Goal setting is a topic I have discussed many times, yet many people still haven’t grasped its importance.
Setting goals provides us with a framework for navigating life’s challenges, whether they are highs or lows, good times or bad. Don’t just drift through life aimlessly, wasting time, being average, and not fulfilling your true potential.
Setting meaningful short-term and long-term goals for your life is necessary. Goals are essential steps in the experiences and successes that can propel you in your life’s journey. What stories do you have to tell about your journey in life?
“If you were to write a book about your life, would anyone want to read it?”
Push yourself to success in whatever you wish to do and/or wish to become. Whatever you define as success!?!
Again, we only get one life, so take the time to set clear/achievable goals. As I approach 50 years of age, I never wanted to look back and say “Could I have done more, should I have done more?” Of course!! Traveling, Working on things that are important to me, and much more… How are you living!?! “What are you up to these days?”
Let me give you a bit of advice! Set a goal to travel somewhere you have never been. Set a goal build a business (providing a product or service. Set a goal to be a better person. Set a goal…
Let’s consider the goal of being healthy.
What does being healthy mean to you as an individual? This is where the vision starts because you need to clearly define your goal.
Being healthy involves being physically fit, mentally fit, eating right, maintaining positive relationships (personally and professionally), getting enough sleep, and various other factors.
Brain Tracy, a Canadian-American self-development author, is known for his book “Eat That Frog!” (2001), in which he outlined a 12-step process for setting and achieving goals.
- Have a Desire: What Do You Really Want?
- Believe That Your Goal is Achievable
- Write Your Goal Down
- Determine Your Starting Point
- Determine Why You Want It
- Set a Deadline
- Identify the Obstacles in Your Way
- Determine the Additional Knowledge and Skills You Need
- Determine the People Whose Help You Will Need
- Make a Plan: Put It All Together
- Visualize Your Goal Continually
- Never Give Up
It takes discipline and determination to accomplish your goals.
- The goal-setting process says to list 10 goals for the next 12 months. Grab a clean sheet of paper and write down 10 goals you want to accomplish in the next 12 months. The goals should be present tense, such as, I want to lose X number of pounds or earn X number of dollars.
2. Read through the list of goals, and then pick the one that is most important to you. Ask yourself if accomplishing this goal would impact your life the most. This becomes the goal that you will use for the 12-step process.
You can set a goal to be physically fit by walking twice a day for one mile or around the block.
3. Apply that 12-step process with your one chosen goal. Next, take another paper and write down why you want to achieve this goal. If the why is strong enough, the how is easy.
The best approach to go through the process is to collaborate with someone. It makes the process inspiring and enjoyable.
“I stated in June 2019 that my goal is to become a college professor and conduct research. It’s now June 2024, and I am currently working as a college professor conducting research. It was a long journey, but the process of setting goals really paid off.”
- Have a Desire: What Do You Really Want? College Professor and conduct research
- Believe That Your Goal is Achievable. I can do it after 21 years of military service and my faith in Christ.
- Write Your Goal Down. College Professor at Lone Star College (specific).
- Determine Your Starting Point. Achieve a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice (or 18 credit hours toward a Criminal Justice degree)
- Determine Why You Want It. Coach, teach, and mentor students and the community. Inspire young people to do the things that inspire them.
- Set a Deadline. March 2023 (This date shifted, yet I reached my goal in January 2023)
- Identify the Obstacles in Your Way (life’s obstacles…plan for the worst and pray for the best)
- Determine the Additional Knowledge and Skills You Need. Writing skills, so I started this blog.
- Determine the People Whose Help You Will Need. Other college professors and family support.
- Make a Plan: Put It All Together. I moved to Houston, set a work schedule, and continued networking.
- Visualize Your Goal Continually. I always conduct self-assessments and visualize myself in a classroom teaching setting.
- Never Give Up. No way, no how!!!
I look forward to seeing your goals.
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