Mentality 1: Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude

"I said, 'Excuse me, I'm going to be a pro golfer.' They said, 'No ,no, only one in two thousand or ten thousand makes it.' So I said, 'Fine. I'm the one.' I had that level of self-commitment."
Champion golfer Nick Faldo .


We now have our goals in place. To achieve these goals, and our quality of life, we now need to marshal our resources both mental and physical.

First we start with the seat of all success - the mind.



Attitude and Belief

In the fascinating book, 'Mind Games' , former British national athletics coach Frank Dick talks of his relationship with double Olympic gold medal winning decathlete, Daley Thompson.

"Just after a hard day's work, when we were sitting back and feeling the sun on our faces, Daley said to me, 'Frankie, who's the greatest athlete you ever saw?" I asked if he meant even in videos, and he said yes. I named someone who had made four world records in one day. Daley said, 'Forget it, buddy, you're looking at him.'"

Mental training is an essential part of all sports. I cannot say I have experience of sports at a high level but I did spend some time involved in hill walking and expedition leadership where belief in your ability was probably more important than physical fitness.

With so many other challenges in life, the only barrier to our success is mental, something we touched upon previously when discussing fear.

Scammers and confidence tricksters use their attitude to persuade their victims of their plausibility. A few years ago I did some work locating properties for investors and was amazed how I easy it was to broker multi-million pound deals with professionals without having any previous experience myself.

Belief in yourself and a positive attitude are therefore key to success in any field.

As mentioned before, success requires breaking out from our comfort zone, and this can be frightening. And yet, once you have expanded your mind in this way, it will never be the same again.

James Allen says this: "As a being of thought, your dominant mental attitude will determine your condition in life."

Bob Urichuck : "Your attitude is 100% within your control! There are plenty of things in life that we have no control over. We can't control the weather, the time or what other people say or do. But we can control the way we react, our thoughts, our self-talk and our beliefs."

Robin Sieger agrees: "You have to believe in yourself and your capacity to succeed whatever happens. To have an unshakeable faith that you will make it."

He relates this can be seen in world-class champions in both sport and business.

"These people have a belief that will enable them to overcome hurdles that we would probably stare at and say 'No way through there and give up.'"

"I hope you really believe that you can achieve your personal goals and not pay lip service to them. So it is good to reflect on what we want to achieve in our lives and make sure they are not wishes we pay lip service to, but rather they are real goals that we believe in and act upon."

James Allen: "Belief is the basis of all action, and, this being so, the belief which dominates the heart or mind is shown in the life. Every man acts, thinks, lives in exact accordance with the belief which is rooted in his innermost being."

"Belief lies at the root of all human conduct. Every thought, every act, every habit, is the direct outcome of a certain fixed belief, and one's conduct alters only as one's beliefs are modified. What we cling to, in that we believe; what we practice, in that we believe. When our belief in a thing ceases, we can no longer cling to or practice it; it falls away from us as a garment out-worn."

This is the basis of the Law of Attraction. What we believe in, what we focus our mind on is most likely to occur.

Bob Urichuck : "What you think about is what you attract into your life. Negative thoughts attract certain conditions in your life, as does positive thinking. You have the ability to make any thought a reality. Mix those thoughts with emotion and they have an even greater impact on becoming reality."


The Quiet Man


James Allen talks about the confidence of the quiet man. I can think of individuals who appear to have belief in themselves who one might say have a good attitude. And yet these people are outgoing and loud: full of themselves, if you will. I think the truth is that the truly confident with the best attitude are generally also the most quiet. They feel no need to prove themselves.
As you adopt a positive, success-orientated attitude you may well find yourself approaching situations in the same calm, unruffled manner.

I have been lucky enough in my life to have dealings with several such individuals. The world of exploration and mountaineering in particular seems to breed this type. Three good examples that leap to mind would be Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Sir Chris Bonnington and Bear Grylls. You feel their confidence and are drawn to them.

James Allen: "The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others; and they, in turn, reverence his spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of him and rely upon him. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good."

James Allen (1864-1912) certainly practised what he preached. A neighbour in Ilfracombe, Devon quoted in his biography by John Woodcock described Allen a having "a mysterious air" and "You almost had the feeling he could put a spell on you. We stepped aside when he came along."

Martial arts masters acknowledge this attitude of confident peace too.

In his book on T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Master T.T. Liang writes: "The principle of T'ai Chi is to control action by tranquillity and to conquer the forceful and unyielding with the gentle and yielding. From nothingness something is produced: it looks like nothing, though it is something; it looks soft, but in reality it is firm."

"When the mind can be maintained firmly, then a calm unperturbedness can be attained; and to that calmness there will succeed a tranquil repose of the spirit of vitality."

A few years ago the England soccer manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson was impressed by his captain David Beckham. "Beckham is very positive. He's still young, but he's a leader. He doesn't talk very much, but that's positive about him. He works very hard and always tries to find solutions for difficult tasks. That's important."

It may be going slightly off topic, but I can vouch personally for the advantages of quiet confidence. On customer services training courses in the past we were always being told to deal with a loud, argumentative person by using a measured, quiet tone. Inevitably the loud bully will quieten his or her tone to match your own. I have tried this and it does work.

On one occasion, however, I was able to imitate this attitude in an extreme test. A gang of loud teenagers decided to use the front wall of my property as a seat and to occasionally climb into my garden. I simply stood in full view of them and said nothing. Initially they shouted abuse at me but my quietness and inactivity unsettled them to the point where they simply got up and walked away. I can only conclude such people feed off the emotions of others and, when confronted with calmness, they have no reply.

(I use the expression the 'Quiet Man', full in the knowledge that this can relate to both men and women alike.)


Conclusion

Attitude from a belief in yourself is clearly required for success in any field. But how do we get this belief and attitude? In the next blog we will deal with this question.

Until the next time, have a great week. With my very best wishes as ever,

Keith


http://www.keithbraithwaite.com/

Goals 4: So What Are My Goals?

So here we are after studying dreams and goals, actually applying what we have learned to our own situations. Boy, has it been a soul-searching exercise and it is not finished yet!

I am late again with this blog (sorry) simply because the process has been a tough one - and it is still ongoing. In this blog, I will lay out what I have done so far and give you an idea of what goals I have set so far for myself. Don't panic, I am not going to hit you with every goal I have as that would be long and very dull for you. Anyway, you are more interested in your own goals so I will simply try to illustrate the process for you.


Set Time Periods to Your Dreams

You may recall in week three of the Dreams blogs I set out my dreams in list form. Well, following the advice previously quoted from Jim Rohn in the last Goal blog, I have taken the list and decided whether each goal would take 1,3,5 or 10 years to achieve.

The list looks like this:

Notice there are goals listed as 'DEFINE'. These are goals I have had to work on to specify exactly what I want. As mentioned before, if we can't define them we are less likely to achieve the goals.

Put Detail on Your Goals

On the list above, you can see several goals have an asterix against them. There will be four of these for each time frame when I have defined my goals better. The goals marked in this way are those significant milestones for which I will give much more detail.

Jim Rohn suggested examining each of these using two headings:

1. A detailed description of the goal
2. The reasons why you want it.

I have completed the exercise for each of the 'One Year' goals. These are set out below. I am working on the later years goals in the same way but set these out these shorter term ones simply as illustrations.



Goals Up to One Year

FINANCIAL FREEDOM


1. A Detailed Description of the Goal


To me, financial freedom means not having to rely on a job for my income, not having to rely on someone else. Instead, I require an ongoing residual income - or incomes - for which I do not need to turn up for work every day.

This would give me the opportunity to pursue what I enjoy doing, rather than what I need to gain an income.

I have multiple sources of income totalling GBP2000 before tax and this will steadily increase as time goes by.

I continue to work towards increasing these incomes on a part-time basis simply because I enjoy it. However, if I do nothing for a while, the income will still come in and, indeed, increase. And if I want to put extra hours into producing extra income, I will do that too.

Financial freedom feels good. I am more relaxed as I have no job to go to and pursue those activities I want to pursue. I can now spend time attacking other goals such as researching the history of Tatchbury, spending time with family and friends, exploring, taking photographs, writing, socialising and so on.

Financial freedom allows me to sleep better at night as I have little to trouble my conscience. I can also spend time helping others to overcome their challenges.

I feel physically fit too as I have time to watch my diet and am more active. I can spend the time working on the house and tending the garden. I have opportunities now to simply watch people and smell the air and roses. I can look closely at things, especially nature, and photograph and draw what I see.


2. The Reasons Why I Want It

I find I am fitting less well into the corporate world as time goes on (not that I ever did that well anyway!) principally as I have never been able to cope with office politics.

My ability to control my income and time has therefore been severely limited. My interests have in any case been many and varied and have very little to do with what career I have had.

To be fair I have learned some skills from previous jobs but cannot see myself using these much in the corporate world in the future.

I now need to make my income separate from my work, to help others beat both the weaknesses of a job and the effects of the recession, as well as spread a little hope amongst those with whom I have contact.

Looking back over my life, I realise my strengths have also had little to do with my place of work. Perhaps I have taken up the wrong careers. That is not to say I have never learned anything from my work: far from it. In fact, I have learned a great deal, but the truth is the time is right for me to use what I have learned now and financial freedom will allow me to do that.

Now is the time to play to my strengths without having to worry about the financial side.

My relationships have suffered from my choice of job recently. I have never felt able to press forward with my relationship with Emma, for example, and my time with family and friends has been severely curtailed. Equally the returns from my jobs have not been great and, whilst I have often wanted to pay my way or treat those close to me, I have never felt I could.

Generally my life appears to have stalled and I would like the ability to expand my life without being controlled by an employer. The truth is financial freedom would also buy me time; the time to undertake those activities I find important.

I have a nice house but it needs expensive maintenance (see other goals) now so I need to control how I finance this and earn more income to do so.

Financial freedom, the control of my income, is essential to the achievement of many of my other goals: the foundation of my continued progress.

TVR TUSCAN S


1. A Detailed Description of the Goal


A TVR Tuscan S is a sensual car.

It is a sculpture, a work of art and heart quickening design.

Every part of it has been thought out and created by hand. Start it up and the car comes alive like an animal. It growls and snarls even at low speeds. The interior is snug and functional and the gear stick and brake lever fall neatly to hand. It is all leather inside so smells wonderful. The steering wheel is also leather and slightly spongy to the touch, which gives a better grip.


The car I have is a Mark 1 Tuscan S in gunmetal silver with a black and white leather interior. It has alloy spider wheels with TVR badges at the centre. Visible through the spokes are red brake callipers. The roof and rear window are removable and they stow neatly and unobtrusively in the huge boot. At first glance, there are no door handles, but hit the remote control and entry buttons flip out of the door mirrors. The car has Racing Green floor mats. At the rear are two purposeful standard exhaust tailpipes and the registration plates show 'KBO 222' after Winston Churchill's personal motto 'Keep Buggering On.'



2. The Reasons Why I Want It

This car is an experience to drive.

It says to me that I am an excellent driver who is able to drive this car in a controlled, safe and disciplined manner and yet am still able to enjoy it. It is very rewarding and comfortable. Emma loves being a passenger in it.

I have always wanted a TVR since I was a young boy seeing one at the Farnborough Air Show for the first time - so this dream has been with me for a long time. I love to drive and this car represents a serious machine for a serious driver. I have now passed my advanced driving test and am just about to undertake a performance-driving course at Thruxton racing circuit.

But beyond this, the TVR Tuscan represents far more to me. It not only indicates I am mature enough to drive a 195 mph car without killing myself but it also marks an important phase in my goal attaining.

The car is a symbol of everything I have achieved so far and indicates my financial situation has got to the stage that I can afford to pay GBP25 000 cash for it and pay cash for the running costs.

It also marks a milestone in my goals. Before buying this car, for example, I have completely updated my house (see other goals).

This car is even part of a larger lifestyle package where I can take Emma out for an enjoyable drive to explore the countryside.

Incidentally, this choice of goal hardly impacts on my environmental values either as the TVR is not intended to be a regular transport (that role is to be filled by public transport and a more efficient Vauxhall Astra SRi 1.7 Ecotec diesel - also in my goals) but rather an occasional experience vehicle and, yes, an occasional boost to my self-image and ego!









LOSE 2 STONE


1. A Detailed Description of the Goal

My weight had been hovering around the 15 stone (210 pounds or 95.13 kilos) mark. Medical charts indicate my ideal weight is nearer 13 stone (182 pounds or 82.49 kilos).

My waistline is dropping from 36 inches (91.44 cm) to 34 inches (86.36 cm).

Clearly this has an impact on my health and energy.



2. The Reasons Why I Want It

Further descriptions of the goal are also the reasons why I want it.

Clearly I feel fitter and have more energy. Hopefully, I look better too! My health is be markedly better, not only from achieving the goal but from the process used to get there. My new energy helps me work towards my other goals and so more fulfilment in life. A particular goal it will help is for me to become a hill walking expedition leader once more.



There are baby steps to reach this goal which include:

1. Shopping locally.
2. Eating more wisely, with more fresh food and vitamins (see a later blog).
3. Cycling or walking every day.
4. Going for a swim weekly.
5. Restart hiking and hill walking.
6. Exploring the New Forest and local countryside on bike and on foot.
7. Playing badminton regularly
8. Working in my garden.
9. Decorating my home.
10. Restart Tai Chi and martial arts exercises on a daily basis.

The goal in each of these shorter term steps was to create a healthy habit (do anything for more than 30 days and it will be).

A NEW CONSERVATORY


1. A Detailed Description of the Goal


I already had a conservatory on my house, which was three quarters the width of the house and was in a poor condition - there was damp in one corner and the polycarbonate roof was bowed.

My new conservatory is built by Zenith and runs the full width of the house. It has a one-inch thick glass roof (which allows access to the window above) and double doors in the middle to access the garden. There is still a single door from the dining room/new kitchen into the conservatory. The new conservatory extends one foot further into the garden so the old coalbunker is gone.

The plumbing and drainage has been adapted and an Ulster sink installed on the right (as you come out of the house) with three waist height cupboards to act as a utility area in front of the kitchen window. The washing machine is also installed between the cupboards. The rest of the conservatory is set out as a lounge with two wicker chairs, a two-seat wicker couch and a wicker and glass coffee table. They are very comfortable.

The floor is made of beautiful, light coloured quarry tiles and there is a small but effective electric heater on the rear wall. Above the fire and just below roof level is a discreet low power light which is directed to shine only in the conservatory. There are two electrical sockets in the house wall under the kitchen window and two under the dining room window. There is a step down into the conservatory and a small step out onto the sufficiently large patio in the now beautifully maintained garden. A large water butt stands to the right by the fence.

There is an excellent new mini stereo in the dining room, which is quite good enough to be heard in the conservatory too.

I sit in the conservatory on a warm summers day with the double doors open and listen to the birds singing and smell the fragrance of the flowers in the garden.

The cost of the conservatory was GBP16 000.


2. The Reasons Why I Want It.


I love spending time in or overlooking my garden in the natural light (it can be very peaceful) so having an area to relax close to the garden whatever the weather is ideal. At the same time, a utility area is very useful for items required for outdoors, and a sink with easy access to the garden is also invaluable.

The area is also used for entertaining and is ideal in this respect. I also sit out there of a summers evening and watch the hedgehogs eat.

It is an essential part of the house. I spend time in the conservatory using my laptop and reading and find it very relaxing and conducive to thought and study. It is warm enough and the light sufficient to use throughout the winter too.

Apart from being very useful in it's own right, the goal of the conservatory is, once again, the culmination of other baby steps goals: in this case, the goals all relate to updating my house and garden.

These include:

1. Tidy house
2. Tidy garden
3. Complete bathroom renewal
4. Redecorate house (room by room)
5. New carpets and curtains
6. New living room and dining room furniture
7. Garden office/summer house/greenhouse combined
8. New kitchen




Now Set Monthly Goals


Having now gained an idea of your main goals and why you want them, it is now time to apply them to your routine.

Set out what you want to achieve each month for the next year or so. It may well help to acknowledge what events may occur during the month to help you plan.

Remember, it is essential to include any baby steps you may require to achieve those larger goals later.

I have included below two months I worked out earlier, the others are being devised (and I will spare you those for the moment).

Notice I have included rewards to encourage myself. The first month is a month of preparation and disciplines, so the reward is for achieving these. I will know when I have been successful. In July, however, I have set the goal for earning a set amount of money. If I do not achieve that figure then there is to be no reward.

Those goals marked '+', incidentally, indicate ongoing disciplines to be continued in later months.

The intention of these monthly goal sheets is to keep my mind on what needs achieving in any one week and any one day. At the start of each week (probably Sunday) I will review my goals and decide what needs doing during the week to come.



Conclusion


I hope the method of setting goals is now clearer. Of course, it is an ongoing process and I will now go off and work out my monthly goals for up to one year and ensure they agree with my longer term goals, which I will also ensure are set out in detail.

The process certainly takes time but is well worth undertaking as we really are planning our lives.

One last word on the illustrations I have used for my goals above. These show exactly the goals I want. The idea is to display these clearly where I can see them and trick the mind into doing everything to achieve them.

This comes into the subject of mental fitness, which, by coincidence, is the subject of the next blog.

Have a great week and enjoy setting your goals. Please accept my best wishes as always,



Keith


www.KeithBraithwaite.com

Goals 3: Reach For The Stars And Avoid The Mud

Last week, we started to examine the required features needed for effective goals using the mnemonic 'SMART'.

This week I will complete the list ready to apply the rules to my own goals.



SMART: Goals Must Be MEASURABLE


How can we understand when we are getting close to the goal and indeed when we reach it?

One of my goals is to replace my conservatory on the house. But how do I know when I am safely able to do this? I could do it now, as long as I am willing to take out a loan for the full amount. That solution, however, does not agree with my values, which include financial discipline with no debt. Therefore my goal is to pay for the conservatory with cash.

This is why being specific about your goal on every detail is key. Monetary values are a very useful gauge of your goals. I asked a conservatory company to give me a quotation and they stated a cost of GBP16 000 for the job. My goal is now to raise this amount of money in order to replace my conservatory. A measurable goal.

The second advantage of this approach, by the way, is the salesman was also able to provide me with detailed features of the conservatory so I had a better picture of my goal too.


MyGoals.com says it well: "Your goals should be measurable and specific enough for you to know unambiguously whether they have been completed yet or not."

Bob Urichuck makes this observation in his blog: "One of my greatest lessons while working in sales is the discovery that we are constantly setting sales targets and objectives and being measured alongside them. This is a good practice and keeps us focused on our sales targets. Why not apply these same goal setting and monitoring strategies in our personal lives? Consequently, we can stay focused on our dreams and end up where we want to be."



Write Your Goals Down


Writing goals down somehow makes them more real and embeds them in your mind. It seems to me that this also helps you to plan your short term goals leading to the larger long term goals - and helps you measure your progress towards them.

Keeping your goals in front of you also seems to increase the chances of achieving them, so write them down and then put them where you can easily see them. Again, this is something we will refer to later, but find pictures that show the exact goal you want and put them where you can see them every day. The most popular place suggested seems to be on the refrigerator, but I think it is anywhere you will see it most often.

Bob Urichuck again: "Record keeping is important in goal setting. Writing down your goals and action plans represents a commitment. Otherwise you are merely wishful thinking. You can re-read and visualise written goals. They are credible and legitimate. They live and lead onward. When you write you have begun to act. Inertia is gone. You sense accomplishment already."

"Imagine your pencil, pen or keyboard is a magic wand and everything that you write down will become a reality. If it is not written down, it will not become a reality. Just the mere act of writing it down crystallises the dream."

Writing your goals down shows you are serious about achieving them. It helps you focus on them and starts the laws of nature working in your favour.

SMART: Goals Should Be ACHIEVABLE


Here we come to what I consider the most difficult aspect of goal setting. How do we know what is achievable? What is realistic?

MyGoals.com is helpful: "A goal is realistic if you stand reasonably good odds of accomplishing it, given enough time and effort - and, indeed, mountains can be moved if given enough time and effort."

"The majority of the goals you set should be very realistic or you risk becoming frustrated if you do not accomplish any of them. However, there is nothing wrong with attempting things that defy the odds or that you expect to be extremely difficult."

One of the skills that will probably be useful here is the including of small goals building up to the larger goals - baby steps, if you like.

For example, as I want GBP16 000 for a conservatory, I could set monthly goals to build the amount required by perhaps GBP1000 the first month, GBP2000 the second month and so on. Concentrate on the smaller goals and you may be amazed how easy it will be to hit the larger target.

I guess the ideal is to end up knowing every day what you need to do to achieve your goals.

Bob Urichuck : "Create a plan of action taking small steps to build and maintain a successful momentum. If your steps are too large, there is room in between to procrastinate. I recommend you take baby steps and allow for growth."

Zig Ziglar : "It is wiser to set the goal high but reachable."

MyGoals.com puts it well again: "it's worth noting that many of life's most difficult accomplishments are also some of the most worthwhile...if something were easy, then everyone would be doing it and it would no longer be very noteworthy."



How Can We Achieve Our Goals?

As mentioned in the blogs on Dreams, when you set the goal, life will provide the method to achieve it. It is a strange fact of life but if you focus on a goal, the 'how' will appear.

Jim Rohn : "Reasons come first, answers second."

The answers seem to appear to those who have the inspiration to look for them.

"When you know what you want and you want it badly enough, you'll find a way to get it."

Maxwell Maltz in his fascinating book, 'Psycho-Cybernetics' tells us: "It is the function of the automatic mechanism to supply the 'means whereby' when you supply the goal. Think in terms of the end result, and the means whereby will often take care of themselves."

The truth is, your abilities will grow as you pursue and achieve your goals. It seems you will be more fulfilled, motivated, inspired and, dare I say, happy the more you chase your goals.

Jim Rohn : "Your abilities will grow. You'll draw on untapped potential and talents you never know existed."


There are ways we can help the process, however.


Be Prepared To Pay The Price


To achieve anything worthwhile you need to pay the price.

On occasions, you may even need to temporarily sacrifice the very thing you are aiming for in order to achieve it - another paradox.

For example, to earn extra money, you may need to initially invest money or to spend more time with your family, you may have to spend less time with them whilst you work for your goal. In that last example, you may find you can be smart and include your family in your goal setting so they become your greatest helpers or supporters.

To prevent becoming disillusioned when effort is needed, it might not be a bad idea to understand the price that needs to be paid before setting the goal.

Bob Urichuck : "The price has to be identified before the goal is set. The price could be in the form of money, but can also be other things as well. It could require additional education, a change in habits or require more effort, or time, than what you are normally used to."

Keep It Simple, Sunshine


MyGoals.com : "It is better to keep your number of goals down to a manageable amount."

Keep the number of goals you are working on at any one time at a minimum so you can concentrate or focus on one at a time and you will not get overwhelmed.


Perseverance Is Key


Your goals will be achieved with dogged determination. Do something every day towards your goal and this will keep you focused. Discipline is key.

Bob Urichuck : "Stick to your plan and do what you have to do, even when you don't want to do it. Discipline is the key to your success and to achieving your goals. It is a commitment to the most important person in the world."

We will talk more about discipline and persistence later.



Don't Do It Alone


Again, we will refer to this later but it is easier to chase your goals when you are in the company of like-minded people who have high expectations of you (not the plonkers who wouldn't recognise a goal if they fell over it).

If you know people like this and you can spend time with them, fantastic. However, this may not always be easy. If you have the time, ideally, you may pull a group of people together and meet maybe once a month to discuss your goals. This will make you accountable to them and give you an extra reason to chase your targets.

At the very least you could read books, listen to cds or watch DVDs from people who are a positive influence on your attitude to goals. Okay, I have a vested interest but Success University is a source of such material, but there are other such bodies, including Amazon of course.

Otherwise, there are plenty of online groups and forums to help you, including Horatios Dreaming (one of mine again).





SMART: Goals Should Be RELEVANT


You goals must be relevant to YOU and nobody else. They have to be selfish for them to work. If you had a goal to satisfy someone else, the moment your relationship with them deteriorates, the goal becomes irrelevant. Never set a goal for someone else.

This also refers back to our values as discussed in the Dreams blog. Our goals must be relevant to what we consider important in life. I have already referred to this when I talked about my goals to replace my conservatory - my value there was financial discipline.

Your goals must not clash with other goals either. If you want to leave work, you obviously cannot also have a goal to be promoted at work.

Bob Urichuck : "Our goals guide our actions and help us plan at work and at home. When we focus on our goals (resolutions), our present is determined by our future...not our past. Keep in mind that your resolutions (goals) are an extension of your values."

This is a short section, but the last thought is from MyGoals.com :

"The more fully you understand why you want something, the more motivated you will be to keep working at it until you have accomplished it."

SMART: Goals Need To Have A TIMETABLE



For a goal to work it needs a deadline or you will be able to delay its attainment.

We have decided where we want to go now we need to define when we want to get there.

Again, you need to be honest with yourself in deciding the best time frame. Give yourself time and examine your feelings to understand what you know to be achievable. Bear in mind you will need to balance goals in different areas of your life (career, family, sport etc.) so you need to keep the whole picture in mind.


Long Term And Short Term Goals


You should by now have a detailed list of dreams you want to achieve.

Jim Rohn suggests writing next to each goal the number of years you expect it will take to achieve it (use 1 year, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years).

Check you have a balance between long term and shorter-term goals. If you have too many shorter-term goals then maybe you are not dreaming big enough. If you have too many long-term goals then either you need to look for shorter-term goals or examine what 'baby step' goals you can set to drive you towards the larger goals.

I know we have discussed the idea of 'baby step' goals before but this passage from MyGoals.com might help:

"Almost any goal, no matter how difficult, can be made easier by breaking it down into several smaller goals, to be tackled one at a time. The completion of so-called 'baby steps' is one of the best ways to build confidence, momentum and a track record of performance."

An example here is if you had a goals to be an internationally renowned concert pianist and yet you can only play 'Chopsticks' now. Clearly you could not achieve your goal tomorrow but you could in five years. In the intervening period you could get smaller 'baby step' goals such as 'find a top piano teacher','get my piano exams','play in the local community centre,' and so on.

Such smaller goals leading to the larger goals prevent you from neglecting your goals, as the excitement builds, otherwise you will find, as the elephant keeper did, the work will start to pile up.


Now pick out four of your goals you feel are the most important from each time category. For each write:

1. A detailed description of the goal (include the five senses again)

2. The reasons why you want it.

You may now find you do not really want the goal after this. That's okay: find another one that is important to you.

If you struggle with this, Bob Urichuck includes an excellent 'Goal Log' to help you.

Achieve and Reward


As you plan your goals, ensure you include both a method to track your progress towards your goals and a reward for achieving each goal.


For a reward, think of something you enjoy you can treat yourself to celebrate your success. Maybe it could be a trip to the cinema, a DVD you have always wanted, a meal in a restaurant, or even a restful evening at home. It must be something that will be a delight to you to say 'I have achieved something.'

It does not need to be expensive; you don't want the pleasure of your success tainted by guilt!

Also you should have the discipline of 'delayed gratification.' If you have promised yourself perhaps a new coat if you achieve a goal DO NOT buy it until you have achieved the goal and it will feel so much sweeter and the whole process much more fun.

Jim Rohn reminds us that goal setting is a continual, life-long process and we should review our goals and progress weekly. If you have them in front of you all the time then this should not be at all difficult.

Just think how good you would feel if you could see how you are progressing through your goals!


Bob Urichuck : "You need to measure and monitor your progress on an ongoing basis. Without some form of monitoring you will not be able to recognize your progress and reward yourself accordingly."



Conclusion


"It's exciting to know that as long as you're reaching for the stars you won't end up with a handful of mud. You need to see life as something big and exciting and your goals as big ones."

Zig Ziglar


It is clear now how important goals are in giving us direction, a purpose, in life and in helping us to decide what we should be doing at any one time.

Goals help with time management too: if you have your goals in front of you and you are moving forward, you will have a better grasp of your time.

Zig Ziglar again: "Time can be an ally or an enemy. What is becomes depends entirely upon you, your goals and your determination to use every available minute."

"Killing time is not murder - it's suicide."

There is no doubt that goals can change your life massively.

I just want to make a comment on the possibility of failure here. If you do not achieve your goal in the time allotted, reset the goal and move on. You only fail if you stop trying. You will know if you have put the effort in and, if you feel you haven't, then the answer is clear: if you want to improve your life, immerse yourself in your goals and pursue them with everything you have.

This has been a long blog this week and I apologise for that. Next week (gulp) I will present the results of applying all this to my own goals. I hope you will have a go yourself.

In the meantime, my very best wishes for great week.


Keith


http://www.keithbraithwaite.com/