Set Goals That Inspire You
AFFIRMATIONS
for
Meditation and Reflection
I am clear about what my goals are and I know that I will accomplish them.
I am visualizing my breakthrough goal as if it’s already been accomplished, and I’m feeling the joyful emotions of living the life of my dreams.
I am amazed how far I can go when I set goals and go after them with conviction and confidence.
If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.
—ANDREW CARNEGIE
American steel industrialist and one of the richest people in history
Success is not only an attitude and belief system, it’s also a science. Experts on the science of success know that the brain is a goal-seeking organism, and when you give it a specific goal, it will work overtime to achieve it.
Dr. Gail Matthews of Dominican University conducted a study proving that people who write down their goals, then create action steps to achieve them—and make regular progress reports to a friend—have nearly double the success rate at achieving what they want! Think about it: by taking a few extra steps, you can be twice as successful as those people who merely think about their goals.
It may surprise you to also learn that the small percentage of Americans who write down their goals and regularly review them earn nine times more over the course of their lifetimes than those who don’t.1 This alone should motivate you to write down your goals!
I am clear about what my goals are and I know that I will accomplish them.
If you have no criteria for measuring the successful completion of a goal, you don’t have a true goal—you simply have a good idea. An actual goal that inspires action and unleashes the power of your subconscious mind must include how much (a measurable quantity) and by when (a specific time and date for completion).
One of the best ways to get clarity on your goals is to write them out in detail. When you write it all down, your subconscious will know specifically what to work on, including which opportunities to focus on to bring about success. Reread your goals three times a day—close your eyes and picture each one as if it were already accomplished and imagine how it feels to actually be living with that achievement.
Most of our goals represent incremental improvements in our life—get new car insurance, clean that closet, finish this week’s sales presentation. But, what if you could work toward accomplishing a breakthrough goal—something that substantially improves life as you know it, such as buying your first home or starting a business or funding your retirement? Those are the kind of goals that are worth pursuing with passion. Write down a few breakthrough goals for your vision—including a completion date. Then focus on those quantum leaps that will change your life.
I am visualizing my breakthrough goal as if it’s already been accomplished, and I’m feeling the joyful emotions of living the life of my dreams.
O
nce a goal is set, three things will emerge that stop most people—but they’re not going to stop you! They are considerations, fears, and roadblocks.
Let’s say you decide to double your income by the end of the year. Before you know it, thoughts will emerge like I won’t have time for my family or I’ll have to work twice as many hours. These thoughts are considerations. They’ve been in your subconscious a long time, but now that they have come to light, you can address them and move on.
Fears, on the other hand, are feelings: You may have a fear of rejection, a fear of being laughed at, or a fear of failure. But fears are also just part of the process of moving toward your goals. Knowing that in advance helps you overcome them.
Roadblocks are purely external circumstances that can be overcome such as not having the money to start a new business or needing additional training before seeking a promotion. Roadblocks are obstacles that appear in your path, but they also are just things you will have to deal with.
Once you know to expect considerations, fears, and roadblocks, you’ll realize they’re not as overwhelming as you thought. Learn to accept and confront them because, more often than not, they are the very things that have been holding you back in life.
I am amazed how far I can go when I set goals and go after them with conviction and confidence.
1 Statistics from a study by professor emeritus David Kohl of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.