Getting Very Specific in Our Goal Setting

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Getting Very Specific in Our Goal Setting

By Steve Sjogren | February 22, 2006

When I was 14 my life changed for the better in a powerful way. During my sophomore year of high school I began to go off campus to a bookstore that had a decent selection of motivational books. I began to buy book after book until I had acquired and read several dozen classic upbuilding books along these lines. Before this time the idea of “disciplines” was unheard of to me. But at this point in my young life I began to think in an utterly differnt way. For one, I began to set goals. Not just broad, vague goals that one could say, “Well I’m not sure if that happened or not.” No, the goals I set, as my distant mentors encouraged me, were very specific, very time sensitive, and in most cases very bold!

One of my first bold, audacious goals seemed absolutely impossible at first consideration: I was bent on making all A’s on my next quarter’s report card. Maybe to you as a reader of this blog that isn’t such a big deal, but to me, who had been making mostly C’s and an occassional B, this was quite a step up in a very short time. Each day I would review my primary goal. Some days, I would look at my handful of goals, remind myself of what I was seeking after, and give it my all out effort.

Long story short, I not only made all A’s that quarter, but for the rest of my high school career, I made just one B - and that, ironically that was in English (now that I have written 12 books, many dozens of articles, many websites and 3 blogs a day!)

1. People who accomplish much in life make it a lifelong, daily or at least weekly practice of writing out very specific, measurable goals.

2. Take the risk of possibly failing. You can take the emotional pain of potentially failing. The rewards far far outweigh the minimal risk of perhaps failing now and then. All highly successful people throughout history, bar none, have been persistent goal setters.

3. This is a new discovery: Listen to your heart as your set your goals. I have been slowing down from 125 ticks per minute on my inner metronome to a mere 20 beats per minute for 20 minutes to 30 minutes on most days as I journal on my laptop. During that time I wait for “inspired ideas” to come to me. And they almost always come. Often they come in the form of new goals that I need to be pursuing - not everyday certainly, but every week or so a new goal will pop up. When I get a goal like this, I know for certain that it is inspired and worthy to pursue. I write it down in my journal and keep it prominent.

4. Last, don’t copy other’s goals. Get yours just for yourself. You are unique. You have something to do that only you in all the world of 7 billion people can accomplish. Do it with all your heart - with great enthusiasm!

Topics: Future Focus |

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