Go for Goals That Simplify Your Life
If you’re always striving to find some new way to grow, to improve, to better your skills and talents, you’ll always be successful, both in the eyes of others and in your own eyes.
—Cynthia Kersey
I chatted with the young gal cutting my hair and watched her attentiveness to her work. “You really do a good job. Have you always wanted to be a hair-dresser?” I asked.
“Yes, I enjoy helping people feel better by giving them the right haircut and style,” she answered, and we continued to chat.
On a whim I asked, “So what are you working for?”
Michelle stopped cutting and broke into a smile. “A red Mustang. I’ve always wanted a red Mustang like the ones I see in the movies.” And she continued to describe how she was putting aside her money and how much she would need.
When I paid at the counter, I said, “Here’s my money, and here’s a tip for Michelle.”
The receptionist and the other hairdressers turned their attention to me when I handed over a twenty-dollar bill. “Wow, what’s that for?” they asked.
“It’s for Michelle’s dream—her red Mustang.” They looked puzzled. Apparently they hadn’t heard about Michelle’s goal.
“I want a new car,” one of the other hairdressers cooed.
Soon the others chimed in, “Yeah, me too.”
“Ah,” I added, “but Michelle has turned her wish into a goal. She’s focused and about to make it a reality.”
Goals Are Contagious
Everyone has dreams and desires, but not everyone crosses the imaginary line that moves them into achievement. Goals are the part of life that make us come alive, motivate us to do more than usual, and set us apart from living an ordinary life
Goals are personal, and everyone should have them. They are the quickest way to focus your energy and simplify your time.
What If I Don’t Have a Goal?
If we don’t include goals as part of managing our time, we only have more of the “same old, same old” routines in life. But if you’re like most of us, you want to live your one life fully. Take a minute to make a list (long or short) of the activities, actions, and possessions you’d like to acquire or improve over the next several months or year.
If you want to feel satisfied, happy, and confident in your life, create one or more goals and then take the steps necessary to turn your desires into action. Grow your gifts and talents into their full potential by reaching for the next level. You’ll never regret having given it your all.
Getting Started
A goal is an aim or intention that captures our imagination and compels us to take action until it is accomplished. As Denis Waitley says, “A goal is a dream with a date attached.”
Look at your goals as believable and achievable. Then follow these steps as you write down each one to ensure that your goals are SMART—specific, measurable, attain-able, realistic, and tangible.
SPECIFIC. Your goal specifies who, what, when, where and why. “I am writing my best-selling book and changing lives.”
MEASURABLE. Your goal includes time frames of when and how long. “I will lose ten pounds by my birthday on July 30 this year.”
ATTAINABLE. Your goal mobilizes resources and talent so it becomes closer to achievement. “I will learn Japanese by signing up for a course and having a tutor three times a week.”
REALISTIC. Your goal represents an intention you see as real with achievable progress. “I will read one book a month to grow my business skills and increase my bottom line.”
TANGIBLE. Your goal can be experienced by the five senses––taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. “I am sitting by the fireplace enjoying the music and laughter of friends in my decorated family room by Thanksgiving this year.”
What’s the difference between a wish and a goal? A goal
has measurable steps;
begins with an action verb;
lines up with your interests and values;
is something you think about often; and
is in harmony with who you are.
A wish may include several of the points listed above, but it focuses on the distant future (a dreamy “someday”) at an undisclosed time without personal action steps attached.
An example of a wish: “I wish I could finish my college degree sometime.”
An example of a goal: “Two years from May, I will have my bachelor of arts degree.”
Initiate Change by Setting and Achieving Goals
Select a goal by choosing an area in which you’d like to grow. For example, when we moved into a new home that needed fixing up, my husband and I decided to tackle one project every season and be finished in four years. We plodded along room by room, but it was worth the effort because we were very happy with the result.
At the end of our four years, I met a client who complained about the decorating she inherited from the former owners of her house. How long had she lived there? Four years! The same number of years we had lived in ours. Without a plan and goals, nothing had changed for this woman. Even her whining and complaining remained the same.
Don’t allow yourself to be victimized by procrastination. Instead, initiate change by setting goals and achieving them. As the saying goes, “Little by little, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.”
Three Key Areas of Goal Setting
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
What do I want to achieve?
What level do I want to attain and improve on?
What would be one way I could enhance my skills?
RELATIONSHIPS
Who do I want to spend my time with?
What kind of people do I want to meet?
Who are my “strive for five” weekly friends?
ENJOYMENT
What are the top three places I’d like to travel to and with whom?
What’s my idea of a great vacation and how long?
What do I want to do in life that I haven’t done?
Make One Big “Stretch” Goal
If you tend to think of safe and methodical goals, challenge yourself to make one big “stretch” goal to something beyond your normal capabilities. Your stretch goal could be something that’s physically or men-tally challenging, such as training for a marathon, beginning a new sport, or entering a competition to advance several ranks. Experience the thrill of trying something new and perhaps even a little crazy. Normal life will never be the same once you’ve stretched into a new zone each year.
For example, my friend Karen went on her first back-packing trip in the wilderness the year she turned fifty. By the end of the decade, she had hiked to the top of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and Mount Whitney. Each year she stretched herself a bit further to achieve the goals she had dreamed about since she was a little girl.
When You’re Stuck
When you can’t think of a thing to change, look at what you achieved last year. Then pick some new goals for this year in the same categories. Reflecting on the status of your life last year is sure to help you move into a satisfying future.
PERSONAL LIFE EVALUATION
| My Life | Last Year | This Year |
|---|---|---|
| Work | Worked 8:00-5:00 p.m. | Same job, but promoted. |
| Social Groups | Neighborhood Bunco, PTA, Band Boosters. | Drop Bunco and join an orchestra. Keep PTA and Band Boosters. |
| Family Relationships and Milestones | Married nineteen years with three kids in junior high and high school. | Celebrate twentieth anniversary in Caribbean. First child to college. |
| Organizing Projects | Organized my closet. | Organize home office. |
| Home Improvement | Cut the grass/shoveled snow | Repair or replace the roof. snow. Get siding quotes. |
| Physical Fitness | Walked occasionally. | Join a gym. |
| Spiritual Growth | Attended church. | Join a Bible study. |
| Income | Earned $60,000. | Add graphics side business. |
| Savings | Saved 10% net. | Save 15% net. |
| Satisfaction Level | Everything’s OK. | Hire a personal coach to stretch and grow. |
Best-Case, Worst-Case Scenario
If you write down your goals, take a moment to read them daily. The worst that can happen is that you miss the time frame you set. No problem. It might have taken a bit longer than you thought, but at least you accomplished them. Or perhaps you’ll decide to change one of your goals. Good for you! You’re honing in on something more important.
But best-case scenario, you’ll accomplish your goal, experience the discipline of perseverance, work through the hurdles and obstacles inherent in the journey, and come out a better person on the other side.
One success inspires the next. Achieve a goal, and enjoy the thrill of focusing your energies and growing as a person. Enrich your life one goal, one season, and one year at a time. Then you are more likely to live a fulfilled life.
It’s Your Time
Go for Goals That Simplify Your Life (Strategy #4)
□ Write down three important goals to read every morning and evening for the next ninety days.
□ State your goals in the present tense as if they are already accomplished. (Example: “I am a successful English teacher and my students love my subject.”)
□ Picture how it will feel to accomplish each goal—where you are, who is with you, what you are feeling—and watch to see what happens!
You control your future, your destiny. What you think about comes about. By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be.
—Mark Victor Hansen