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