GOALS
Living a life without goals is like taking a journey without a map, satnav or even a destination in mind: you’ll end up in a different place from where you started, but you’ll never really know if it’s the best place for you… and you’ll have missed out on a lot of fun stuff along the way.
Goals give us something to aim for and focus on. Whether you’ve always wanted to learn to scuba-dive or you dream of retraining and starting a new career, now is the time to nurture your aspirations and give them the attention they deserve. By focusing fully on things that motivate us, we can tap into our passion and find the resources we need to achieve our ambitions. Setting some goals is a brilliant way to do this.
“A GOAL IS A DREAM WITH A DEADLINE.”
NAPOLEON HILL
SETTING YOUR GOALS
You may already have some life goals in mind, but a vague desire to sort out your finances is not going to get the job done. By writing your targets down, you’ll be able to focus on the specifics of what you want and how to achieve it.
1 Write down headings for the different areas of your life. These might include: career, home, hobbies, travel, family, health, friendships, love, finances, study, personal development, fun, etc.
2 Think about each area in turn and make a note of what you’d like to change or achieve. (Don’t worry if you draw a blank for some areas; just concentrate on those that inspire you.)
3 Be as specific as you can and try to finish the exercise with a clearly written goal for each of your chosen topics.
4 Now write these goals out together as one list and pin it somewhere prominent to keep you motivated.
A QUESTION OF PRIORITIES
You have your list of goals – all 25 of them! – and you’re raring to go, but what should you tackle first? If one item on your list really leapt out (it’s probably the one you underlined, wrote in capitals and surrounded with asterisks), that’s obviously the place to start; if your winner wasn’t so clearly defined, though, a good way to choose is to, literally, go with your gut.
Consider each of your goals in turn, but pay attention to how you feel as you do so. Our emotional reactions can often be felt as a physical sensation in the body: does your stomach clench when you think about sorting out that thorny relationship with your colleague at work? Or do you feel your heart racing when you think about your plans to finally go travelling? If your head can’t help you decide which path to follow first, your heart (or stomach) might be able to show you the way.
BREAKING IT DOWN
Right! You’re going to do it! You’re going to set up that pottery business in your back garden, but before you tell your boss exactly what you think of them and bulldoze the shed to make space for your studio, take some time to think about the nitty-gritty. The best way to achieve your goals is to break them down into smaller steps.
Write down, one step at a time, what you’ll need to do to reach your aim. For example: do some internet research, talk to the council about planning permission, visit someone who has carried out a similar project, get recommendations for builders, source equipment, sort out the electrics, and so on. Now go back to the very first item on your to-do list and do it today.
GOING FOR GOALS!
There is only one thing that can stop us from going for our goals: procrastination. Why do we procrastinate? Well, for lots of reasons, but they are all poor excuses, so don’t let them hold you back. It’s time for some tough love.
| Reason for procrastinating | It’s a pants reason because… |
| ‘I might fail!’ | The only way you can be sure of failing is by never even trying. Do it anyway! |
| ‘I don’t have time to do it.’ | You can and must make time if something is important to you. Do it anyway! |
| ‘If I wait long enough, someone else might sort it out for me.’ | They won’t. Do it anyway (yourself)! |
| ‘I need to wait until I’ve got time to do it properly.’ | You’ll still be saying that in 10 years’ time. Take it step-by-step and do it anyway! |
| ‘I’m afraid I might succeed! What will happen if this actually works out?’ | A new and exciting stage of your life will begin and you’ll have new plans to look forward to. Do it anyway! |
“TO REACH A PORT, WE MUST SAIL – SAIL, NOT TIE AT ANCHOR – SAIL, NOT DRIFT.”
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
STAYING MOTIVATED
It can be easier to encourage others in their plans than to motivate ourselves, so getting a support team in place can be a good way of working towards your goals. Maybe you have friends who have plans of their own? You needn’t be going for the same goal: one person may be keen to start a new health regime, while someone else may want to change their job or study for a new qualification. What matters is that you find a time to meet regularly and update one another on your progress. Even if it’s a quick 15-minute chat after work or a coffee on a Saturday morning, you’ll come away feeling boosted by their enthusiasm and advice, and they’ll feel the same way, too.
Set up a chat or email group, and keep everyone posted about that meeting with the bank/boss/mother-in-law… but stay focused! Don’t let your social-networking time turn into an evening of sharing panda videos. Knowing that your friends are rooting for you will be a great boost and will keep you on track.