Goals and Goal Achievement / Monthly Mentor - January 2009
Goals and Goal Achievement / Monthly Mentor - January 2009
Goals and Goal Achievement
by JB Hunt
Goal setting is perhaps the most vital achievement skill of all. If any individual - even a person who has not achieved a high level before - becomes a goal setter and writes, thinks and talks about his goals on an ongoing basis, his levels of performance and achievement improve dramatically almost immediately.
When we set goals, we develop direction, we develop focused and channeled energy, and we accomplish more in a short time than we could accomplish in years.
Why, then, do so few people set goals? The first conclusion is that the majority of people don't understand the importance of goals. The second reason people don't set goals is because they don't know how. The third reason is the fear of rejection - they have found that every time they do set a goal, somebody tells them they can't achieve it. The fourth reason people don't set goals is that they are afraid they may fail.
People do not understand the importance of failure in achievement. We have to be willing to risk failure. There is no way we can realize our full potential unless we have failed so many times that eventually we learn the lessons necessary for us to go on to our great achievements.
The only thing in life that is inevitable is change. Most of us are uneasy about change because we're afraid that as a result of change we're going to be worse off than we were before. Goals enable us to control the direction of change in our lives.
Every human being has average talents and abilities, but every single one of us has the ability to achieve excellence or make an outstanding accomplishment in at least one specific area. It is impossible to fully like and value ourselves unless we know there is at least one thing in the world that we are good at. One of our goals has to be to discover where we can develop excellence. You can determine your potential area of excellence by looking at what interests you, at the sort of thing that you would do if you were not being paid to do it.
According to the acres of diamonds principle, everything we could ever hope for is probably very close at hand; we have the talents and abilities and education and background to realize our ambitions right in our own communities. Each of us has to have a balance of goals for a balanced life. Goals can be broken down into the following major categories: (1) family and personal goals - these include the things we want to accomplish for our loved ones and for our own pleasure; (2) business and career goals - we must have these goals if we're going to be successful financially; and (3) self-improving goals - winning human beings are always working toward a series of self-improvement and self-development goals.
All great success starts with selecting one major, definite purpose. If we try to accomplish many things simultaneously, we find that we diffuse and disperse our efforts and end up accomplishing almost nothing. Achieve one critical goal, then it becomes relatively simple for you to set and achieve a second goal, a third, a fourth and so on.
The first step in all goal setting is desire. Desire is the great motivator, the great force that impels us towards our goals. The second step is belief - you must believe without a doubt that you have the ability to achieve the goal. So make your goals challenging but realistic. The third step is to write the goal in complete detail, exactly as you wish to have it. Until a goal is committed to paper, it is not a goal; it is simply a wish. The fourth step is to determine how you will benefit from accomplishing your goal. Write out a specific list of all the advantages you are going to enjoy. The next step is to analyze your current status - where you are right now. If you wish to earn a certain amount of money, figure out exactly how much you are earning today. Step number six is to set a deadline - decide exactly when you are going to accomplish that goal.
Step number seven in goal setting is to identify the obstacles you will have to overcome to achieve your goal. You will find that the obstacles that loom large in your mind when you're thinking about them become small when you write them down on paper. Step number eight is to clearly identify the knowledge you will require in order to accomplish your goal. It is important that you determine what you are going to have to learn. Step number nine is to identify the people, groups and organizations whose cooperation and assistance you will need to attain your goal. Concentrate on what you can give, how you can serve, how you can contribute, and how you can compensate and reward others in return for what you want. Step number 10 is to take all the details you've identified in the last three steps and make a plan; make it complete in every detail, with all the activities you are going to have to engage in to accomplish your goal.
Step number 11 is to get a clear mental image of your goal as already attained. Every time you get the chance, play that picture of your goal on the screen of your mind. Finally, step number 12 is to back your plan with determination, persistence and resolve to never give up. Your persistence is the direct measure of how much you believe in yourself and in your ability to succeed.
All high achievers use their time well. There are six key points to follow in effective time management. Point number one in effective time management is to have clear, specific, measurable goals. The greatest waste of time in our lives is having no idea of what its is we're supposed to accomplish. Step number two is to develop detailed plans. It is absolutely essential that we make plans before we start toward an objective. Step number three is to make a list of what you have to do every single day before you start to work. You will be more organized all day, and you'll get more done. Step number four in effective time management is to set priorities on your list. Number each item on your list, and work on the most important item first. Point number five is to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing at a time, and do it until it is finished. Point number six is to develop a sense of urgency. When you have something to do, don't put it off; do it right now.
Setting goals and thinking about them continuously raises our self-image, moves us towards our self-ideal, causes us to like ourselves and moves us toward peak performance and the full realization of our potential.
When we set goals, we develop direction, we develop focused and channeled energy, and we accomplish more in a short time than we could accomplish in years.
Why, then, do so few people set goals? The first conclusion is that the majority of people don't understand the importance of goals. The second reason people don't set goals is because they don't know how. The third reason is the fear of rejection - they have found that every time they do set a goal, somebody tells them they can't achieve it. The fourth reason people don't set goals is that they are afraid they may fail.
People do not understand the importance of failure in achievement. We have to be willing to risk failure. There is no way we can realize our full potential unless we have failed so many times that eventually we learn the lessons necessary for us to go on to our great achievements.
The only thing in life that is inevitable is change. Most of us are uneasy about change because we're afraid that as a result of change we're going to be worse off than we were before. Goals enable us to control the direction of change in our lives.
Every human being has average talents and abilities, but every single one of us has the ability to achieve excellence or make an outstanding accomplishment in at least one specific area. It is impossible to fully like and value ourselves unless we know there is at least one thing in the world that we are good at. One of our goals has to be to discover where we can develop excellence. You can determine your potential area of excellence by looking at what interests you, at the sort of thing that you would do if you were not being paid to do it.
According to the acres of diamonds principle, everything we could ever hope for is probably very close at hand; we have the talents and abilities and education and background to realize our ambitions right in our own communities. Each of us has to have a balance of goals for a balanced life. Goals can be broken down into the following major categories: (1) family and personal goals - these include the things we want to accomplish for our loved ones and for our own pleasure; (2) business and career goals - we must have these goals if we're going to be successful financially; and (3) self-improving goals - winning human beings are always working toward a series of self-improvement and self-development goals.
All great success starts with selecting one major, definite purpose. If we try to accomplish many things simultaneously, we find that we diffuse and disperse our efforts and end up accomplishing almost nothing. Achieve one critical goal, then it becomes relatively simple for you to set and achieve a second goal, a third, a fourth and so on.
The first step in all goal setting is desire. Desire is the great motivator, the great force that impels us towards our goals. The second step is belief - you must believe without a doubt that you have the ability to achieve the goal. So make your goals challenging but realistic. The third step is to write the goal in complete detail, exactly as you wish to have it. Until a goal is committed to paper, it is not a goal; it is simply a wish. The fourth step is to determine how you will benefit from accomplishing your goal. Write out a specific list of all the advantages you are going to enjoy. The next step is to analyze your current status - where you are right now. If you wish to earn a certain amount of money, figure out exactly how much you are earning today. Step number six is to set a deadline - decide exactly when you are going to accomplish that goal.
Step number seven in goal setting is to identify the obstacles you will have to overcome to achieve your goal. You will find that the obstacles that loom large in your mind when you're thinking about them become small when you write them down on paper. Step number eight is to clearly identify the knowledge you will require in order to accomplish your goal. It is important that you determine what you are going to have to learn. Step number nine is to identify the people, groups and organizations whose cooperation and assistance you will need to attain your goal. Concentrate on what you can give, how you can serve, how you can contribute, and how you can compensate and reward others in return for what you want. Step number 10 is to take all the details you've identified in the last three steps and make a plan; make it complete in every detail, with all the activities you are going to have to engage in to accomplish your goal.
Step number 11 is to get a clear mental image of your goal as already attained. Every time you get the chance, play that picture of your goal on the screen of your mind. Finally, step number 12 is to back your plan with determination, persistence and resolve to never give up. Your persistence is the direct measure of how much you believe in yourself and in your ability to succeed.
All high achievers use their time well. There are six key points to follow in effective time management. Point number one in effective time management is to have clear, specific, measurable goals. The greatest waste of time in our lives is having no idea of what its is we're supposed to accomplish. Step number two is to develop detailed plans. It is absolutely essential that we make plans before we start toward an objective. Step number three is to make a list of what you have to do every single day before you start to work. You will be more organized all day, and you'll get more done. Step number four in effective time management is to set priorities on your list. Number each item on your list, and work on the most important item first. Point number five is to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing at a time, and do it until it is finished. Point number six is to develop a sense of urgency. When you have something to do, don't put it off; do it right now.
Setting goals and thinking about them continuously raises our self-image, moves us towards our self-ideal, causes us to like ourselves and moves us toward peak performance and the full realization of our potential.
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