Goals For Life

Goals are something that I set and regularly achieve in all areas of my life, from relationship to business…so the benefits for me well-and-truly outweigh the little bit of time it takes to sit down and write them. This particular goal setting process is a little different to some of the more traditional ways, as it asks us to seek a deeper meaning and question some more spiritual aspects of our self as well.

I am told that there are four major obstacles that people come up with when setting goals. They -

1. don’t realise the importance of setting goals – if you don’t have a planned destination your results will be unpredictable.
2. don’t know how to set goals – I didn’t know until I was shown. Once I saw the way to making good decisions was by setting a clear focus, I have never turned back.
3. fear rejection or criticism – it really is important to share your thoughts and dreams with the people who support and encourage you.
4. fear failure – sometimes this one holds us back so much that we sabotage ourselves by refusing to set goals in the first place so that we cannot possibly fail.

Well, any plan is better than no plan at all. Have you heard the saying, “Failing to plan means you plan to fail!”

There are some important ingredients we need before we start though. We must be willing to -

* be ready and prepared to change.

* have a clear and definite purpose

* find what we are passionate about

* set our goal/s in writing

* formulate a plan

* take action

MAKING CHANGES – Are you ready and prepared to make some changes to the way you have been doing things? I suspect because you are reading this right now that you are certainly willing to entertain the possibility. That’s a good start.

PURPOSE – Do you know what your Life Purpose is? If you do, then I sincerely congratulate you. Many people aren’t even aware how satisfying having a purpose in life is. It has also amazed me for some time now, the number of people who are waiting for their life purpose to revealed to them somehow…that’s OK…but I’m about to present you with the foundation to a really vital step that will make decision making so much easier for you as well as adding more meaning to your life. So, what is your life purpose? It is something YOU decide. Don’t wait for your purpose to be revealed on a blackboard in the sky. That’s not going to happen. YOU choose what your life purpose is to be. This is something you might want to meditate on, to pray about, to think carefully about, or to simply decide right now what your purpose in life is to be. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. There is only your answer. But once you make that decision, your actions will always have purpose, you will be able to make decisions so much easier and you will find more ways to experience a feeling of fulfilment. Once you have chosen your Life Purpose, then you can make other important decision based on that knowledge…your life will never be the same again.

FINDING WHAT YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT – Knowing your purpose makes goal setting so much easier. But let me offer another idea to help you discover what you are really passionate about.

Ask yourself, what is my intention? What do I really want? You could even write a sentence that begins like this – When my life is ideal……………………………..(and then write what will be happening in your life when you are fully living your ideal life without any limitations). It really is important to allow yourself to dream big with this question. Don’t let any thoughts of, “I can’t do this” or, “I’m not smart enough to do that” or “I don’t have enough money” stop you from really exploring what you truly want inside. Napoleon Hill said, “Everything that has ever been achieved was first conceived in the mind”, so let your imagination flow.

SETTING THE GOALS – Now you have decided what you really want, you’ve explored those innermost desires, it’s time to write those things down clearly. Real goal setting isn’t about writing down what you think might be achievable. It’s about expressing your REAL and TRUE desires. If you are only going to write down what you think you can achieve you have missed the whole point of setting goals. By deciding your purpose and discovering what your passions are, you have set in motion a universal energy that is already bringing those things towards you. So I encourage you to “go for it” and clearly write down what is the goal/s you would really, really like to achieve.

FORMULATE A PLAN – Traditionally, a financial plan is built around a series of steps. Many people write what they would like to achieve in a matter of weeks, months and years. Many of the wealthiest people on the planet admit to having up to 50 year plans. Some even plan to accommodate the future after their own death. Now that’s one big plan.

Robert Kiyosaki (best selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad) suggests to write down three separate financial plans…

1. write your plan as if you intend to be SAFE AND SECURE

2. write your plan as if you intend to be COMFORTABLE

3. write your plan as if you intend to be WEALTHY

…there is no right or wrong choice here, just your choice. Some people desire to be wealthy, others crave for security. This is your plan, you decide what is important to you.

If your goals relate to other aspects of life such as health/relationship/family/community or anything else, write 3 plans to mimic the suggestion above. For example, if it is a relationship goal you are wanting to achieve, you might -

1. write your plan as if you intend to attract a SAFE AND SECURE relationship

2. write your plan as if you intend to attract a COMFORTABLE relationship.

3. write your plan as if you intend to attract a PASSIONATE relationship

Get the idea?

TAKING ACTION – Anthony Robbins (author and motivational speaker) says that the most important step we can take is, “Never leave the site of setting a goal without first taking some form of positive action towards its attainment”. Good advice huh.

Using Our Spiritual Intelligence – These days the term spiritual intelligence has become more mainstream and includes the deep need for meaning, adding value and the knowledge of the significance of living with integrity. Following these steps and using my spiritual intelligence is an important part of balance in my life, so there is another step that I include when I am on the way to achieving my goals…

Keep my attention on the goal, the destination or what I’d like to achieve. Imagine in my mind daily what it feels like and act as if it has already come true. Imagination is a wonderful thing. It is what we used as children to create wonder and magic in our lives. Somewhere we lost the ability to imagine and create joy from the inside without even needing anything outside us to be happy. This concept isn’t new. It’s been talked about for years. Isn’t it time you started feeling truly happy on the inside again? The power of our imagination is awesome. Why not use it today to bring your goals, dreams and desires closer to you. You have nothing to lose!

ONE LAST, YET VERY IMPORTANT POINT – Setting goals like this is primarily a function of our Mental Intelligence (IQ). Choosing our purpose and finding out what we are really passionate about help us to find a deeper meaning to life and act more purposefully. This requires us to question our spiritual intelligence (SQ). The final step to be taken in this regard is to relax, trust and be open to receive the benefits of all the preceding steps.

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Then do that! Act with complete faith. Do what you would do if you knew you were going to succeed. This should never be a chore. It’s supposed to be fun. Just relax and don’t force a thing. Sometimes it might be really challenging, yet if we are following our true purpose in life, there will inevitably be an element of joy attached to the process. Life is meant to be enjoyed…and so is goal setting.

Copyright ©2007. Elizabeth Richardson. All rights reserved worldwide.

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