Jan 05, 2012 01:53 PM
Happy 2012! It's that time of the year again: time to reflect on how we did last year and set some new goals for 2012 or possibly make some adjustments to goals we didn't reach in 2011.
1. Don't just have your goals 'in your mind': write them down on paper and/or put them on your computer.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Trust no memory however right. Get it down in black and white."
A goal that is not written down is a wish. Writing your goals down is the first step to bringing them from an idea in your mind into the physical world.
2. Write your goals in positive terms. Never write (or say) what you don’t want. Only write (and say) what you do want.
The "law of attraction" isn't a theory; it's a fact. Rather than try to convince you of it here, read these classic books if you haven't already done so: As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen; Psycho-Cybernetics, by Maxwell Maltz, The Strangest Secret, by Earl Nightingale, and Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill.
The bottom line is we get, or are attracted to, what we habitually think about. So, write down what you want, not what you don't want.
For example, don’t write (or say) "My goal is to not get cancer." Instead write/say, "My goal is to consistently be in excellent health, have a strong immune system, have more than enough of energy, and feel great."
Begin writing your goals with the phrase, "My goal is..."
3. Have goals in several categories. Make them your categories, no one else’s. Here are some examples: spiritual, health, family, relationship(s), career, financial, personal growth, social, and hobby. You can create a form in a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel or you can use a note pad and pencil/pen. High-tech or low-tech, it doesn't matter. Just get it done.
4. Set a deadline for each goal. Brian Tracy said, "Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines." I would add, "…provided you include a hard deadline (date) for its completion."
Goals with deadlines add a sense of urgency and are more likely to be acted upon, and subsequently achieved.
5. Make your goal specific and measurable. If your goal is money, how much money do you want and by when? If it’s related to your weight, how much do you want to weigh and by when? Example, "My goal is to weigh 185 pounds by September 1, 2012." Notice I said what I wanted to weigh, not what I wanted to lose. (See #2 above.)
6. List your reasons why or the benefits you'll enjoy as a result of achieving your goals. This is extremely important. If you have enough "why-tos," you’ll figure out the "how-tos."
Your "why-tos" are the fuel you need to consistently discipline yourself over time to achieve your goals. Create a column next to your list of goals and list as many "why-tos" as you can for each goal.
7. List the problems you create for yourself by NOT having achieved your goals. Similar to #6 above, this comes from the other end of the spectrum. Instead of focusing on the benefits or pleasure experienced from achieving your goals, this focuses on the pain of not achieving your goals.
Create a column next to your list of goals and "why-tos" (carrot/pleasure) and list as many "problems by not having achieved" (stick/pain) as you can for each goal.
8. Test the strength of your desires. Do you really want the goals you've written down for yourself?
Even with the best of intentions, other people (parents, significant other, sibling, coach, mentor, etc.) might have convinced you, at one time or another in your life, to accept a goal that wasn't really your goal. If you don't fully accept a goal as your own and you're only doing it to please someone else, or if you're hanging on to an old goal you no longer want, you will not fully invest yourself in its accomplishment and you ultimately won't be very successful or happy doing it.
The only way to know for sure is to ask yourself, "Do I really want this goal?" If the answer is a resounding "no," scratch it off your list. Stop kidding yourself or wasting time on something you have little or no desire to achieve.
To register for my free "Ultimate Goal Planning" teleseminar on January 23, 2012, visit:
davidhumes.com/goals
I wish you and yours a most blessed, prosperous, and happy 2012!
David Humes is a productivity and happiness expert. He's the coauthor of 'Stepping Stones to Success' with Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, and Denis Waitley. For more information, visit http://DavidHumes.com Copyright © 2011 by David Humes. All rights reserved in all media throughout the universe.
