"Everything you see around you in the man-made world began as a thought or an idea in the mind of a single person before it was translated into reality," writes Brian Tracy in his classic besteller Goals! Those thoughts and ideas were brought to reality through discipline, focus, and creative energy -- things that are unleashed only when ideas and wishes become goals.
Goal setting is critical to personal happiness and success. "Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible - the foundation for all success in life," writes Anthony Robbins. With the importance of goal-setting in mind, here are eight tips to help anyone set and achieve their goals.
Many people feel trapped by mistakes and failures of the past. They refuse to forgive themselves or others for the pain and disappointment in their past, and are reluctant to look ahead. In his book Become a Better You, Joel Osteen writes: "You cannot change the past, but you can do something about the future. What's in front of you is far more important than what is behind you." Leave the past where it belongs. Learn from it, but determine to break free from it and move ahead into the future.
Many people are full of excuses and reasons why they don't have the life they want. Rather than investing time and energy in making excuses for life's disappointments, they should instead invest in moving forward. That begins with taking ownership of your life and assuming responsibility for your present situation. As Harry Truman famously said: "The buck stops here!" It may be that others have influenced your life or that obstacles beyond your control have entered into it, but it's still your life.
Most people have heard the adage: "Garbage in...Garbage out." There's great truth to that. If one fills his or her mind with pornography, he/she will be sexually obsessed. Fill your mind with TV shows, movies, and music that key on and encourage anger, and anger will permeate your mind each day. Continuously talk about all of life's problems and all the bad situations you deal with, and your mind will manifest depression and anxiety. Instead of giving into the negative, decide to fill your mind with positive, uplifting input. Listen to positive, inspirational music. Read constructive, encouraging, and helpful material.
To the extent you can, choose to develop relationships with people who will help you become a better person. Don't hang out with people that bring you down. Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure the people around you are feeding you positive input and encouraging you to engage in constructive, positive behavior. Too many people sabotage their success by hanging around with people who drag them toward mediocrity and failure.
Success guru Brian Tracy writes: "Your values are what make you the person you are....The greater clarity you have regarding your values on the inside, the more precise and effective will be your actions on the outside."
The preceding tips are all foundational. With this tip, one begins to actually advance toward goal achievement. Do not say "I want to lose weight" or "I want to make more money." Instead, declare you want lose 30 pounds and make an additional $20,000. Be specific. Make the goals measurable.
It's important to write down your goals. Otherwise, they are wishes into which you've invested very little. By writing down your goals, you've invested time and thought into them and helped crystallize them in your mind. Consider enhancing your goals with pictures to add even more power to them.
Follow up your goal-setting with the development of a comprehensive and thorough plan to achieve each and every goal. "All goal setting must be immediately followed by both the development of a plan, and massive and continuous action toward its fulfillment," writes Robbins in his book Awaken The Giant Within.
Setting and achieving goals is the mark of truly effective individuals. Those in the habit of setting and reaching their goals are among the more balanced and happy people around. By laying in the proper mental foundation and then powering your goals with focus and careful planning, you can realize many more of your goals and desires, while enjoying amazing benefits in your life
Those who enjoyed this article should check out "10 Ways to Improve Your Self-Esteem" and "10 Ways to Earn Extra Money."
The following books were used in the composition of this article and are also highly recommended for additional reading:
Osteen, Joel. Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007.Robbins, Anthony. Awaken The Giant Within You. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.Tracy, Brian. Goals! How to Get Everything You Want - Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible. San Francisco: Berrett-Kohler, 2010Copyright Brian Tubbs. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Brian Tubbs - Brian Tubbs is a minister, writer, and former educator living in Northern Virginia. He writes on personal development, faith, and ...
