In a recent Achieve-IT! newsletter, readers discovered the benefits of creating a bird’s-eye-view list of goals they want to achieve from now until the rest of their lives.
If you didn’t make your list, why? If you say you aren’t a subscriber – don’t worry, you can subscribe below.
But if you did read the newsletter, why didn’t you make your goal list? There is no way to get someplace if you don’t know where you are going. Goals are landmarks on a map. They are direction for you to take that will benefit you once you get there.
So if you didn’t make your list, please stop reading now and go back and make your list now. We’ll be here when you get back….
Ok, now that you have your long list of goals, the next step in the process is choosing which ones are most important. Do not neglect this step! Most people can focus and achieve 1 major goal per year. I will show you how you can do more than one, but you still need to choose your top 5 or 10 goals for the next year.
People who never make a choice end up failing.
Why?
Because there is no focus.
Imagine you wanted to cut a piece of wood in half. You have 3 tools to choose from: a baseball bat, a steel rod, or a razer sharp cutting saw. What tool would you choose? The saw of course!
Why? Because the saw’s focus is on one thing and one thing only – efficient cutting. The baseball bat drawn across wood is not focused on a single point, it’s too wide to cut anything. The same thing is true with a steel rod.
So by choosing your topmost goals and especially your #1 goal is the most important. It gives you focus. It gives you direction. Additionally, it gives you a strong purpose to shoot for.
Have you ever heard of people getting depressed because they feel they don’t have a purpose or direction? Having a major goal – something to work toward is liberating and creates feelings of happiness and wellbeing.
How to choose your top goals
At first glance, it may seem very simple to choose your top goal(s) – but not so fast. There is a VERY Important thought for you to consider. And that is how you will follow through on your choice.
You must choose a goal you will enjoy following through on until it is complete. Let me give you an example of how most people get this wrong.
A lot of my clients just pick something like “To have an extra $30,000 in the bank.” While that goal is inspiring for some people. It doesn’t inspire everyone. For someone like me, I don’t like shooting for a piece of paper (i.e. a bank statement with the number 30,000 on it). I will get bored within the first week. Instead, what makes more sense is to use a goal that eventually leads to a $30,000 payday. A goal like starting a home business gets the $30,000 done but in a much more fun way. Does this make sense?
I recommend people choose a goal that involves action and interest. A goal to lose 10 lbs doesn’t thrill me to death. But a go from the couch to a 5k run sounds exciting. Losing 10 lbs becomes a by-product of running a 5k.
Choosing the right top goal does involve some soul searching. But it is worth every minute.
Be wise. Select an inspiring, exciting and fun top goal and you’ll get it done.
{ 2 comments }
can’t download to my msntv 2. My computer is down at this time . will down load when it in up and running again, unless you have some other ideas.
We tend to choose the goals we don’t believe in since it takes another question to ask. I mean rather then asking “What do I want?” one should ask “Why I want it?” and this is about what drives you toward the goal you have chosen.
.-= Chin´s last blog ..Who am I? =-.
{ 2 trackbacks }