Why you don’t have to spend hours setting goals

I am currently working on several projects.  Each one is taking up a lot of my time and if I think about each one too much they drive me crazy.

To keep them all on the boil I just have to make a to do list and be very good at going through what needs to be done each day.  If I sat down and started to “project manage” them too much then I think nothing would get done.

In a post I did the other day I said that you just need to “Start walking” towards your goals.  Rather than spend a long time “goal planning” just set what you know is roughly right and go for it.  Now I know for this post and the other one I will get some feedback from those who say that I just don’t realise the power of proper goal setting.  Well to those people I say you might be right but before you reply please know that I do understand why you should goal set properly and also how much you gain from doing it well.

I just think that many people spend a lot of time talking about and thinking about goals rather than doing things to make them happen.

I read a great post from Rosalind Gardner’s Blog.  If you don’t know Rosalind she is a super affiliate (someone who make a lot of money online) and someone who I follow to learn.  I think Rosalind has a great balance on her work/life and she certainly is a “go getter” in life.  She has just written a great post about managing different projects at once.  You can read that post here http://www.netprofitstoday.com/blog/make-your-resolutions-a-reality/.

What I like about this is her “to the point” approach to getting work done.  She marks out a 7 step plan which is almost exactly how I work.

You will see that she does actually mention “Make a plan” and “set goals” etc but she doesn’t say spend a long time doing this.  You see Rosalind is a successful person, she makes money, helps people make money and lives her own life.  What she knows is that you do need to go though the process but you also need to get off your backside and work.

That’s why if you asked me “What is the most important thing to do to achieve what you want?” I would say – “know what you want and just start walking today”.

Go for your goals and dreams.

Matt

“Just Start Walking” – What are your goals for the year?

Well, the new year is upon us!  If you are one of my readers or you are a success newsletter member then you know that I sent out a message before the new year saying that now is the time to set goals.  Well, I am here to tell you that I haven’t actually set my goals yet!

Well I have written down what I want to have as my goals but I have not worked out exactly what I need to achieve them.

Is that bad?

Well actually I don’t think so.  I also don’t think I am justifying my lack of actions either.

Should I worry?  No.

You see I think that much is talked about setting goals, how much time and effort you must put into them and how it’s a detailed process.  That seems to be the only way you can “properly” set goals.

Well I completely disagree. Actually I think the more time you put into setting goals the less time you have to go out there and make them happen!  Please don’t get me wrong here, taking time to set goals is important it’s just that many people feel that you have to spend weeks working out what you want and then what you need to do to get what you want.

I think if you need to spend all that time working out what you want you really don’t know.  Also it’s better to get moving towards your goal rather than spending time thinking about how you should do it.

“Just Start Walking”

I think that is the right way to do it.  Just start walking towards your goals.  Don’t worry about the detail.  You do need to know where you are going but you don’t need a detailed plan…yet.

I did a video on how you work out what you want.  You can look at that goal setting video and see that you can set a goal pretty quickly.

That is the key I think.  Don’t worry if you only have your goals written down but don’t have a plan.  Just start walking.

The fact is you will achieve much more if you do that rather than spending time worrying about what to do next.  Remember “Those who know how always work for those who know why”.

Go for your dreams and goals.

Matt

Goal Setting in 5 Minutes

Hi,

I sent a mail out to my success newsletter group about why it’s important to Goal Set now before next year.  Well I didn’t think about it that much but someone came back and asked me HOW they should goal set!

That got me thinking about what to say back.  There are so many ways to goal set it can become a challenge to learn all the method.  So I thought I should do a quick video showing how I goal set to get results in 5 minutes!

Now is the time to set goals for the New Year

Christmas is almost here and it is getting cold in the UK!

Now now is the best time to set your goals for the New Year.  I know many of us are busy enough without having to worry about setting goals but I think it’s key you do them now rather than in the new year.

Sitting down now and planning your goals means you have a head start when the year starts.  You don’t have to worry about “what you are going to do” in the new year or think about it while you should be enjoying yourself.

There is also a very powerful benefit to doing this now that is not totally obvious

If you get your goals ready for next year you are giving your subconscious things to think about.  It will work on your goals while you are having fun over Christmas.  This is why it’s so important to set your goals now.

It will start to make plans or ideas that you may never have thought of before.

Also setting goals now means you don’t have to try and fit it in next year.  Let’s be frank, once the year starts our lives take over again.  We don’t have enough time and it’s a challenge to find the time to sit down and really think and plan.

Why make it so hard?

If you do your goals now, you can have a great time over Christmas and look forward to the new year.

Have fun.  I wish you a great Christmas.

Matt

From Dream to Reality: The Power of Goal Setting

Can you imagine a future where you’re successful? Where you’re in control of your life? Where you are content with all that you’ve accomplished, and have found real happiness? If you can imagine this glorious future, you’ve already taken the first step toward making it a reality. All you need to do now is set your goals.

Goal setting puts you in charge of your fate. It empowers you to take your life in the direction of your choosing, and it provides the motivation you need to get there. It’s all about knowing what you want and putting all of your energy into obtaining it while identifying and avoiding the things that distract you and slow you down.

Your self-esteem also benefits from goal setting. Once you’ve set goals and proven to yourself that you can achieve them, you’ll experience a level of self-confidence that few of us ever enjoy. Let’s learn more about focusing your effort on the goals that you’ve set for yourself

Bringing Success Into Focus

Perhaps you’ve heard of the power of positive thinking; the Law of Attraction; affirmative visualizations. They might sound like gimmicks, but they are actually proven strategies used by top CEOs, politicians, athletes, and world leaders. By setting specific, sharply focused goals, you are giving your success a head-start.

Who is more likely to reach their goal: an idle wanderer who doesn’t really know where they are going, or a well-prepared traveler with a clear destination and a roadmap in hand? It doesn’t matter if your goal is monetary, athletic, or personal; to reach it, you have to have a plan. Your goals are your roadmap to success. Chart your progress and take pride in every step that brings you closer to your goals.

An Introduction to Goal Setting

When you first begin to set goals for yourself, look at the big picture first. What is your ultimate goal? Do you want to be wealthy? Be a better spouse? Get in shape? You need to have a firm idea of where you want to go in life before you can break down your goal into the smaller steps you’ll need to take in order to get there.

The Big Picture: Life Goals

What do you want to achieve in your lifetime? It’s not an easy question to answer because it involves all the different facets of your life. If you focus solely on your career, you risk having an unbalanced personal life. If you focus too much on providing for others, you risk neglecting your own needs and desires. Here are some of the most common life goal categories to consider when planning your balanced future:

Creative. This could be painting a portrait, learning to play an instrument, writing a book, or any artistic goal that you want to achieve.

Personal Development. Are you the kind of person you want to be, or do you sabotage your own efforts at personal growth? Do you feel good about the way you treat other people? If you want to improve yourself, set a personal development life goal.

Career and Education. What’s your dream job – not one that merely provides a paycheck, but one that gives you a sense of pride and fulfillment? Have you always dreamed of obtaining a college degree, or a doctorate? Consider your career and education goals when you imagine your future success.

Monetary. Do you want to be financially secure, wealthy, or rich? How much money do you want to make by age 30? Age 50? How will you generate this level of income?

Relationships. If you want to be a good son or daughter, a good spouse, a good parent, and a good friend, set life goals that will improve your personal relationships.

Health and Fitness. Do you want to lose weight? Get in shape? Run a marathon or compete in athletic tournaments? What small steps can you take to reach these goals?

Community. Charity is a virtue. Do you want to invest in your community and help people in need? Do you want to donate time or money to a worthy cause? How can you make the world a better place for yourself and others?

Personal Enjoyment. What makes you happy? Do you want to incorporate more pleasurable activities into your life? From gardening to sailing to socializing with friends, you can have more personal enjoyment by making it a life goal.

The secret to reaching these big goals is breaking them down into manageable sizes. Pick one goal from each category. Make sure it’s the one you want more than any other. Then compare all of your life goals. Are some of them redundant? Do some of them far surpass the others in terms of importance? Did you choose some simply because you feel they are expected of you? Pare down your list into a small number of really significant goals – the ones you just can’t live without. These are the ones you’ll be focusing on with every ounce of energy and commitment.

The Path to Achievement

Now it’s time to break your goals into smaller steps. Imagine the actions you’ll need to take to make significant progress in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, and beyond. Now make those steps attainable by planning a course of action to meet those smaller goals. What can you do in one week to bring you closer to your goal? Where can you be in one month? In six months?

Write down every detailed step along your path to success. For example, your one week to-do list might include research and self-reflection. In that case, you’d need to find information, learn from it, and take some time to reflect on what you learned. Small steps lead to big victories.

People are dynamic, so don’t be surprised if your goals change over time. Periodically review your life goals and modify them as needed.

How to Set Effective Goals

It’s important to keep the right attitude while pursuing your life goals. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Stay Positive. Write down what you want to do, not what you don’t want to do. An example of a positive goal is “Be a more attentive parent”. A negative goal would be “Don’t ignore the kids.” Stay positive to facilitate positive changes in your life.

Be Specific. Map out every detail so that you can measure your progress. Keep a specific goal in mind, along with the amounts of each mini-goal and the precise dates that you want to achieve these goals.

Prioritize. Too many goals can feel overwhelming. Still, if you can’t mark any off your list, you can at least prioritize them. Focus most of your energy on your most important life goals.

Keep a Journal. When you put your goals into written words, you give them a tangible form. You can look at them, imagine them, and eventually realize them.

Take Small Steps. Your mini-goals should be just that: tiny steps toward the larger life goal. Give yourself plenty of small tasks to accomplish, and your confidence will soar when you find that you’re able to achieve so much.

Keep it Personal. We can’t control the external influences in our life, but we can control how we react to them. For example, you might dream of being a high-level executive in your company, but a corporate takeover could put you out of a job. Focus instead on your personal performance. You might not become a high-level executive in that company, but you could strive to be a valued employee at another company – or become an entrepreneur.

Most importantly, never try to live up to someone else’s expectations. Television and movies would have us believe that we all need to be gorgeous, rich, and powerful in order to have any fun in life. What rubbish! Strive to be the best person you can be, and understand that that’s enough. 

How Highly Effective People Cope with Modern Fears

You need only turn on the television or read the headlines to see that fear and insecurity are plaguing our world. And who can blame us? Economic downturns, rising unemployment, disease, and the prospect of ‘losing it all’ have millions of people in a virtual panic. Yet, instead of pulling together in such a crisis, there is a rise in the ‘look out for #1’ mentality. Some call it selfishness. Others call it survival.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People helps us understand the reality of our situation: we’re not in this alone. To meet our goals and get where we want to go, we have to depend on others and we have to earn their trust so that they will depend on us in return. Many people don’t like to hear this at first, but once they delve into this book, they realize that there is real value in an interdependent mindset – especially in the trying times we’re now facing.

This book has been described as a handbook for life. One reader even remarked that, after reading it, she was transformed from a state of near-Narcissism to a state of true humility. When you think about the problems we face as a global community, it’s no wonder that collaborative solutions are increasingly necessary. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People teaches you how to keep a healthy level of independence while cultivating your interdependent skills. This helps you become a trusted team player when the situation demands it; it also puts you in control of your life – a vital part of controlling your fear and insecurity.

Whether you consider yourself a “people person” or not, this book will teach you habits for dealing effectively with others. This is a must-read for anyone who is ready to stop planning and wishing, and start putting good habits into action.

 

 

A Man with a Plan! Barack Obama Has Goals! Video

(Please note there is no intended Political message in this article)

Political standpoint and views aside, here is a fantastic example, of someone who has a firm planned fixed in their mind. A strong Vision that he will chase and chase. Read more

Magic Little Goal Tip – Part 2

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