GOAL SETTING

Most people aim at nothing in life and hit it with amazing accuracy !! A man was travelling and stopped at an intersection. He asked the elderly man, “Where does this road take me?” The elderly person asked, “Where do you want to go?” The man replied, “I don’t know.” The elderly person said, “Then take any road. What difference does it make?” How true. When we don’t know where is going, any road will take us there.

Why don’t more people set goals? A pessimistic attitude – Always seeing the pitfalls rather than the possibilities Fear of failure – What if I don’t make it? People feel subconsciously that if they don’t set goals and if they don’t make it, then they haven’t failed. But they are failures to begin with. A lack of ambition – This is a result of our value system and lack of desire to live a fulfilled life. Our limited thinking prevents us from progress. There was a fisherman who, every time he caught a big fish, would throw it back into the river, keeping only the smaller ones. A man watching this unusual behavior asked the fisherman why he was doing this. The fisherman replied, “Because I have a small frying pan.” Most people never make it in life because they are carrying a small frying pan. That is limited thinking.

Why don’t more people set goals? A fear of rejection – If I don’t make it, what will other people say? Procrastination – “Someday, I will set my goals.” This ties in with a lack of ambition. Low self-esteem – Because a person is not internally driven and has no inspiration. Ignorance of the important of goals – Nobody taught them and they never learned the importance of goal-setting. A lack of knowledge about goal-setting – People don’t know the mechanics of setting goals. They need a step-by-step guide so they can follow a system.

Why set Goals ? 1. You take control of your life 2. You focus on the important things 3. You will make good decisions 4. You can finish the task efficiently 5. You will be self-confident and enthusiastic 6. You will make progress 7. You are closer to success

Meaningless Goals A farmer had a dog who used to sit by the roadside waiting for vehicles to come around. As soon as one came he would run down the road, barking and trying to overtake it. One day a neighbor asked the farmer "Do you think your dog is ever going to catch a car?" The farmer replied, "That is not what bothers me. What bothers me is what he would do if he ever caught one." :: Moral of the Story :: Many people in life behave like that dog who is pursuing meaningless goals. First set Meaningful and Realistic goal and then work to achieve GOAL.

Why Goals Fail The goal was not written down. Rewards for achieving the goals were not given. The goal was unrealistic or not specific enough. The goal is not really believable or little commitment exists. Keep changing or switching goals with the weather The person who set the goal has not told anyone else for added accountability, help and support. The goal was not incorporated into a realistic plan that includes measurements, timelines and resources.

“As if it were already true” If a young boy from a small village in Austria can become a 7-time Mr. Olympia, a huge box office star, and governor of the most populous state in the country, might your dreams be more realistic than you think?

What Happens when Arnold Schwarzenegger Puts His Mind on Something? “I’m going to be the number-one box-office star in all of Hollywood.” The Schwarzenegger formula ??

Goal Setting Guidelines 1.Your goal must be conceivable. You must be able to imagine, conceptualize and understand the goal or desired result. Top athletes practice visualizing step-by-step actual success in their sports competition. By visualizing your success in great detail, you are conditioning your mind and preparing yourself to achieve your desired success. 2.Make your goal believable. Your goal should be consistent with your personal values system, and you must believe you can reach the goal. It is critically important that you believe in yourself. You must see yourself with the goal in hand. 3.Your goal must be achievable. You must have the mental and physical capacity to reach the goal. It would, however, be important for your goal to cause you to stretch beyond normal self-imposed limits. You will find a goal that causes you to stretch and grow will be the goal that gives you the most satisfaction. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself to go beyond old limits!

Goal Setting Guidelines 4.Make your goal measurable. Deciding to do better than last year or to be happy gives you no standard by which you can measure progress. Be sure to relate your goal to quantity, percentage increases, dollar volume, time or distance. This will allow you to measure your progress. 5.Your goal should be controllable. This means you must be able to achieve the goal yourself, or gain the willing cooperation of others to reach the goal. This emphasizes the importance of building team spirit. If you can have no control over the outcome of an event, it's not realistic to set a goal in this area. It would be like gambling in Las Vegas. Without a proven system that beats the odds, lack of control will lead to frustration - and cost you a lot of money! 6.Be sure you have singleness of purpose. Make sure your goal is not in conflict with other areas of your life. For instance, if you decide to travel extensively in your business or work 80 to 90 hours per week, this will interfere with your personal or family relationships. The travel and long hours could lead to poor health or family discord. Some goals become mutually exclusive and create conflict with other goals.

SMART

SMART S – Specific. For example, “I want to lose weight.” This is wishful thinking. It becomes a goal when I pin myself down to “I will lose 10 pounds in 90 days.” M – Must be measurable. If we cannot measure it, we cannot accomplish it. Measurement is a way of monitoring our progress. For example, 10 pounds/90 days are measurement. A – Must be achievable. Achievable means that it should be out of reach enough to be challenging but it should not be out of sight, otherwise it becomes disheartening. R – Realistic. A person who wants to lose 50 pounds in 30 days is being unrealistic. T – Time-bound. There should be a starting date and a finishing date.

Task Imagine your self from 10 years from now. Write down all you can see.

“Create a vision of who you want to be” Take out a clean sheet of paper, write down a description of yourself 10 years in the future. Who are you? What does your life look like? What are you doing? Where? Who is around you? Allow yourself to imagine a future in which failure is impossible, and there are no limits.

GOAL SETTING Do one of the following: *Discuss 10 years from now *Complete the writing assignment Or Draw/Color a Picture about Goal Setting GOAL SETTING