Goal Setting The Right Way.
If you don't have written goals, I'd like to help you get them down and clarified. What do you want to achieve?
Remember times when you accomplished your goals. Was there any doubt? No. You probably were probably very sure about yourself and never had a doubt that it would happen.
It was the second wasn't it? Successful people know their plans will work and that they will be successful. You must Know it is going to happen and that you will succeed. Knowing with a capital K; that solid feeling in the pit of your stomach that you will make happen and you cannot fail. Expect it to happen and know there is no other way. It will happen. This Knowing gives you drive and commitment to see you through to the success of your goal.
But how do you get this feeling? One of the best and most effective techniques is visualization.
You currently use the power of visualization, probably without even realising it. Have you ever run through what you are going to say to someone before you have the conversation? Or seen yourself in your mind giving a presentation before you give it?
Visualization is a very effective technique. It works for many areas of life, but it takes practice for it to be effective.
Here is how to do it.
The first step is to decide on a goal you want to accomplish.
2) Picture an image of this goal in your mind
Third, using all of your senses, visualize what your life would be like if you already accomplished it. Make a movie in your head and insert yourself right in there, on the beach, in your new home or whatever. What are you smelling, seeing, hearing, touching etc...
4) Hold this image in your mind for a minimum of 10 minutes - remain focus and positive. Challenge any doubts that rise and replace them with positive words and images of success. If you get distracted or your mind wanders, bring your focus back to your goal.
Remind yourself of this vision several times during the day. The more we think about things, the better chance we have of creating those realities in our lives. This exercise programs the brain to drive us towards our goals.
All goals are different, but some of them should be kept private. Friends and family, while they mean well, tend to say things that cause us to lose our belief and confidence in achieving our goals. This gets in the way lots of time.
It is hard enough to overcome our own doubts and worries without having to also overcome those of the people around you. Keep any goals where you may be influenced by others to yourself and let the people around you see the successful end result.
Acknowledging Your Success
Insist on success. One powerful method to take us to our goals faster, is to tell our mind that we will get there over and over. Positive affirmations, repeated, really work. They send a message to that quiet part of our brain that directs us.
An affirmation is a sentence or two that is written in a positive language with definite targets and timescales. A bad affirmation would be "I want to lose some weight." Your subconscious looks at this and since there is no timescale it will not leap into action. There is also no definite target so your subconscious does not know what to aim for. How is "some weight" defined? It is 10 pounds, but also 1 pound and also just 1 ounce.
A good affirmation is "I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of this year." This sends the right messages to your subconscious. It knows that you exactly how much you have to lose (10 pounds) and when this must be done by (the end of this year). You know precisely what you have to do and when it has to be done by.
Writing down our plan to get there is the next step. What steps will you take to get there by the date you have established. What will you do each and every day to get there?
Small Steps
It is okay to have big dreams like wanting to be a millionaire by the age of 40.
The problem is that this can actually de-motivate you, because it is overwhelming. The trick is to divide it into small steps that you can believe you can achieve each week.
Divide those big goals into smaller ones and attach action steps to each one.
Our mind can grasp the small steps and believe in our ability to get there. These small wins go a long way towards building our belief level.
All of your major goals and their associated sub-goals and action plans need to be regularly reviewed - ideally daily. This ensures you remain focussed on your goals and instantly know if you start to drift away from your target. It allows you to adjust your goals and action plan according to whether things are working quicker or slower than planned. It also prevents you from repeating actions and carrying out tasks that are not necessary. It keeps the goals in the forefront of your mind, and does not allow you to forget about them.
Achieving our goals is something we all want to do, but it involves work. Rarely will they be given to us on a silver platter by a servant on bended knee. Achievement requires Knowing, drive and commitment, combined with careful and meticulous planning and a firm belief in ourselves. With unwavering belief and commitment there is nothing that you cannot achieve. Everything and anything is within your grasp - if you are willing to make the commitment to achieving it.
Learn more about accomplishing your goals quickly. Stop by pick up your copy of Mike's best-selling book 3 secrets of millionaires and take your finances to the next level. Also published at Goal Setting The Right Way..