Goal Setting and Goal Achieving
Before you go on any journey, you need to know where you’re going and why you’re going. You also need to know where you’re going to end up!
Goal setting for your personal and professional life is simply putting the action steps together to help you on your journey — your life’s purpose — of your life.
EXERCISE #1: THE DIFFERENCE
In the audio, I explained the difference between goal setting and goal achieving. They are:
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LET’S START WITH GOAL SETTING.
Most people wait till New Year’s Day to set their goals for the year. When they break into the same bad habits a couple weeks later, they often just shrug and figure they’ll set new goals in 11 more months! Your goal setting doesn’t have to happen in January. It can happen now. What’s most important is that you give serious thought, energy, conviction and action to these goals you’re setting.
Here are some reminder bullets from the audio about your goal setting exercise:
- Don’t confuse your purpose with your goal. Your purpose is the reason why you’re on this planet — it’s the reason why you’re on this journey. Your purpose is a long-term, long-range vision. Goals are short-term, short-range steps that must be accomplished in order to remain on the path that is your purpose.
- Goals should be motivating. Most of us settle for less than we deserve. Your goal setting has to contain goals that support and build upon the gift that you are and the gifts that you have brought with you to this world.
- Goals are specific. Saying, “I want to be happy,” is not a goal. Saying, “I will have $15,000 in my checking account by November 1st” is specific.
- Goals are unrealistic. If your goal comes too easily, you’ve set the goal too low. You never want to set a goal that you already know how to accomplish. Goals are adventurous, seemingly just out of reach, and even a bit spine tingling. A goal should make you feel uncomfortable and restless — in present circumstances, you have no idea how you will accomplish it.
- A goal should never harm or intrude on others. It should be only of benefit.
- A goal has some flexibility. Your goal should always change, modify and improve as you accomplish one step at a time. Don’t change your goal at the first sign of an obstacle, but be aware that you might need to make modifications in your plan to get past significant obstacles or barriers.
- Goals are measurable. When you reach your goal, there should be a measure of some sort that shows you’ve gone from there to here. It’s even better when that same goal is clearly measurable by people around you.
- A goal has a deadline. When you set open-ended goals, that’s what they remain ... never closed or checked off the list. Dreams don’t have deadlines — goals do. If you’re serious, you’ll set a deadline to it. Granted, on occasion, you might have to adjust your deadline down the road, but be absolutely committed to setting solid deadlines for each of your goals from the very start.
EXERCISE #2: GETTING STARTED ON GOAL SETTING.
The next three pages of the workbook provide you with plenty of space to start writing your goals in three primary categories of your life. Let your mind freely travel and just start writing — you don’t have to concern yourself at this point about getting specific, but if you have specifics already in mind, by all means, write those down. Aim to complete at least 30 goals total (or 30 per page if you’re really serious!).
MY PERSONAL GOALS
(i.e., health, fitness, weigh, children, relationships, free time, hobbies, adventures/travel, organization, etc.)
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MY PROFESSIONAL GOALS
(i.e., job position, how I want to be spending my work day, who I want to work with, where I want to work, special training, courses, classes or schooling, etc.)
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MY FINANCIAL GOALS
(i.e. listing of multiple streams of income, how many streams of income, savings, investments, major purchases/acquisitions, nest egg, money set aside for children, etc.)
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CONGRATULATIONS!
You’ve already accomplished more than what 98% of the world’s population accomplishes — you’ve actually written your highest-minded goals down. Now, here’s what I’d like you to do next:
EXERCISE #3: IS IT REALLY YOURS?
Are these your goals or are they someone else’s? If you’re trying to achieve goals that someone else has set out for you (a parent, a spouse, a boss, for instance), you’re going to be miserable trying to get there ... and there’s a good chance you’ll never get there.
So, while these goals are still fresh in your mind, go back through all three pages and ask yourself of each goal: Is this MY goal?
If it is, it remains. If it is not, be honest with yourself and happily scratch it from your list.
Return to this page when you’ve completed the three-page review.
EXERCISE #4: SET YOUR PRIORITIES
Now, on each page, prioritize your goals into “A,” “B,” and “C,” your “A” priorities being those goals you wish most to achieve. (And remember, don’t let fear or uneasiness get in your way. Don’t worry about HOW it can possibly be achieved. We’re just focusing now on what you want most.)
Do it right now.
Return to this page when you’ve completed your prioritization for each category.
EXERCISE #5: FURTHER STRATIFICATION
Now, go back into your “C’s” and number them in importance from 1 to whatever, with “1” being the most important of the “C’s” in each category.
Do the same for the “B’s”.
And, do the same for the “A’s”.
(You’ll find that by starting with the “C’s” that the “C’s” are the easiest to number, and they serve as great training wheels when it comes to splitting hairs in your most wanted list of “A’s”.)
Do it right now.
"Goal achieving is all about dedication and commitment, combined with action cycles." – Dr. Agrawal
EXERCISE #6: HONING IN ON THE BIGGIES
OK, now that you have your “As” divided in category, write each of your #1 goals from each category here. As you move this goal into position here, it’s time to expand on the goal. Let’s get specific. Write the goal out in detail. What is the measurement of achievement? What deadline are you putting to this goal?
My A#1 Personal Goal:
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My A#1 Professional Goal
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My A#1 Financial Goal
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Now, renumber THESE goals into your first, second and third priority. You can certainly work on these goals together but an important note: I urge you to never work on more than three at a time as it takes diligent focus and conscious awareness to stay on track with really big goals. But, in doing this exercise, you’re making clear what is the highest priority goal for your life, and the one that you’ll be taking action on, first and foremost.
"At the point of your commitment, the universe conspires in your favor." — Dr. Agarwal
EXERCISE #7: THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP
Goal setting is all well and good but it’s not worth a thing if you don’t ACT on the goal. Again, don’t get caught up in HOW you’re going to get this monstrous goal achieved. Just take the first step you know how, and the next step will make itself apparent to you. That’s how it always works. Don’t question it; don’t doubt universal principles.
In this last exercise in our Goal Setting Expedition, I’d like you to write at least four action steps you can take immediately on EACH of these three A-1 goals:
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Now, go back into these action steps and give each one a deadline.
Congratulations! Now you’ve not only set many, many goals for yourself that you can continue to chunk through, but you’ve gotten very specific on what I hope are three monstrous, somewhat scary-looking goals. Better still, you’ve set deadlines and timeframes on which you will be following through. Remember:
Setting the goal is not the objective ... Setting the goal and then accomplishing it ... that’s the objective!
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
- Remember the Goal Card I mentioned earlier in this workbook and in the audio program? Write your A#1 goal down in this fashion and post it in places where you will be reading it out loud on a daily basis.
- Write down each of your top three goals on paper every day. This is a repetitious act that continues to imbed the goal deep in your subconscious mind. As you do this, you will find that more answers, opportunities, and the right people will make their way to you to help you accomplish these goals.
- Always maintain a positive attitude. When interference and obstacles come along, don’t get discouraged. It’s going to happen and it will.
- When you accomplish a goal, celebrate your success. Don’t just move on to the next goal – you need to give yourself the reward and acknowledgement. Take the time to enjoy your success no matter how small it is. This creates more energy when you go to the next goal.
- Sustained implementation is the key. When you’re closer to the A-1 goal, go to A-2, A-3, A-4, and so on, and once you reach C-30, don’t stop there.
"To improve is to change. To become perfect is to change often." – WINSTON CHURCHILL