Goal Setting

Many people I speak to in my business have a vague idea of what they want, but when really challenged they either back away because they see the work too hard, or they realize the goal they want is too fuzzy.

I hear people say things like:

" I want to be financially free."

" I want to live comfortably,"

"I want to pay for my kid's college."

Those are great goals, but they are not specific to the individual. There is no clear way of measuring that.

A really good goal, is considered a SMART goal. That is:

S - Specific the more specific you can get it the more your mind will see it. "I want to pay for my kid's college." Sounds specific but it's not. What college does he want to attend? Are you going to pay for the whole amount or is he going to get loans/ scholarships/grants? The more specific you can get, the better your mind can visualize what you desire and help you attain it.

M-Measurable "I want to be financially free" is not measurable. If you are currently earning $40,000 a year and living paycheck to paycheck then you are not financially free. Financial freedom may mean an annual income of $80,000 or $120,000. It has to be measurable. When my son was working towards his black belt, he knew exactly all the techniques and Katas he needed to master.

A_Attainable - I had a guy tell me his goal was to purchase a private submarine that cost 87 Million dollars and yet his annual income had only been $30,000. That was not attainable at the moment - it could be in the future, if he was willing to make some changes.

R- Relevant - Your goal is yours, not your neighbors, not your spouse's, not your children's not your boss'. If your goal is not relevant to you, you will not have the inner drive it takes to attain that goal. Not everyone wants to achieve a black belt in Karate. Not everyone wants to learn to make $20,000 in one month. Find the thing that gets you excited and you know you are on the right track.

T-Timetable - able. This is probably the one area I see people struggle. I know I have done this myself. We set a goal, we work hard toward that goal and on the date "we" set - it doesn't happen. A friend of mine taught me to simple change the date. At first I thought well, that's "cheating". As I have studied goal setting and others who have achieved their goals, this is EXACTLY what you must do - IF you really want to achieve that goal. There are Olympian athletes who have a goal of achieving the gold medal in their sport. They may miss it by .03 of a second and win the silver. What do they do? Go back and train for 4 more years to attain that goal of the gold medal. Now if they can do that, why can't you?My son's teacher had him on track to attain his black belt in 5 years. There were others in his class that took an extra 6 months. I have a friend who had a goal of buying a 4,000 sq ft house in a particular area where he lived. He worked hard, it was specific the exact house, it was measurable, it was attainable and it was relevant - and yet, he put this house on his goal card for 4 years before the time was right to attain it. Did he achieve it? Yes. Did he achieve it the first time he placed it on his goal card? No. Did it matter? No. He knew what he wanted and he kept going for it.

And this brings me to the another important part, not only do many people not have their goals specific but they don't write them down. There is a physiological and psychological reason for writing your goal down. Writing it down affirms in your mind and your body that this is truly what you want. There are many times I sit down and write a shopping list and then leave the list on the counter. When I come home from my shopping, I am amazed at the fact that I purchased about 98% of what I wrote down.

Now, the last and probably most important thing about goals is once you have decided what your goal is, seek out those who have already achieved this goal to assist you. My son studied under a 7th degree black belt and trusted that if he simply followed what the teacher taught him, he would achieve his goal.

So now I must ask you, where do you see yourself in one year from now on June 18, 2010? What do you want to have accomplished in your life financially,physically, spiritually or emotionally? If you want some assistance you may call me at 915-252-1837.

Make it a great day -and remember "You can't get to where you want if you don't know what you want"

GBY&MKY Jane