Setting goals is risky business. Depending on how you set
your goals, they can elevate you or they can devastate you.
And you want to know a secret? Not everyone who succeeds in
life sets goals.
[ pausing for the oooh’s and aaaah’s… ]
Like any tool, however, your goals can be powerful victory-builders.
But be careful. If you set your goals too high, you’ll
quickly become frustrated and experience feelings of failure
and the desire to give up. If you set your goals too low,
you won’t be motivated to strive.
Though few people talk about it, there are certain tactics
you can use to ensure that your goals significantly aid you
in achieving success. Rather than simply be the measuring
stick for your achievement, each goal will serve as a vehicle
that gets you there. I call these tactics the Ten Commandments
of Goal Setting.
The Ten Commandments of Goal Setting
1. Thou Shall Be Passionate: more powerful than any goal
you ever set is the passion you have for what you want, what
you do, and who you are. Find your passion first, then set
your goals around that.
2. Thou Shall Be Realistic: if your goal is to make a million
dollars in one year, and you only make $500,000, according
to your goal, you’ve failed. Yet, you’ve made
$500,000! Isn’t that a huge success? So why not set
your goal at $100,000 dollars in one year, and beat the heck
out of it five times that year?
3. Thou Shall Be Value-Driven: in the pursuit of wealth and
satisfaction, many of us lose sight of our values and beliefs.
Make a list of your goals, then a list of your values. If
you can’t directly associate each goal with one of your
values, maybe you shouldn’t invest your time in that
particular goal.
4. Thou Shall Be Detailed: the goal itself is almost never
enough. The most effective goals are designed so that you
know the goal, the date by which you will achieve it, the
quantity by which you will measure it (is “rich”
$100,000 or $500,000?), and how it will change your life.
5. Thou Shall Plan: start with the end result in mind, then
work backwards. For example, if your goal is that your teenager
confides all her secrets to you, the step before that has
to be that she trusts you. To earn her trust, you have to
listen, and allow her to tell you her mistakes.
6. Thou Shall Remain Accountable: find someone to hold you
accountable to your goal, or create a system whereby you hold
yourself accountable. An effective way to do this is to set
a realistic “due date” for each step in your plan,
and then report to yourself or a friend how far you’ve
come in that step. These little goals are easier to measure
and give the sense of accomplishment.
7. Thou Shall Have Fun: goals won’t do you much good
if they just frustrate you and make you feel guilt or a sense
of failure. Have fun with them, reward yourself, and when
things get tough, take a break and do something novel and
entertaining.
8. Thou Shall Believe: many of us set goals we don’t
truly believe we can reach. Just think of the resolutions
you made during New Years. Have you ever followed through
on one of those? If your goal is to be healthy and fit, and
you can’t imagine being able to exercise every other
day and stay away from chocolates, then you have to rework
your goal into something believable for you. Otherwise, you’ll
only frustrate yourself.
9. Thou Shall Seek Support: most of us hate to admit it,
but we often won’t achieve our goals solely on our own.
Depending on the goal, you may need a professional mentor,
a coach, a close friend, or an inspiring book. Don’t
always try to achieve your goals alone.
10. Thou Shalt Not Give Up: what if you still don’t
achieve your goal? Don’t give up. Maybe you’re
concentrating too hard on reaching the goal and losing sight
of why you set it in the first place. Not everyone succeeds
by setting goals. If you try the above, and they don’t
work for you, then try something else. The most important
thing is to be passionate and have fun. You’ll get there.
Copyright 2002, Jaime L. Mintun
Ms. Jaime Mintun is founder of the transformational growth
assistance company, PhoenixFire and author of the forthcoming
book, "Life Authorship." Her unique Life Authorship
techniques and approach to personal growth have earned her
a reputation for down to earth, applicable advice given with
a bit of spice and what she calls, the "FUN Factor."
To reach Ms. Mintun, you may email her at: jmintun@phoenixfirenet.com
Or visit her company's website for free resources, free advice
community forums, and more: www.phoenixfirenet.com
About the author: Ms. Jaime Mintun is founder of the transformational
growth assistance company, PhoenixFire and author. Her unique
Life Authorship techniques and approach to personal growth
have earned her a reputation for down to earth, applicable
advice.
To reach Ms. Mintun, you may email her at jmintun@phoenixfirenet.com
or visit her company's website: www.phoenixfirenet.com