makes sense that our goals will change as we change.
  • Recognize how focusing on what you do want, what you do intend to accomplish, also defines what you choose not to do in your life.
  • Daily rewrite your list of "Things To-Do" after first reviewing your desired goals.
  • Success is defined as "the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal." If you are doing the things that are moving you toward the attainment of your goal, then you are "successful" even if you are not there yet.
  • Every step along the way to achieving a goal is just as important as the last step.
  • It is not the achieving of a goal that is so important, it is what you become in the process.
  • Set goals with your family also. Help children learn this process early in life.
  • Decide what you should be accomplishing and then stick to your knitting. Do not attempt to be or do all things for all people.
  • Dreams and wishes are not goals until they are written as specific end results on paper.
  • Written specific goals provide direction and focus to your activities. They become a road map to follow.
  • Being busy with activities does not pay, only results do. As in baseball you only get points for getting to the goal of home plate. Just making it to the bases does not count.
  • It has been said that the amount of information available to us is now doubling in less than 30 months. We must learn to focus on only what is truly important to our self and our job.
  • Be sure the goals and activities that you are working for are yours and that you really want and desire to achieve them. The commitment is vital to your success in achieving them.
  • When you have a goal that is exciting to you, the life energy flows through you. You are excited about accomplishing it because it is personally meaningful.
  • Create a time line or matrix chart on which you display your goals visually and the dates when you will have them accomplished.
  • Continually look for ways to integrate or blend personal and professional goals.
  • Setting a goal, that you believe is unattainable will result in frustration. To be challenging and motivating, goals must be perceived as realistic and attainable.
  • Those people with dreams are the ones most likely to experience them.
  • Set goals carefully for you will attain them. This also means if you set none, you will attain that.
  • Goals, when thoughtfully set, can provide strong motivational direction.
  • Clear cut, understandable and realistic objectives leading to the goal help to maintain the sense of realism and the hope of attainment of the goal.
  • Establish measurement criteria to monitor progressive movement toward your goal. Then you will experience progress.
  • Set goals that you will be proud to have achieved, then sense your having completed them.
  • Have a vision that you know is unquestionably right and you will be internally driven to achieve that vision.
  • A goal is "reasonable" when you can see the entire process needed to get to its attainment.
  • Good planning assists in sensing reasonableness of challenging goals.
  • Use picture goals.
  • Develop an emotional tie to your goal.
  • Say "I will do/be _______. Therefore I will do/be ___________."

This article is used with the permission of YoungEntrepreneur.com. Visit them online to learn business, read profiles of entrepreneurs, and participate in community forums.

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