Goals are Dreams with Deadlines Chapter 12: Life’s Greatest Lessons Goals are Dreams with Deadlines

Motivation and Goals: A Powerful Combination Together, they are the: Greatest source of human power Seed of all success When we combine motivation with our goals, there’s hardly anything that can stop us

Goals: Encompass all of life Are the most effective self-motivators The goals we set and the depth of our motivation will determine, more than anything else, what we make of our lives

Why Goals Are So Important Best definition of success: the progressive accomplishment of worthy goals Success doesn’t happen by accident—it happens by design Any type of success starts with a mission: a specific goal accompanied by strong desire A dream becomes a goal, the goal becomes an achievement

Living without goals is like going on a trip without a destination If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up nowhere!

The Benefits of Setting Goals Motivation goals give us a reason to get off our duffs and get going! Independence goals help us take charge of our own lives & do our own thing Direction goals give us a destination Meaning goals give us a sense of purpose Enjoyment goals make our lives more fun, more interesting, & more challenging (NOT boring!) Fulfillment goals help us reach our potential

When a Dream Becomes a Goal GOALS ARE DREAMS WITH DEADLINES! Need to be specific—”traveling to Europe” isn’t good enough; need a target date, as well as a specific place (country, even city--Europe is a big place)!

Understand the Difference Between a Goal and a Wish Ask 100 people what their goals are, and most will say be happy, be rich, be famous… These aren’t goals, they’re wishes A wish is a vague dream that we hope happens to us… A goal is a clear picture that becomes an achievement because we make it happen! It requires hard work, self-discipline, and good use of time (what the next 3 chapters are about)!

Write Down Your Goals, and Make Them Specific We draw up plans for buildings, businesses, meetings, weddings, sports, parties, vacations, etc… But do we draw up plans for our lives? That’s what goals are! Specifics to think about (write these down): What are the steps you need to take to accomplish these? What are the obstacles to overcome? Whose help do you need? What do you need to learn? What will the rewards be?

Categorize & Balance Your Goals One of the keys to succeeding in life is to live it with some balance. Let’s make a list of some of your goals; try to include at least 1 in each of the following categories: Education Career Income Own (things I want to have) Family Fun/adventure (things I want to do) Athletic Personal growth Spiritual Learn to do Travel (within U.S.) Travel (foreign)

Review & Revise Goals Regularly Keep your list in a visible place (like a to do list) Visualize yourself accomplishing them—we become what we see & think about! Revise them at least once a year (maybe your New Year goals?) Don’t cross out the ones you change—write “NLG” (no longer a goal) in front of it—helps you see how you’ve changed Mark off the ones you’ve accomplished

Summary Goals give us direction and purpose Goals add meaning to our lives Goals challenge us Goals make life more interesting Goals make life more rewarding Goals make life better Goals and the finish line Unbroken