Goal setting will help you in every facet of your life. If you have never set goals before, you are in for a life-changing treat. If you have set goals, but never wrote them down that same statement will apply to you. It will help you in your quest to get healthier. It will also play a pivotal role in your happiness. It is often said, “That a dream is a dream until it is written down.” I will go one step further and tell you that the SPOKEN WORD is extremely powerful. So a Goal is a dream that is written down and spoken. You should recite your goals daily – both in the morning upon awakening and before you go to bed. There is something about speaking out loud your goals – you give them life and more importantly you give the Universe permission to conspire with you to make them happen. And if you have trouble believing that, I suggest that your read or watch (on Netflix) “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne.
So, there are a few fundamentals to understand when setting goals. The first we just covered – you need to write them down and speak them. I suggest putting them somewhere where you can see them at all times or at the very least, someplace where they are visible to you several times a day. They can be by your bed stand or taped to the mirror or taped to your personal computer or perhaps put them on the dashboard -wherever they catch your eye! The second important thing about goals is that they need to be specific. Third, there must be a date attached to them. Fourth, there should be a reward when you achieve that goal. And, finally and most importantly – even more important than never feeding a Mogwai, no matter how much it begs, after midnight (Gremlins reference showing my age once again) never set your goals too low. Be crazy, be brash, be cavalier about your goal setting. If you feel uncomfortable when you are setting them, you are on the right track. If you think it will be impossible, congratulations as you now truly understand the value of goal setting. You see, the problem with most goal setting is that people way too often aim to low and HIT, rather than aiming to high and miss. And then the worst possible thing that could ever happen does – they settle. Don’t be a settler!
So, what does a proper goal look like? Here is an example.
I am going to lose 50 pounds in the next 6 months by cutting my junk food consumption by 75% and I am going to begin exercising 30 minutes per day, 4 days per week. Once I hit 50 pound weight loss, I am going to take my spouse or significant other to a weekend getaway on the tropical island of Maui.
Or
I am going to sit down and write a book by January 1, 2015 and then have it be a best seller on Amazon. When it sells 50,000 copies I am going take my family to Europe.
In both cases, I would speak it daily so the Universe knows what I want!