You Can be Great If You Really Want To

Goal setting, when done properly, greatly enhances your chances of achieving in life! Believe me, I’ve had to learn this the hard way, Mr Practical should have been my middle name…

Why?…

Because I’ve always instinctively tried my damned hardest to avoid any form of theory. Sometimes, just saying the word theory used to be enough to send me to slumberland!…

It’s true, that’s how reluctant I am about theory. However…

THE ‘LONGER ROUTE’ IS OFTEN THE SHORTER ROUTE!

Throughout my life, when I’ve been faced with something I really want to achieve, I’ve always had the practical, JUST DO IT, mentality! As a result, in hindsight, I realised that the final outcome was very much predictable. This is typically what would happen…

I would have this thing that I want, or need, to achieve and then I start thinking, I can do this without setting goals, even though I know I should. Besides, I can do it much quicker if I JUST DO IT!”. Everything goes great until I’m hit with a problem. Here’s what ALWAYS happens…

I’d become very frustrated, bored and confused, resulting in one of these two things happening!…

1) I give up and look back at it and feel like a complete and utter LOSER, or…

2) I end up setting goals after all, and feel like a complete and utter LOSER for not doing it in the first place!

On top of all that, I’d feel like an even bigger LOSER when I realise that the ‘shortcut’ really was the longer route, in disguise. What seemed like a bad idea (i.e goal setting), by this stage started to make perfect sense. You know what? I actually feel like a loser just telling you about this…

Now be honest, have you done this, too? Don’t be afraid to admit it, you’re in ‘safe’ company. Besides, it will help me to feel better about myself!…

WHY SET GOALS?

I can’t stress enough the IMPORTANCE of setting goals. It’s that important, I think I’ll say it again…

There’s no if’s or but’s about it, goal setting is incredibly important!

I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but we ALL are unconsciously goal setting each and every day. For example…

You plan on getting to work before 9 o’clock. That’s a form of goal setting…

You want to go shopping on Friday… that’s goal setting…

You decide you want to lose 7lbs. That’s more goal setting…

Do you get my drift?…

The real ‘kick-but’ goal setting I’m referring to for living your dream life, obviously is a bit more sophisticated then that example – OK a LOT more! You see, goal setting has a very interesting psychological side effect. For example…

Imagine being in debt, let’s say of about 100k, and let’s also say that it MUST be repaid in 12 months or your home will be repossessed! Now, your not rich, in fact, you’re flat broke, SUPER BROKE, even!…

What on earth are you going to do? Maybe emigrate, probably the sooner the BETTER!…

JUST JOKING! But seriously though…

Just out of curiosity, would you have? Either way, considering the fact that you’re strapped for cash, wondering “How is it possible I can pay back this sort of money, let alone in 12 moths” is very likely. The funny thing is, in the right context, that’s not a bad thought to have. Here’s why…

You see, when you ask yourself this kind of question, it’s almost like switching your brain on and instructing it to start goal setting, in order to solve this 100k problem!…

But, it’s important that the question is asked in an open, ‘believe I can do this’, mind set!… Otherwise… FORGET IT!

For everyone, to get any type of success in life, goal setting is very important and what is even more important is the fact that you stick to those goals which are essential to achieve the hopes and dreams connected with it.

A good and organized plan of action is the first major step towards successful goal setting. For example, someone who wishes to earn more money can do an additional job while he is at home after full day in office. In this way, he can earn more money while working from home and also spend his time creatively which he earlier was spending by watching television and browsing internet uselessly. This is the simplest example of positive and resourceful goal setting.

A realistic plan is also very important thing while setting up a goal. Like, it would be very unwise if someone says that he wants to save enough to become a billionaire without even knowing how much to earn, how much to spend and then, how much to save. There is no wrong point of thinking big and striving for them but the important thing is that the goals should be within reach otherwise that condition might result in depressive state of mind. So, in order to evade the negative impact of failure of achieving your goals, practicality and setting goals that are within reach is a must thing while setting up goals.

Once you have got your goals set, it is very important to stay focused at it all the time. Actually, it means to be very careful with your funds if suppose your goal involves finances and capital. A prime example is that someone saves a down payment of his home and gets a brand new sports car that catches attention of everybody on the road. A person who is focused on buying a new home with that saved money will feel more contented than one who buys a new car from same money hastily just to calm down his enticement. After some time, this will definitely result in remorse for the car buyer.

Setting up of goals is a very important part of our lives right from the beginning. Whether in some school assignment, holiday homework that needs to be finished in a week, some project or venture work that has to be finished by the end of the day or any financial goal or plan that needs to be accomplished, effective planning and goal setting will definitely help you conclude even the hardest and the most challenging tasks within the prescribed deadlines with great ease and effortlessness.

What is the essence of the American Dream? Is it still valid? And what has goal setting got to do with the American Dream? The American Dream stands for something, an important principle, and one which we will take a look at in this article.

The American Dream, personified by the statue of Liberty. But, what is that American Dream? It stands for freedom, but what kind of freedom, and how do we find it?

In today’s society, we find that freedom, and liberty can be words that seem foreign to us. We have relative freedom; we have a car, a home, etc. However, we can easily lose sight of just how much – even kings and queens would have valued some of what we have today.

So, is that American Dream dead? Not at all, because, even in today’s western society, we can find ourselves lacking a certain level of freedom. We have desires, and want things. We want to do, be, and have things. These in themselves are goals. And here is where goal setting and that big dream come to play.

America houses great opportunity and that opportunity has spread all around the world. Here the dream begins, because today, though the element of freedom is pretty much commonplace in the US and other countries, we still can find ourselves in a position where we are thirsty for more out of life.

Even though money is not everything, we can only do things in society with money, and possessions. To have a goal to get a good education, this goal alone is not possible without the adequate money.

Now, here is where things get interesting, because we can see that goal setting and that big American Dream go hand in hand. For hundreds of years, the US has been a place where people could go to, to find opportunity, seize them, and reach their goals.

Goal setting is an important principle, as it allows us to focus on what we want. We think about what we want, and go about achieving them. For example, the car would not be there, as it is today, if Henry Ford did not set goals, and go forward to there achievement. Likewise that education people seek, would not be possible, if the founders of that place of learning was not built.

Goals are what build societies, and as more people partake in them, we have richer societies. As people set goals, there is no need to be stuck in the dead end job, because people can go forward to reach there goals. And there is nothing like setting your own destination.