Goals - The Roadmap to Success

“In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it.” Robert Heinlein (1907 – 1988)

Everyone, and I mean everyone, should be aware of the importance of goal setting for any level of success. There are countless stories of success all derived from setting goals and then striving for them. However, in the real world, barely three percent of individuals have clearly written, specific goals with deadlines for their achievement. Why? I think it has something to do with the content in the first section of this message. (See: Fear)

Most people never even bother with putting their goals down on paper. This is the Grand Master of all mistakes on the road to the successful attainment of goals. It’s almost a guarantee of failure with respect to goal setting success. Of those who do take the time to write goals down, those who fail to reach their goals generally do so for one of four reasons:

1) Establishing goals based on outcome rather than performance. This is very important. Take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible - there is nothing as disappointing as failing to achieve a personal goal for some reason that is out of your control such as bad business deal, poor officiating, inclement weather, an injury, or just plain bad coincidence. Goals based on outcomes are extremely vulnerable to failure because of things beyond your control.

By basing your goals on personal performance or skills or some knowledge to be obtained, you keep control over the achievement of your goals and draw satisfaction from them. For example, bodybuilders often achieve their personal best shape for a particular competition, but not receive one of the top three placement positions because of the subjective nature of the competition. If this person had set an outcome goal of being in the top three, then this will be a defeat. If they had set a performance goal of achieving a particular level of muscularity, body fat percentage, etc then they would have achieved the goal and could draw satisfaction and self-confidence from its achievement.

Another flaw is where outcome goals are based on the reward of achieving something, like perhaps a financial amount or the recognition of colleagues. In the early stages these will be highly motivating factors; however as they are achieved, the benefits of further achievement at the same level reduce. You will become progressively less motivated.

2) A failure to set specific goals. Here, clarity is king and brings one definiteness of purpose. You must set specific, measurable goals. If you achieve all conditions of a measurable goal, then you can be confident and comfortable of its achievement. If you consistently fail to meet a measurable goal, then you can adjust it or evaluate the reason for failure and take appropriate action to improve your skills.

3) Setting unrealistic goals. Goals may be set unrealistically high for the following reasons:
· Other people: Other people (family, the media, the culture) can set unrealistic goals for you, based on what they want. This is likely done in total disdain and disregard for your goals, desires and ambitions.

· Insufficient information: If you do not have a clear, realistic understanding of what you are trying to achieve and of the skills and knowledge to be mastered, it is difficult to set effective and realistic goals.

· Always expecting your best performance: Many people base their goals on their best performance, however long ago that was. This denies the expected lackluster performance that can occur for several reasons, and ignores the factors that led to that best particular performance. It is better to set goals that raise your average performance and make it more consistent.

· Lack of respect for self: You must respect your right to rest, relaxation and pleasure in life or else you risk certain burnout.

4) Setting goals too low. Consequently, goals can be set too low because of:

· Fear of failure: If you are frightened of failure you will not take the risks needed for optimum performance. As you put into operation the techniques of goal setting and see the achievement of goals, your self- confidence should increase, helping you to take bigger risks. We covered this earlier. Know this: Failure is a positive thing which can show you the areas where you are able to improve your skills and performance.

· Taking it too easy: It is easy to take the reasons for not setting goals unrealistically high as an excuse to set them too low. If you're not prepared to stretch yourself and work hard (get out of the comfort zone), then you are extremely unlikely to achieve anything of any real worth.

Setting Goals at the Right Level

Practice will teach you to set your goals at the correct level. You should set goals so that they are slightly out of your immediate grasp, but not so far that there is no hope of achieving them: no one will put serious effort into achieving a goal that they believe is unlikely. Please don’t be fooled by this. Just because a goal may seem out of reach doesn’t mean it really is out of reach. Such a belief can be changed by the proper employment of imagery and visualization.

Personal factors such as physical or mental stress, prior commitments and the need for rest, etc. should be taken into account when goals are set. Afterward, review the goals you have set, and then measure them against the points above. Adjust them to meet the recommendations and then review them. You should now be able to see the importance of setting goals effectively.

Thinking a goal through

By asking yourself the following questions when you are thinking about how to achieve goals, you can better focus on the smaller steps that lead to their achievement:

· What skills do I need to achieve this?
· What information and knowledge do I need?
· What help, assistance, or collaboration do I need?
· What resources, knowledge or material do I need?
· What can block my progress?
· Am I making any assumptions?
· Is there a better way of doing things?

The seven steps to goal setting success

There are time tested, proven principles to achieving any goal. Here they are:

1) Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want.
It is imperative one adhere to this part of the equation for success. A strong desire and personal affinity for a goal will motivate you to take the action necessary to see it through to fruition. You must strive for something you really want to achieve, not something that just sounds good.
When setting goals it is also very important to remember that your goals must be consistent with your values.

2) A goal cannot contradict any of your other goals.
You can't buy a $1,000,000 home if the goal for your yearly income is just $50,000. This is a “non-integrated thought process” which will guarantee frustration and disrupt all of the hard work you put into your goals. Non-integrated thinking can also get in the way of your everyday thoughts. We should continually strive to eliminate conflicting ideas from our thinking.

3) Develop goals in the 6 major areas of life.
Family and Home
Financial and Career
Spiritual and Ethical
Physical and Health
Social and Cultural
Mental and Educational
Setting goals in each of these areas will help to ensure a more balanced way of life for you as you begin to examine and change the basics of day-to-day living. Setting goals in each area of life also helps in eliminating the non-integrated thinking mentioned above.

4) Write your goal in the positive instead of the negative.
In order to maintain motivation one must focus their thoughts on what they want and desire rather than what they wish to eliminate. If your focus is on what you want to leave behind your powerful subconscious mind will be drawn to it. An old saying states, “What we focus on most in life grows.” A large part of why we write down and examine our goals is to create a specific set of instructions for our subconscious mind to carry out.

Your subconscious mind is a very proficient instrument; it cannot determine right from wrong and it does not judge. Its’ only function is to carry out its instructions. The more positive instructions you give it, the more positive results you will get. Writing, “I want to be a size 7 with 13 percent body fat by June 15th” is much more positive and empowering than one written, “I don’t want to be a size 13 anymore.” Can you see the difference?

Thinking positively in everyday life will also help in your growth as a human being. Don't limit it to goal setting.

5) Write your goal out in complete and specific detail.
Instead of writing "I want a car," in its place write "I want a navy blue 2007 Pontiac Gran Prix convertible with a navy blue leather interior, multi disc CD player, a Garmon GPS system by June 15th.” This is much more specific and detailed in its description.

By utilizing specificity we are again giving the subconscious mind a detailed set of instructions to work on. The more information you give it, the more clear the final outcome becomes. The more precise the outcome, the more efficient the subconscious mind can become.

Can you close your eyes and visualize the vehicle I described above? Now take it out on the open road and feel the comfort of the leather under you. Listen to the stereo. Notice the clouds in the horizon and feel the wind on your face as you cruise down a beach highway. Can you see it? So can your subconscious mind.

6) By all means, make sure your goal is high enough.
Shoot for the moon; if you miss you'll still be in the stars. This does not in any way contradict the instruction above to set your goals at the right level. Failure to set your goal high enough will not motivate you to strive for its achievement. Andrew Carnegie said, “Anything worth having in life is worth working for.” Shoot for the moon!

7) This is the most important principle: Write down your goals and set a deadline for their achievement.
Writing down your goals creates the roadmap to your success. Simply the act of writing them down can set the process in motion. However, it is also extremely important to review your goals frequently. Remember, keeping your focus on your goals helps to better ensure that you are likely to accomplish them.

Occasionally we have to revise a goal as circumstances arise and other goals change. If you need to change a goal do not consider it a failure, consider it a victory as you had the insight and wherewithal to comprehend something was different and needed adjustment.

By setting a practical, realistic deadline, you let your subconscious mind push you to achievement by that date. If circumstances arise which meddle with your deadline, simply move the deadline. It’s your goal and you’re in charge. Remember, a goal without a deadline is a dream!

Your goals are written down. Now what?
First and foremost, unless an individual is essential to helping you reach your goal(s), do not share them with others. The possible negative reactions and attitudes from friends, family and neighbors can drag you down quickly. It's very important that your self-talk (the thoughts in your head which communicate with your subconscious mind) remain positive and focused on your goal.

You must review your goals daily to in order to solidify them to your resolve and make them an indelible part of your thinking. This must become as much a part of your daily routine as eating or brushing your teeth if you’re truly serious about success in goal setting.

Place your goal sheet in a place where each morning when you wake up you can read them.

Visualize with feeling the completed goal; see the new home, smell the leather seats in your new car, feel the cold hard cash in your hands. Then each night, right before you go to bed, repeat the process. This process is extremely critical to keeping both your subconscious and conscious mind consistently working toward your goals. This step also initiates the substitution of negative self-talk you may have and replaces it with positive self-talk.

One final point: Every time you have an opportunity to make a decision during the day, ask yourself this question, “Does it take me closer to, or further from my goal.” If the answer is “closer to,” then you’ve made the right decision. If the answer is “further from,” well, you know what to do. By choosing to follow this process everyday you will be well on your way to achieving unlimited success in every aspect of your life.