Success Begins with ‘S’ for Set Your Goals

Are you ever curious why some people seem to be living a life they truly love while others seem to be just making it through each day hoping things will get better?

Being curious, I decided to ask a few people what their dreams were. They quickly responded by passionately sharing their heart’s desires. I

heard dreams of owning a business, being able to buy a house, wishes for retirement, a better job or career advancement and with each reply I quickly realized these were ‘someday wishes’ not goals.  Things they hoped for but to the people I asked they either had no plan to realize their dreams or they lacked the belief that they could make their dream a reality. For them their dreams seemed to be elusive, outside of their control.

I realized everyone can have a dream but few know how to set a goal. Very few people understand that goal setting is a process.  Taking your dream from a vision to reality starts in how you picture it…. The image in your mind must be in detail, clearly defined.

The secret to setting a goal is;

• Falling in love with your dream.
• Being so passionate about it that you think about it countless times throughout the day.
• Taking time to write affirmations about it.
• Finding pictures or brochures of it.
• Writing out your goal over and over again each day.

I remember when I decided I wanted to set a bodacious goal to earn a 7-figure income. It was such an exciting and truly scary goal but at the same time one that challenged and motivated me.  I knew I needed to keep a clear vision of my goal in front of me to stay focused on the objective so I looked for symbols that would work as constant reminders. I bought a coffee mug with symbol of a million dollar bill on it and used it everyday. I found file folders with the same million dollar symbols on the cover and I used them daily. I even had some fun faux Million-dollar bills, which I placed on my desk, used as bookmarks and gave out to friends. These were visual reminders of my target (my objective), a silent declaration.

                 An important part of setting a goal is immersing yourself in your vision.Finding ways to keep your target in full view.

The Process of Setting a Goal is:

• Visualize it – what does it look like?
• Clearly Define it – see it in detail – write it down!
• Stay Focused – focus on your goal several times a day with words, pictures and emotions ‘as if’ you’ve already achieved it.
• Create a Plan of Action – what are your action steps?  Most people get stuck on the PLAN of ACTION part of the goal setting process.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
• An Effective Plan of Action is:                                                                                                             
• Knowing your objective..
• Identify the steps necessary to achieve the goal.
• Use lists – prioritize your tasks.
• Delegate – create a support team.
• Establish a deadline or time line to reach your goal.                                                                                                                                                      
  

  Work Smart Not Hard words on ticket to success in career, job or life

                                                                                                                                                 

•   Be …. S. M. A. R. T. 
• Specific – what exactly are you going to do?
• Measurable – Track your progress.
• Achievable – Develop the abilities and skills to reach them.
• Relevant – Your goal should be motivating and exciting to you.
• Time-based – When do you want to reach your goal?

I did reach a 7-figure income (many times) …. It took goal setting, commitment, action and belief. Yes, Success Begins with ‘S’ for Set Your Goals. 

“Our goals can be reached through a vehicle of a plan in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”  – Stephen A. Brennen