Friday, October 17, 2008

Hit the target!

As the year winds down, we begin to look back at the year and question whether or not the year was "a good one". What have you accomplished? Are you on pace to reach and or surpass your goals? Did you set goals?

With the world in turmoil right now, many tend to look at the downside of the news we hear on a local, national and world perspective. Fear is 0n the face of many I see as I walk down the street. The news we watch and read gives us little to no promise of anything good to come out of this.


It's time to take a new perspective on the changes we are experiencing everyday. Do not look at news as either good or bad. Look at it for what it is; news. In fact, news is really history when you think about it and it is obvious that we can not change the past, only the future. News is not a predictor of the future. We choose what tomorrow's "news" will be. With that said we are left empowered because we now have the choice of what we choose to see and think about the news. Billions of dollars vanishing in days can now seem like the beginning of a change or even a revolution of sorts. It can represent an opportunity to anyone looking for the opportunity. It can represent a chance to start over and re-examine your life's purpose. Now that we are empowered we can take the first step in reaching our goals.


Is it possible to hit a target that you can not see? Maybe, but not likely. That is why it is so important to set goals. Typically, it takes some time betwen the time we set a goal and the time we set things in motion to accomplish a goal. That is why October is such a great month to start thinking about what you want to accomplish in 2009. We often set goals in January, but by february they are all but forgotton. October is the month to get serious about setting your goals and setting your sights on the opportunity that the new year brings.


The anatomy of a goal. There are many types of goals, some are specific, some are nonspecific. the best kind are the ones that are specific because they are easier to measure. If you have nonspecific goals, outline the steps needed to reach that goal and use the steps as individual specific goals to use as benchmarks on the way to your original nonspecific goal. A measurable goal increases the likelyhood of it being reached.


Set goals in all areas of your life. Most people think about a particular area of their life when setting goals. Personal goals, health goals, financial goals, play goals, family goals are all common areas that we set goals for. Remember your imagination is the limit when setting goals. Although some may say your goal is unrealistic, only you can set your goals. If you let someone convince you that your goal is in fact unrealistic, you have just given away your power to set your own goals. Beware of those that like to steal your power to set goals. They are doing it because their power to set goals is not as strong as yours.


Set goals pertainining to performance, rather than outcome. If you are a runner and want to finish a marathon, I would say it is important to train frequelntly to build your endurance and eat a diet to support your training needs. The goal of finishing a marathon is a good goal, but to set a goal of training 3-4 times everyweek unitl that marathon is an even better goal. This is because finishing the marathon is an outcome while training 3 to 4 times a week will enhance performance or ability to achieve the goal. By setting perfrmance goals, we increase our chances of getting the desired out come.


Have you ever noticed that we like to wait until the last minute to get things done? Most times waiting for the last minute creates somewhat of a crisis in life and most times nonetheless we get them done. Set a deadline to achieve your goals, but don't wait for the last minute to get them done. This eliminates the crisis situation and you still get to reach your goal. Think about the farmer who tries to plant a seed and harvest it in the same day.


Prioritize your goals and take action on those with the highest priority. Examine how your time is spent. How much time do you spend doing high priority tasks versus low priority tasks? Reduce or eliminate time spent doing low priority tasks in exchange for working toward your goals. If you get the big things done first, we become more flexible when those last minute crisis occur.


Keep track of your goals. Write them and read them daily. Fill your mind with emotion when reading them. Turn them into affirming statements in present tense and in first person. For example; If you aspire to become the president of the united states. Say, " I am the president of the United States." At first it will feel silly, then once you get over that say it again seriously and feel the emotions that surface when you say it. The more you evoke the emotions of a president, the closer and more attainable the goal will seem.


Lastly, set some "easy" goals to achieve immediately. Achieving these goals gets you well on your way for the new year. Don't forget to celebrate each and every victory so you can carry that energy for the next goal you tackle.