Goal Achievement in a Nutshell? – Just Get Serious.

Get serious about your goal setting plans, strategies, and take serious action. It’s your life and it is NOT infinite, you have a finite time on this planet. Why shouldn’t you absolutely live every minute of it?

Are you serious about getting what you want, or serious about being or doing what you want?

Goal Setting is not brain surgery and it is not complicated. We tend to over complicate simple things. Far too many people are not willing to investigate all their options.

They are not serious about designing their life. They give in to excuses.

In the beginning it probably seemed easier not to go their own way, but this is life’s fatal trap which they most often did not recognize until many years later.

They then finally realized that they could have had whatever they wanted if they just would have started momentum in the direction of their real dream.

They sat back and took a reactive role, let others make the decisions, and then just go along for the ride and hope that everything would work out. They didn’t seem to want to take ownership of their life.

Don’t let this be you. Make your decision up front, and then take the time and actions necessary to plan out your journey. In other words, go make your decision right.

I remember when I was younger and I needed a new car. I would just go into the dealership, or look in the paper for what I thought I could afford, or for what they had available on the lot.

I mean I had a vague idea of what I thought I wanted, but the available money would usually make the final decision for me.

I didn’t realize it at the time but I had literally made an unconscious decision to settle for what I thought I could get at the time. Some of you may relate . . .

I would look over the limited selection and pick out what I thought I wanted, or whatever they were pushing me toward.

What a crock! I pretty much let them make the decision for me and then I justified the decision in my own mind that it was really what I wanted.

And my dream car would just get further away from my reality because I didn’t have the courage to pursue it. My life was pretty much an expanded view of the same type of behaviors.

Now whenever I set a plan into motion I check to make sure I feel certain I am doing the right thing for me.

Here are what I think are the most important rules for achieving anything you want. There are others but I feel these are the most critical areas.

1. You must believe that what you are doing is the most important thing you can do. You must be committed to this path as being the best path for you. No wavering, no conflicting emotions allowed.

2. You must believe that you have now, or you can develop the special qualities that are necessary for accomplishment in this area. Organize the resources necessary for making the journey, and educate yourself as you go.

3. You must desire it with all your heart and recognize that the full and complete success in this undertaking is the only acceptable outcome. It is your want, you deserve it and you refuse to lose.

4. You must see yourself taking the actions necessary and feel the enjoyment accomplishing it will bring. Get comfortable with the realization that you will soon have what you want. You may decide to adjust the timing and strategy, but the goal is a sure thing.

5. You must make a habit of disciplining yourself to make completions. Make sure your subconscious mind and your daily habits serve your master plan. Replace procrastination with the eagerness to move forward. You just can’t wait to make it happen.

Your success rate is hugely dependent on how successful you are at applying this checklist of rules to your goal path.

If you are not serious about your life’s journey, then what will you be serious about? There is no time like the present!

Like I said at the start, Get Serious. It’s your life.

OK. Let’s get started.

Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn’t fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn’t dreamed of being the homecoming queen?

And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships?

Have you dreamed a big dream?

Often, we do dream the big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams tend to remain just that – dreams. And our aspirations can easily collect dust in our attic.

This is a sad turn of events in a life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing.

But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher.

The most common problem to setting goals is the word ‘impossible’. Many people get hung up thinking I can’t do this. It’s too hard. It’s too impossible. No one can do this.

However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment.

On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations.

If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging to the impossible dream.

Try this exercise.

Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life, and separate them into three categories.

Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do’.

Under another header, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’

And under one more, list the things that that are ‘impossible for you to do.’

Now look at all the headers every day, but strive to accomplish only the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them off when you accomplish them.

As you slowly check all of your goals under that heading, then try accomplishing the goals under the other header – the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’

As the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’

As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And . . . the impossible begin to seem possible after all.

You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it is unwise to set a goal that is truly unrealistic with your present belief system.

Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard to achieve it, end up disappointed and disillusioned.

On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind.

But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities.

Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. But take note that the 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one.

Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be.

So dream on, friend! Dream The Big Dream! Don’t get caught up in your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams.

As you step up the ladder of progress, you will find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.

Al

Today’s article actually reminded me of a time when I felt like goal setting just wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. At the time I thought I was setting goals the right way but success just wasn’t coming like I wanted.

The truth was that I was trying to cheat the system by writing out my goals, and making them look great on paper, instead of planning my next move necessary.

I lacked clarity, big time.

The challenge was I felt it was too time consuming to actually divide them down to the simplest action to take next, and I failed often and quit more than a few times.

I frequently stalled out and many times felt overwhelmed by the size of my goals and belief and motivation waivered like a reed in the wind. I would like to do this and that but I just couldn’t find the time or I didn’t know what to do next . . . (did you ever feel this way?)

By not taking the time to clarify exactly what I wanted to end up with and why, I was in fact guaranteeing my failure in each enterprise.

So, I guess the moral of this story is this:

If you are not willing to take the time to get clear on what your goal is, or take the time to plan exactly how you can accomplish it, then my guess is that the goal is the wrong goal for you.

You must get absolutely clear. You must be motivated enough to split your goals into the smallest pieces possible and start right there, right now. If not, then revisit your goals and check to see if they are indeed yours or what someone else thinks you should go for.

Jeesh, I have been rambling on. Here’s Susan.

Explicit Goals, Surefire Results

Regardless of what you want to achieve, the surest way to get there is to begin with sharply honed goals. Here’s why, and how to craft them.

The biggest benefit of chiseling a detailed description of what you want to do is that, even without your conscious attention, your mind will begin planning. Programming a specific target into your brain ignites its launch sequence.

It calculates the trajectory it will need to take, the resources it will need to tap, the type of energy the task will require, and the speed it will need to generate to get the job done. It sets itself up to perform so that it can fly as soon as you signal it that you’re ready.

By identifying exactly what you want to do and what result you want to generate, you also stimulate your brain to play with alternative strategies and to rehearse the most effective ones in advance of your taking action.

Your imagination will quietly attend to your goal while you are engaged in other activities. Even when you’re asleep, as long as your subconscious knows that you intend to take action on your goal, it will be preparing to support your efforts.

Finally, because it has been programmed to concentrate on a clear-cut target, once you begin to act on your goal, your brain will filter out irrelevant noise, allowing you to focus with fewer distractions and act with greater definiteness of purpose.

To achieve a crystal-clear definition of your goal, begin by simplifying it as much as possible. If it’s a complex or multi-faceted goal, break it down into a sequence of simple ones.

For example, instead of saying “I’m going to study tonight,” decide that “I’m going to finish chapter six of my biology text and do the exercises; then I’ll read the English assignment.”

Instead of saying “I’m going to be debt-free,” develop a plan for eliminating your each of your debts in a specific order.

If at all possible, quantify your target in some way: How much? How many? How often? How long? How far? Finding some way to add a numerical value to your goal is one of the best ways to make it precise.

Avoid descriptions like “some” or “a few” or “a little while.” Eliminate any ambiguities that you can.

Then identify the additional qualities of your goal: its color, texture, function, size, condition, uniqueness, age, material composition, intended audience, style, or purpose. Even though you have simplified it, detail as many things about your goal as you can.

Does it have time or cost constraints? Does it need to produce an emotional or intellectual impact of some kind? Are environmental concerns a factor?

Feeding your brain this kind of detailed data generates enormous focus and creativity. The subconscious works with images and the more concrete they are, the more effective it can be in lining up the factors that will contribute to your ultimate success.

The small amount of time and effort you invest in clarifying your goal does more than give you an edge. It repays you tremendously in increased efficiency, effectiveness and spectacular results.

by Susan K. Minarik
Want to learn more about achieving great results? Subscribe to Susan’s free newsletter, “The Magical Mirror” with tips and encouragement for creating life the way you want it to be at http://www.thetomorrowgame.com

Susan K. Minarik is the author of “Winning the Tomorrow Game: How to Discover and Create the Life of Your Dreams.”

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This is one of my favorite articles to read when I need some lifting up . . . from Steve Pavlina. It’s all in the way you look at things. And, it follows the theme from yesterday’s article posted about Persistence and Commitment.

Show Me Your Battle Scars

Whenever you set an ambitious goal, it’s virtually guaranteed you’ll encounter some roadblocks.

There’s no reason to let that stop you though. A roadblock isn’t much of an obstacle for a human being. You can climb over it, walk around it, blow it up, get someone else to move it, or otherwise bypass it.

Roadblocks do an outstanding job of frightening away the timid. But to those with a modicum of courage, roadblocks have very little power. When a committed person tackles a roadblock, the roadblock stands very little chance.

After a little time spent hacking away at the roadblock, the universe will tend to do the equivalent of saying, “Well, alright then… I was just checking to see if you were serious. I won’t stand in your way anymore. You’re free to proceed.”

Perhaps it’s a universal safety mechanism, something along the lines of survival of the fittest. Maybe the universe won’t allow weak-minded people to go too far down the path of goal achievement, since if they were to succeed in a big way, they’d just make a real mess of things.

Strong-willed people are free to pass, while weak-minded ones get knocked back and have to train up a bit more.

Time for a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers.”

So the question is… are you a timid adventurer? Has the world been scaring you away from setting and achieving some really big and meaningful goals?

Is a scarecrow enough to derail you from getting what you really want? Have you been derailed so many times that you’ve stopped pursuing what you want and settled for what you think you can get?

Have you defined as “impossible” or “highly improbable” a whole host of possibilities that other human beings have already proven achievable?

Sure there are some goals that would be really tough for you to accomplish. Maybe you’re right about certain things being impossible for you. So let’s see your battle scars then. Show me the wounds you’ve endured as a result of pursuing goals you couldn’t achieve.

Let’s see that bankruptcy, that broken heart, the rejection letter, the lawsuit, the divorce, the public humiliation. Show me the total failures, the brutal disappointments, the smack-downs.

Let’s see them battle scars.

What’s that? Do my ears deceive me, or are those crickets I’m hearing?

No scars, eh.

Alrighty, how about some cuts and bruises? … A skinned knee? … A boo boo? … Heck, I’ll settle for a henna tattoo at this point.

If you have no scars, then you’re a super-duper mega-achiever, right? You must either be a complete genius or incredibly lucky. Nothing but a huge string of successes one after the other.

That’s not it either?

But if you’re not experiencing unfathomable successes and you’re not taking heavy damage either, then what the heck have you been doing with yourself?

Playing it safe, eh? Playing… Pretending…

Did you really come here to live a pretend life? Perhaps you should stop doing that.

Think about living a real life for a change… the kind of life people write poetry about.

If this world were a role-playing game (RPG), would you be classified as an Avatar or an NPC (non-player character)? NPCs sit around and repeat the same actions day after day. Avatars go on quests, where every day is different.

Do you have a quest? Or just a queue? Those last couple letters make a big difference.

Is your life safe? The word safe is both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective it means “being free from danger.” As a noun it’s “an enclosed storage container with a lock on it.” If you’re living the adjective, you’re living the noun too.

The word brave is also an adjective and a noun, meaning “possessing courage” (adj) and “a warrior” (n). Same rules apply.

Put an ending to pretending. Design your character, train him up, buy him some cool weapons, and send him into battle. Leave the safe behind — it will only slow you down.

In other words, decide what you want, develop the required skills, acquire the necessary resources, and go after your goal with courage. Don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way. Be that resolute young fellow (regardless of your age) as opposed to the timid adventurer.

It really is true that you have nothing to fear but fear itself. If you get hurt along the way, then suck it up and keep going. Battle scars are a part of life. To deny yourself disppointment is to deny yourself victory.

If you want to go on a meaningful quest, you’re going to have to risk losing some hit points now and then. Imagine playing an RPG without losing any hit points. You’d be playing scared, and it would be mind-numbingly dull and plodding. Is that how you’re playing the game of life right now?

Is your life full of ghastly defeats and glorious triumphs? Or has getting the mail become the highlight of your day?

Do something today that causes you to risk outright failure. Polish that old armor, and clean up those rusty weapons. Put some of those hit points to good use for a change.

If you fail, then nurse your wounds and celebrate that you’re finally living as human beings were meant to live — impassioned, emboldened, and completely unafraid.

But if you succeed, go find yourself a darn good poet.

Copyright © Steve Pavlina

Steve Pavlina
Personal Development for Smart People
http://www.stevepavlina.com
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog (blog)
Steve is intensely growth-oriented. He trained in martial arts, ran the L.A. Marathon, and graduated from college in three semesters with two degrees. He can juggle, count cards at blackjack, and make damn good guacamole.

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