#ThePeopleAlchemistEdit: Business Goals #DreamBig - the power of goal setting

Many people work hard, but they don't seem to get anywhere worthwhile, so every year, the resolution-merry-go-round comes and goes as quickly. I don't believe in New Year resolutions: to me, they sound like something that we should do that might be good for us, but boy, they are such a pain and sacrifice that we give up at the first obstacle or opportunity ( let's face it, we give up quite quickly too ). I know about this all too well with my past resolution to "go to the gym", " exercise", and so on... But, unfortunately, I'm not an exercise person. It doesn't do anything for me; it doesn't excite me. I love art, architecture, history, beautiful things, this is what I love, and I found something to satisfy all my needs instead: walking. I can meditate and listen to tapes whilst doing it, look at my surroundings and admire beautiful things ( ok, not always, but you know what I mean), it gets me places, and I can do it in No Extra Time to everyday life plus it is free. Et voila, I'm exercising ... ;-) Back to the subject, a key reason why people feel they are not getting anywhere is that they haven't spent enough time thinking about what they want from life and haven't set themselves formal goals.

The power of goal setting

Goal setting (not target setting or tasks listing) is a robust process for thinking about the ideal future and for motivating yourself to turn the vision of this future into reality, "goals are dreams with deadlines" - quote - Tony Robbins. Setting goals helps to choose where you want to go in life. Top-level athletes, successful business people and achievers in all fields all set goals. Setting goals gives a long-term vision, and short-term motivation focuses on acquiring knowledge and helps organise time and resources to make the very most of life. Clearly defined goals can be measured, and the forward progress tracked, instead of a long pointless grind. This creates self-perpetuating confidence ( the further improvement, the more confidence, the more confidence, the more achievement and progress, and so on).

Seeing the Big picture

The first step is to create the"big picture" of what you want to do with your life - longer term - and identify the large-scale goals you want to achieve. Then, break these down, smaller and smaller, into targets that you must hit to reach lifetime goals. You can then start working to achieve these goals. The important thing is to choose well: what are you passionate about? What do you want to be and do in life? What is important to you? Then, ask yourself, what would I want for my life if I knew I could have anything I wanted? What would I go for if I knew I could not fail? The next is to know the why: why do you want to be and do all those things? What will they give you? Do not question or doubt your capability and dream big.

Stepping out of the comfort zone

Setting goals outside your comfort zone of know-how and confidence causes resistance that appears as fear and anxiety. Setting big goals and reviewing them regularly can be incredibly uncomfortable because it highlights one own scepticism about self-worth and abilities. Our lives reflect precisely where we feel we should be, the level where we feel safe. When you set a goal that is substantially beyond your current reality, you are opening the imaginative, visionary part of your mind (opposed to the linear, analytical part) and unleashing the creativity in you. When we set a goal that is only incrementally bigger than where we are now, we do not consider the bigger vision of what is possible (that's why you must start with the dream first and then break it down). Set goals for each area of your life, write them down and review them regularly :

1. Personal development goals (what type of person do you want to be)
2. Career/business/economic goals (what do you want to achieve)
3. Fun goals (what do want to experience)
4. Contribution goals (what do you want to give)

Achieving big goals require a change in thinking, actions and, sometimes, in self-identity. The power of goal setting is almost magical. Big goals inspire and motivate. "When you begin to believe that anything is possible, anything is possible" Margaret M. Lynch.

 

So #DreamBig and #makethisyeargreat xxx