goals - Pivotal

PivotalU article, Success, Uncategorized

8 Benefits of Setting Goals

Whether you want to progress in your career or develop healthier habits at home, goal setting can be an essential tool.

Those who set goals are much more likely to achieve success than those who don’t. Not convinced? Check out these 8 benefits of setting goals you can expect to experience.

It keeps you focused

Setting goals helps to keep you focused on the tasks that matter. When you don’t have focus or a direction, it’s difficult to progress. You’ll be much more susceptible to procrastination if you don’t have a clear goal in mind.

Setting goals shows you what you need to do to achieve your dreams. Whatever it is you want to do, goals will help you get there.

Helping to keep you motivated

You’ll also see an increase in your motivation when you work towards goals. However, that’s only if you set the right ones.

The key is to create small, achievable goals. As you tick off each goal, you’ll feel motivated to work towards the next. Contrary to popular belief, motivation doesn’t just present itself. Instead, you need to work on it and build up your motivation over time.

So, if you struggle to stay motivated, setting and completing small goals is going to help.

They make larger goals manageable

Often, the goals we set for ourselves are quite big. For example, you may want to lose weight or gain more financial freedom. These goals may take a while to reach, which can ultimately make it difficult to stick to them.

By setting smaller goals, you’ll be able tor each your large goals much faster. You’ll also find it easier to stay focused as you’ll be seeing some level of progress.

The key to motivation and sticking to larger goals is to see progress. If you don’t, you’re much more likely to give up. Write down your large goals, then break them down into smaller ones to make them more manageable.

You will consistently improve

Life is about learning and developing ourselves into the best person we can be. Goal setting can help you to consistently improve. It can help you to break bad habits, learn something new, and develop key skills to better handle life’s challenges.

If you’re looking to improve your life and become a better person, goal setting is a great tool you can utilize.

Increased satisfaction

Did you know that those who set goals are typically more satisfied in life than those who don’t? This is because, as mentioned earlier, you see a lot of progress being made.

It is also down to how they feel after ticking off their goals. When you reach a goal, you set for yourself, it boosts confidence, and gives you a great feeling of satisfaction.

They put you in control of your future

Goals give you the power to shape and alter your future. You can use them to achieve new things, develop good habits, and change the course of your life.

If you feel like you lack control, it’s going to deter you from changing. However, as you start to achieve the small goals that you set for yourself, you’ll feel motivated to carry on.

Goals boost productivity

Setting goals also helps to boost productivity. If you struggle to get things done, having a goal to work towards can motivate you to work faster and harder.

The focus placed upon achieving the goal helps to push you to get it done.

Freeing up time to spend on other things

As you’ll be more productive and achieve more with goals, it frees up time you can spend on other things. How often do you feel like it’s impossible to get everything done? If there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day, start setting goals to boost your productivity.

The free time you end up with can be spent on self-care or taking care of chores that never get done.

These are the main benefits of setting goals. You can set them for every area of your life. However, there are a lot of things that you can get wrong. Goals are only effective if you know how to set them.

The secret to setting effective goals

Want to start setting effective goals? The secret is to make them SMART. This is a common method that stands for:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Timely

Your goals need to be as specific as possible. That means they need to be targeted, rather than general goals. An example would be you want to lose weight. If you simply set your goal to lose weight, this isn’t very specific. However, if you were to set a goal to lose 2 pounds in a week, that is a much more refined goal.

You should also make sure that the goals are measurable. That is, you need to be able to clearly see progress as you work towards them. Taking the weight loss example again, you can measure your progress by how you feel and what the scales say when you step onto them.

The third thing to focus on is that your goals are achievable. After all, there’s no point setting them or working towards them if they aren’t.

The goals you work towards need to be relevant to what you are trying to achieve. What is your overall goal and are your current goals helping you to get there? If not, it’s time to make some changes.

Finally, the goals you set yourself should be timely. That is, you have a deadline to achieve them. If you don’t set a specific date or time to finish a goal, it can lead to procrastination. So, set a deadline and stick to it. Just make sure the deadline is realistic otherwise you’ll miss it and become demotivated to continue.

If you follow the SMART goal setting method, you’ll see much better results.

How to stick to your goals

Following the SMART goal setting method will go a long way to helping you stick to your goals. However, there are a few more tips you can follow to make achieving your goals easier. These include:

Choose goals that you are passionate about
Stick to working on one goal at a time
Give yourself a reward when you achieve a goal
Share your goals with others for accountability
Write your goals down

It’s important to focus on goals you’re passionate about as this makes it more likely you’ll see them through. If you aren’t interested in the goal, you aren’t going to work hard to achieve it.

Avoid working on more than one goal at a time. It’s hard to multi-task and working on one goal allows you to give it all of your focus. This ensures you complete it faster.

These are some of the best tips you can follow when setting goals for yourself. Don’t be afraid to make your goals smaller if you are struggling. The key is to find a method that works for you.

So, there you have it, the benefits of setting goals and some top tips to get you started. When you start to set goals, you’ll start to see real change in your life.

Reading

Three Obstacles to Reading and How to Overcome Them

Obstacle Number One: I Can't Read Very Fast

Solution: Be Realistic

I personally cannot read extremely fast, but I have noticed that after years of reading consistently my reading speed has increased exponentially. One thing that helped me to even begin a reading habit was starting with books that interested me. If you are reading a book just for reading's sake you will not establish a lifelong reading habit. Start with books that you actually enjoy. Another action step is to start with books that are less than 100 pages. Do not start with your great grandpa's "Chronicles of World History." You can normally finish a book of 100 pages in just a few days of reading for 20-30 minutes. The thrill of closing a book having completed reading it makes you eager to start another one.

Obstacle Number Two: I Can't Find a Quiet Place to Read.

Solution: Be Intentional and Communicate.

Some of you reading this have multiple children and a small home. I very much know this obstacle. One way to overcome this is to schedule reading time into your day. Make this a time when you are naturally alert and awake. Thirty minutes of focused reading time will yield much more profit than three hours of distracted reading. I find that mornings are the best time for me. Be sure to communicate with your family, spouse, roommates etc. when you are going to hide away to do some reading. This will keep you from getting frustrated when they come in the room to ask you a question or to discuss the new Star Wars movie. You may be thinking, "I can't ask them to leave me alone for thirty minutes. That's selfish." Believe me, men, our wives do not want ignorant, boring husbands. Just imagine actually having something to talk to our wives about other than politics and the latest ESPN stats. Our wives won't mind us taking some time for intellectual stimulation. Ladies, take advantage of the times of the day when the kids are doing homework or taking a nap. Another strategy is to make your kids read with you. Some mornings my wife and I make our boys read a book (or look at the pictures) on their own while we have our reading times. Ask your husband and tell your kids to do the dishes while you slip away to enjoy a few minutes of quiet reading.

Obstacle Number Three: I Don't Have Time.

Solution: Remember that Quality Time is More Important than Quantity Time.

Really? You don't have time to read. "I don't have time" is one of the greatest cop-out phrases of our day when it relates to commitments. The real issue is that we have made too many commitments to the wrong things. The biggest time-waster for all of us is the television. I promise you. Turn off the TV, and you will find that you have a lot of time that you could use to read a book. Start with cutting out just one thirty-minute show and focus on a book. You will find your appetite for good reading to begin crowding out the appetite for mindless television shows. Oh. One more thing. Be sure to turn off your cell phone while you read too. May your reading become easier and your appetite for good books grow stronger as you begin this great lifelong habit.

What time of day do you set aside to read?

What time of the day are you most alert?

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

The Master Key to Landing a Man on the Moon

A boulder field.

Fuel running out.

Neil Armstrong's heart rate hit 160 beats per minute.

He was sweating.

But he didn't sound worried or anxious.

He sounded cool.

Calm.

In control.

Because he was.

He had overridden the computer controls and was manually flying the craft to find a flat area to set the Eagle lander on the surface of the Moon.

The seconds ticked.

The Eagle's occupants, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, were so close to the Moon's surface that the craft's thrusters were kicking sand upwards, occluding the astronauts' vision.

The Moon, the enchantress and seductress of the Ancients, was bedevilling mankind once again.

There were but two options at this critical juncture.

Should they continue?

Should they abort?

The eyes of the world were on these two men, yet they sounded completely cool...

... completely collected...

... and completely awesome.

Neil Armstrong had, some would say, been preparing for a moment just like this his whole life. Steve Jobs said that you "can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards." That's where we are now as we look back on this monumental feat.

But I can imagine that Neil Armstrong knew that he would land his craft safely and perfectly.

He knew that he would, by the Grace of God, accomplish the mission.

Yes, he knew that he would be the first man to truly become an extra-terrestrial by stepping onto and walking on the surface of the Moon, the goal that was set by the late President John F. Kennedy nine years prior to this epic historic moment.

When President Kennedy decided in 1960 that the United States would put a man on the Moon in ten years, most of the technology to accomplish the task was not yet available. But here we find the key -- the Master Key. The decision to put a man on the Moon -- the belief in its possibility and the belief that it could be achieved -- produced the necessary scientific and technological breakthroughs to make it possible.

Charles F. Haanel wrote in The Master Key System that "the real secret of power is consciousness of power." This is what brings everything into reality.

Everything.

Be it good...

... or bad.

What you want...

... or what you dislike.

This is how a man was landed on the Moon.

A goal was set.

It was believed.

Plans were made and...

... pictures were created and...

... the goal became tangible.

It became magnetic and the excitement and energy and activity attracted the best and the brightest, all of whom contributed by solving problems and sharing ideas and motivating each other.

And it became focused on one man as he guided his spaceship onto the lunar surface. This one man who trained...

... and prepared...

... and practised.

This man who would speak almost casually into his radio on July 20, 1969, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

Calm. Cool. Collected.

This is the result of thinking, which is, in the words of Charles F. Haanel, "Clear, decisive, calm, deliberate, sustained thought with a definite end in view."

This is what you open when you use your Master Key.

You define audacious goals.

And you achieve them.

Deliberately. Assiduously. Markedly.

Calmly. Cooly. Collectedly.

And you make giant leaps.

Because that's what happens as you exercise your inner power.

Because that's what happens when you attempt grand things "not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

Anthony R. Michalski/Master Key Coaching
http://www.masterkeycoaching.com

Success

Motivation Myths

Myth 1: Motivation is something you've got or you haven't

Fact: Motivation levels are different in different people. Some people seem to be highly motivated most of the time. But before you think you are one of those people with low motivation think again. Generally we are motivated by things that matter to us, by the things we value, that are meaningful and purposeful to us. Those people who are highly motivated often have a very compelling reason to be motivated; the more compelling the reason the higher the motivation. For most people it is a matter of finding out what it is that compels them and motivation will follow.

Myth 2: You need to be positive in order to be motivated

Fact: While perhaps not obvious on the surface, you might be surprised to learn that fear is often a motivator. Most people would have heard of the carrot or stick principle; move towards the carrot and away from the stick. Some people are motivated by the reward, the gain, while others might be more motivated by fear, discomfort, potential loss or pain. Gain and pain are both strong motivating factors. In many cases it is not one or the other but a combination of both.

If you really fear something for example, say that you might lose everything you have worked for then you might be extra motivated to work hard to succeed. The fear of illness or being obese will often motivate people to stay fit and healthy. If you don't pay your mortgage you might lose your house, if you don't pay your taxes you might be in trouble with the law etc. etc. This secondary or 'negative' motivation motivates more people than you think. It is preferable to be motivated by real desire rather than by fear, but remember that you will not only be motivated for positive reasons. You might desire to be very successful as you fear insignificance or not living a purposeful life. It's important to be aware of what fuels your motivation and if that is what you really want.

Myth 3: You have to be motivated before you start anything

Fact: This is why so many people never achieve their goals! It is like waiting for the motivation bus...it isn't coming and it never will. Don't wait! You need to get up, start moving and get going. True, sometimes the first steps might be the hardest to take. Remember that motivation means 'movement' and movement is something you can activate by creating momentum. Have you ever seen someone pulling a truck or jumbo jet on their own? Once the truck or plane starts rolling momentum is created and less effort is required. Once movement is activated, it is easier to keep it going than to make it move in the first place. In other words 'Just Do It'!

Myth 4: You think you can be motivated without a clear and specific goal

Fact: When you want to travel to a destination, first you need to know where you want to go. Like the saying in Alice in Wonderland "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there". Imagine going to a train station and asking for a ticket, the first question asked will be 'Where to?' First you need to know where you want to go and you need a reason for wanting to go there. You need to feel the excitement of reaching your destination. The feeling of arriving at your destination needs to be more powerful than the feeling of staying where you are.

The more compelling the reason, the more it aligns with what is important to you, the more you will be 'pulled' towards it. You need to imagine and have a vivid picture in your mind (as well of external representations such as a vision board) of what this destination looks like. If you have no idea what your goal or your destination looks like and how you will feel when you get there, then why would you want to go there in the first place? You generally can't be motivated for motivation sake. You need a compelling reason and a clear purpose; somewhere to direct your attention and focus your energy.

Myth 5: You should be motivated all the time

Fact: While this might be true for some people, for most of us there are times when motivation wanes. There might be some obstacles along the way, challenges or difficulties that appear to stand in the way of reaching your destination. While some people become more determined, others might get disheartened. It is unrealistic to expect there won't be times when you might want to give up and go 'back home' to what is familiar. Remember that after the initial period there is often a time when the desire and excitement diminishes. During these times it is especially important to keep the momentum going; keep that plane or truck rolling! The key is to keep the momentum going even though part of the journey might be uphill at certain times. Remember to always keep the end in mind clearly and firmly.

Related: Boundless Leadership: 3 Ways to Boost Morale and Break Down Barriers to Engagement

Myth 6: Motivation is the same as using will power

Fact: When the going gets tough there may be times when you need to put your shoulder to the grindstone. But if your journey is only driven by will power, you are likely to tire and it's unlikely that you will succeed. If you are clear about why you want to reach your destination, together with a real desire to get there, you will use your inspiration rather than relying on will power alone. Strong desire and emotionally connecting to the excitement of reaching your destination is far more powerful than using sheer will power. Without engaging your emotions and feelings (the subconscious and the limbic part of your brain), you have to work much harder. Inspiration is more powerful than perspiration.

Myth 7: When you are motivated it gets easier and easier

Fact: "The old Gods will always come and challenge you at the border of the country that you are leaving". You want to change something and move away from a current situation, in order to achieve a goal. For most people there comes a stage which is called the point of greatest resistance. It is often when you least expect it. All of a sudden something pulls you back and stops you from moving forward. This is often just before you are about to succeed. Why? Just like being tied to an elastic band, the further you move away the stronger the pullback. The point of greatest resistance occurs just before the elastic band breaks and you hurdle forward.

In psychology this is called a 'pay off' or a 'hidden benefit'. At some point the 'pay' off, the 'benefit' of not 'travelling' any further motivates you more than the destination. Well ingrained habits have a lot of pullback power. That part of you that is attached to the old habits will pull you back (especially after 3-4 weeks and then again at a later stage) as it does not want to lose those 'benefits'. When you want to move to a new way; a new world or a new country so to speak, the old habits will often try to call you back. This is one of the most important aspects to understand in the motivation process, yet it is often not addressed in popular motivation information. Why would that part of you that just wants to 'stay home' and blob in front of the TV get excited and co-operate with another part of you that wants to actively pursue your goals? You need to negotiate with these various and often conflicting aspects within yourself so they come on board. Once you understand and effectively address the pullback factor, you are far more likely to succeed.

Myth 8: People believe they are lazy

Fact: Believe it or not you are always motivated. Is a teenager lazy for not wanting to tidy up his or her room? NO! Their motivation just lies elsewhere. They might be motivated to go out with their friends, play video games or sleep. They value these things much more than tidying up their room. There is always motivation, although sometimes the motivation 'movement' might not necessarily go in a direction that is constructive or useful. So next time you think you are 'lazy' replace that thought with, I am not motivated. Labelling yourself or others as 'lazy' is very unhelpful. Labelling someone or something means that it is a fait accompli (an irreversible fact). There is nothing much that you can do about it. Exploring what does and what does not motivate you is the key to addressing motivation.

Myth 9: You've got to try harder

Fact: A real indication of lack of motivation is when we use the word 'try'. 'I will try' means I am not really committed but I feel I 'should' be. Rather than choosing to do something because we really want to, we give it a try. Have you ever met someone that has been trying to give up smoking? Answer one question: Do they or don't they smoke? The answer is they are still smoking. If they weren't they would not be trying to give it up, they would have done it. How well do you think it works when you feel you 'should' give up smoking, 'should' lose weight, 'should' drink less or 'should' exercise more, when you don't really want to?

The problem is with the implication of the word trying. Trying means it is not happening because there is not a firm decision or commitment made. I know people that have made a very clear, firm and conscious decision to smoke, despite knowing the dangers. While it is not a choice that I would make, I respect their decision. Why? They stopped the struggle.

Make up your mind, consider the cost-benefits and make a decision. The space between doing and not doing is called ambivalence. Continuously dancing 'the ambivalence dance' is very tiring, disempowering and ultimately does not get you anywhere. Stop trying; just do it or don't! Ultimately it is that easy.

Myth 10: All you need is a destination, motivation and inspiration

Fact: You need to keep on track to reach your destination, but if you haven't got a map, then what track are you on? Without a strategy it is far too easy to stray from your intended destination, your intended goal. If you haven't got a good map or navigation system you might find that all of a sudden you have come back to the place you started from. You can have all the motivation in the world, but if you leave home without knowing where you are going or how far you have travelled, you're going to feel lost and discouraged and more than likely, you will give up.

Having a system that keeps you focused and on the right track is extremely important, especially during times when your motivation is low. Having a clear vision of your destination, knowing where you're at and keeping track of your travels and progress is one of the most essential aspects as it encourages you and leads you to act. This is such an important and fundamental element of achieving what you want to achieve, yet it's probably one of the most neglected. There is so much information about motivation yet often the most important aspects are absent. Many people, books and products can inspire you and get you on your way, but that is the easy part. After that you are left to your own devices and this is why most people don't stay the course or reach their intended destination.

Determining where you want to go and understanding the all-important why factor as well as having access to practical tools, resources and support to help get you there (from start to finish) is what people really need to succeed. With this in mind, using a specifically tailored system to help you stay on track is the most beneficial tool one can use.

Numerous studies have shown that people who set goals consistently achieve more in life than those who do not. Yet there is so much more to goal setting than most people think. Not only do people need to be clear about what they want, they need to create an environment for success and achievement; an environment that guides and supports them, keeps them focused and on the right track.

Just think about New Year resolutions. Despite having the best intentions, most people don't make it past the 7th day of January! At Minds with Integrity we have developed a unique and personalized system that will help you move from hoping and wishful thinking to living your life according to what is really important to you. Experience immediate and tangible outcomes with a system that gets results.

By Tao De Haas The Life Navigation System is your own personal GPS; an easy and practical online DIY coaching system. It puts you in the driver's seat and more in control of your life and where you are heading.

Sign up for your free trial and test drive The Life Navigation System today. Take your free test drive now.
https://www.mindswithintegrity.com/Home/Mi_Community.aspx

Success

The 3 Requirements to Level Up Your Success

For the majority of us, success doesn't come by accident. Success happens because of a chain of events. Though the word success may be a subjective thing, the words achievement and progress are not. In order to reach success, whatever it means to you, you must achieve and progress. It's easy to lose focus and motivation especially in the down times so I want to give you my trick that has helped me stay focused on my success over the years. I learned these through my martial arts training and have been applying them to my health, businesses, and relationships. I call them my 3 requirements to level up and reach success.

Motivation, drive and focus crumble when the greater vision is lost or doubt or something negative grabs your attention pulling you away from your goals. I've found this happens because the connection to your purpose was broken. The first step here is to refurbish your purpose. What are you thriving for? Be specific.

For example, this article has two main purposes. Number one, I really hope these three tips help people to get back on track toward reaching their goals and success. Secondly, it helps to get my name out there. Why is this important to me? So perhaps I could help as many people as possible in achieving their successes.

Define what your purpose is. Write it down and know it's okay if it evolves over time. As you reach levels of success, you want to adjust your purpose accordingly but, by stating your purpose and knowing it gives you a direction where to put your focus and apply your effort.

Once you have your purpose you need to get obsessed with it. Obsession is a powerful tool to keep the fuel in the tank, foot on the gas and do what you have to keep pushing through. Obsession glues you to your daily tasks.

What are you doing every day? Why is what you're doing important? Re-confirm your goals daily until you become obsessed with your goals.

Why Every Successful Person Sets Goals

Finally, you have to get committed. As a teacher of the martial arts for over 10 years I've found people have to become obsessed in order to truly get committed.

Knowing your purpose comes first. You have to know what you're committing yourself to. I hear personal development experts all the time saying you have to commit. Commit, commit, commit! Commit to your goals! But, they miss the purpose thing. How do you know if you're setting the right goals for yourself if you don't have your purpose down? Which means you may be committing to the wrong thing, that you're not obsessed about and you can't get obsessed about because you know in the back of your mind that it's not what you want to achieve.

Leveling up your game and your success isn't about creating habits. It isn't about creating goals to check off the list. It's about making success a daily requirement and knowing exactly where to aim your efforts. Know your purpose, get obsessed with your purpose and now you're going to get committed to your purpose. Now you have a real foundation to build real ideal goals for yourself.

It's easier to read the map when you already know where you're going and where you're starting from.

If you can't get obsessed with a purpose you gave yourself then it's probably not your purpose. Don't take what somebody else is doing and confuse yourself about having to or wanting to do the same thing the exact same way. Here's an exercise I do and I have my students do to find what your true purpose is.

Turn off the videos, close the books and block out any outside influences for about 2 weeks. Go somewhere secluded in a natural environment and spend 2 weeks with just yourself and your thoughts. To locate your purpose you need to break off outside influences.

Anytime you're falling off track just go reconnect with your purpose. Leveling up is not about what motivates you. Motivation wears off. Drive and obsession don't wear off. What you're obsessed with you'll be committed to.

Hey, I hope this helps you in some way. If it does, I'd love to know about it. If you're interested in learning more about me and my unique approach to reaching success visit me at http://www.paulingram.com/ and feel free to email me and "Like" my page on Facebook here. https://www.facebook.com/paulingramrfa/

Success

How to Increase Personal Motivation to Achieve Your Goals

· Have you followed all the traditional goal setting advice?

· Does it leave you cold?

· Do you wonder if there is something wrong with you, why you can't seem to get motivated?

· Do you set goals and then leave them?

· Have you set many goals this way?

· Have you achieved goals and felt lost afterwards?

If the answer to any of these is yes, read on...

In 1996 I had an existential crisis that changed my life;... and in some ways the cause of it was my method of goal-setting.

At the time, I had leap-frogged my way into professional writing, jumping five years of journalistic grunt-work to suddenly be writing at a top selling publication in the UK.

I was working with some of the best writers in that section of the industry, my salary was increasing every few months and four million people a week were reading my writing. I had money, a career at 22, and I was fulfilled. Or so I thought.

One day I was walking along the street when a thought struck me like a punch with a wet cold rag: 'Is this IT? Is this all I have to look forward to for the next twenty years? Earning money and buying stuff?' (I acknowledge to those in less fortunate circumstances this may seem unbelievably petty.)

I was struck hard by a kind of horizon-less despair and not long after I started studying the Bible until a few months later I became a Christian.

Why the mini-biography? Because as I tease out the structure of what happened - and what I learned years later to do about it - it reveals powerful insights about some things that might be missing from your goal setting philosophy... things which, if you realize them now, could help you stay motivated for years to come and avoid the enormous drop I experienced. (Of course, I would also say that drop led to something much better so it's all good!)

Want to know more? (That was a Starship Troopers joke for you sci-fi geeks out there... )

What had happened was that I had achieved an Ultimate Goal. This in itself what not a bad thing. It was just that BY itself it led to my crisis...

A few years before I left a job in a timber yard to pursue becoming a writer. I took my college courses then moved onto a journalistic degree. Before I had finished the degree I was offered a job... and suddenly I had achieved what, at the time, was my life goal - to be a professional writer working in the media. At 22.

Do you get where I'm going with this?

I had no-more meaningful goals BEYOND my ultimate goal. I had no-longer had anything more meaningful to strive for. Thus the despair.

When I became a Christian I again had a set of meaningful goals to strive for. One, was to imitate Jesus, which is, frankly, an endless goal because Christians believe he lived a perfect life and we don't.

Life improved for a number of reasons but the ones I want to mention here was that I now had:

a) Meaningful goals beyond my current goals

b) Goals that, should I decide it so, are actually a never-ending series of improvements rather than a one-time Ultimate Goal to aim for.

This is important so pay attention.

Silvia Hartmann, a millionaire, and author of Mind Million explains it like this: "As soon as this [getting your first yacht, Mercedes, castle] has happened and was experienced... people... have to start looking for something else and something new, something even better still."

That is how people are built that's how our neurology is designed - to never stand still but actively seek out BETTER AND DIFFERENT experiences, as long as we live.

She explained that the trouble with only having one goal was that "people... THINK if only they can get that first Mercedes [or anything you desire] then EVERYTHING will be blissful and STAY blissful. This is the 'happily ever after' delusion."

All we have to remember that we are dealing not with THE [ultimate] Mercedes, THE [ultimate] dream home,... THE [ultimate] business, THE [ultimate] contract - but always with THE FIRST.

When you think of it as the FIRST... OF MANY houses/cars/businesses (eg. A house in the UK... and Germany... and Miami and then?) then, as Hartmann says: 'the first goal doesn't have to bear the burden of making you happy and keeping you happy for evermore; it becomes a stepping-stone or a door that is now open and leads to whole new set of unfoldments.

It doesn't take anything away from the fun and excitement of the FIRST GOAL, in fact, it makes it much, much more exciting... because... [As a result]... we now have an evolution of goals that can start much smaller, become much more affordable and available; the goals become springboards to greater and brighter things, all along the way. And they become achievable.''

She uses the Golden Goals Line - the exercise is reproduced below from her book Mind Million (no longer available):

>> Exercise: Golden Line Goals

So, here is our exercise.

1. Consider your business and your goals as they used to be. Are they achievable within a reasonable amount of time? Are they achievable with what you've got right now? Are they WITHIN YOUR REACH?

2. If they are not, we go back to the drawing board and re-define goals to create a golden goal line that powers you into the future.

Make sure that your next and upcoming FIRST GOAL is completely achievable, and that in achieving this you are paving the way to the next goal.

Make sure that your first goal is something that will make you proud and happy when you have achieved it.

Make a line of at least 3 goals in a row that follow from one another logically and quite easily and write them down across a piece of paper, with the beginning and easiest goal at the bottom, closest to you, and going up to the further, higher goals.

Notice how the WEIGHT of the greater goals are creating a strong motivational pull to get started on the EASY AND ACHIEVABLE goal at the bottom.

Can you understand this principle, FEEL how it works?

If you can, then you have just achieved one of the most crucial understandings on motivation and goal setting there is.

A Note: You can use this exercise for personal goals, for business goals, for relationship goals, even for personal development goals.

The golden goal line is a UNIVERSAL principle that works regardless of what the content or context of a goal might be.

Success is in the Striving

A complimentary philosophy to the golden goal line is the idea (supported by Robert Ringer, author of Action and Millionaire Habits) that happiness is found in the striving for goals, not simply the end result itself. And if you are not convinced by this, consider these points.

a) If you are always focused on the BIG end goal, some part of your mind will always consider you a loser until you actually achieve it. You will always NOT HAVE the end goal until you have it... possibly years later. (Thanks to Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, for this insight).

b) Therefore, it just makes sense to enjoy the larger part of the process, which is all the little goals and hours of practice you have to do to build the big one. Yes, you can choose to be happy about the 'journey' AND the destination.

Adams supports - and yet actually goes further than - Hartman and Ringer, and suggests that we stop thinking of ourselves as having BIG goals per se. Instead, we think of ourselves as aiming eternally for improvement with the bigger goals as just part of the journey towards excellence. That way, the motivation will never be blocked by the idea that it will just end.

Striving small but consistently

Adams says that if you do something every day that has the overall effect of making your life better then you have a system for improving (for example drinking water and exercising). But you don't have to start off with grand sweeping actions... in fact, you can start off... tiny.

I first came across this concept in One Small Step can Change a Life and later, in more convincing detail in The Compound Effect. It can be summed up thus:

Small decisions, consistently taken, can add up to destiny... or destruction.

For example, each day I practice 'no-mind' holding 15 seconds or more of blankness in my mind. I am up to about 22 seconds at the moment. At first I couldn't go beyond six or seven seconds.

Andy Shaw, creator of a Bug Free Mind, and another millionaire, says that this is the foundational skill for creating a life of your dreams - to be able to control your own mind. He says that ANYTHING he teaches you when you don't have this skill will not work to its full effect.

So I practice a few minutes a day... and I am now able to quiet my mind much faster than before. This tiny thing, practiced consistently is having a compound effect on my life.

What could you do consistently that would add up over time... and I stress TIME because you may not see results instantly? Keeping well hydrated is a daily discipline that bears much fruit in its positive effect on the rest of your life.

Anthony Robbins says the Japanese call these ideas Kaizen - and he calls it CANI - constant and never ending improvement!

If you're not in the habit of making everyday improvements then try this... pick one area of improvement and do something to improve every day for 30 days. For example, when I was studying Provocative Coaching I would write out provocative statements every day until it became second nature.

Doing this is not just useful for improving - it gives you a real taste of what continuous improvement feels like.

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So, in summary - keep adding at least three meaningful goals beyond the completion of your current goal; breathe a sigh of relief as your improvement and therefore attainment never has to end and if you need to, take baby steps because you are still moving forward.

To infinity and beyond!

Joshua Cartwright writes with the purpose of giving you the knowledge and drive to overcome issues and pursue your goals. Check out his books on Amazon and especially his latest book created with the help of millionaire maker Ron G Holland: The Millionaire Silence: http://tinyurl.com/my245ny

Success

Managing your time

Perhaps the greatest problem that people have today is "time poverty." Working people have too much to do and too little time for their personal lives. Most people feel overwhelmed by responsibilities and activities, and the harder they work, the further behind they feel. This sense of being on a never-ending treadmill can cause you to fall into a reactive/responsive mode of living. Instead of clearly deciding what you want to do, you continually react to what is happening around you. Pretty soon, you lose all sense of control. You feel that your life is running you, rather than you running your life.

On a regular basis, you have to stand back and take stock of yourself and what you're doing. You have to stop the clock and do some serious thinking about who you are and where you are going. You have to evaluate your activities in the light of what is really important to you. You must master your time rather than becoming a slave to the demands of a constant flow of events. And you must organize your life to achieve balance, harmony, and inner peace.

Taking action without thinking is the cause of every failure. Your ability to think is the most valuable trait that you possess. If you improve the quality of your thinking, you improve the quality of your life - sometimes immediately.

Time is your most precious resource. It is the most valuable thing you have. It is perishable, it is irreplaceable, and it cannot be saved. It can only be reallocated from activities of lower value to activities of higher value. All work requires time. And time is absolutely essential for the important relationships in your life. The very act of taking a moment to think about your time before you spend it will begin to improve your personal time management immediately.

I used to think that time management was only a business tool, like a calculator or a cellular telephone. It was something that you used so that you could get more done in a shorter period of time and eventually be paid more money. Then I learned that time management is not a peripheral activity or skill. It is the core skill upon which everything else in your life depends.

In your business life, there are so many demands on your time by other people that very little of it is yours to use as you choose. However, in your personal life, you can exert a tremendous amount of control over how you use your time. And it is on this area that I want to focus.

Personal time management begins with you. It begins with your thinking through what is really important to you. And it only makes sense if you organize it around specific things that you want to accomplish.

You need to set goals in three major areas of your life.

First, you need family and personal goals. These are the reasons why you get up in the morning, why you work hard and upgrade your skills, why you worry about money and sometimes feel frustrated by the demands on your time.

What are your personal and family goals, both tangible and intangible? A tangible family goal could be a bigger house, a better car, a larger television set, a vacation, or anything else that costs money. An intangible goal would be to build a higher quality relationship with your spouse and children, to spend more time with your family by going for walks, or to read books. Achieving these family and personal goals is the real essence of time management, and its major purpose.

Second, you need business and career goals. These are the "how" goals, the means by which you achieve your personal "why" goals. How can you achieve the level of income that will enable you to fulfill your family goals? How can you develop the skills and abilities to stay ahead of the curve in your career? Business and career goals are absolutely essential, especially when balanced with family and personal goals.

Third, you need personal-development goals. Remember, you can't achieve much more on the outside than what you have achieved on the inside. Your outer life will be a reflection of your inner life. If you wish to achieve worthwhile things in your personal life and your career, you must become a worthwhile person. You must build yourself if you want to build your life. Perhaps the greatest secret of success is that you can become anything you really want to become to achieve any goal that you really want to achieve. But in order to do it, you must go to work on yourself and never stop.

Once you have a list of your personal and family goals, your business and career goals, and your self-development goals, you can then organize that list by priority. This brings us to the difference between priorities and posteriorities. In order to get your personal time under control, you must decide very clearly upon your priorities. You must decide on the most important things that you could possibly be doing to give yourself the same amount of happiness, satisfaction, and joy in life. But, at the same time, you must establish posteriorities as well. Just as priorities are things that you do more of and sooner, posteriorities are things that you do less of and later.

The fact is, your calendar is full. You have no spare minutes. Your time is extremely valuable. Therefore, for you to do anything new, you will have to stop doing something old. In order to get into something, you will have to get out of something else. In order to pick something up, you will have to put something down. Before you make any new commitment of your time, you must firmly decide what activities you are going to discontinue.

If you want to spend more time with your family, for example, you must decide what activities you currently engage in that are preventing you from doing so.

A principle of time management says that hard time pushes out soft time. This means that hard time, such as working, will push out soft time, such as the time you spend with your family. If you don't get your work done at the office because you don't use your time well, you almost invariably have to rob that time from your family. As a result, because your family is important to you, you find yourself in a values conflict. You feel stressed and irritable. You feel a tremendous amount of pressure. You know in your heart that you should be spending more time with the important people in your life, but because you didn't get your work done, you have to fulfill those responsibilities before you can spend time with them.

Think of it this way. Every minute you waste during the waking day is time that your family will ultimately be deprived of. So concentrate on working when you are at work so that you can concentrate on your family when you are at home.

There are three key questions that you should continually ask yourself to keep your personal life in balance.

The first question is: "What is really important to me?" Whenever you find yourself with too much to do and too little time, stop and ask yourself, "What is it that is really important for me to do in this situation?" Then, make sure that what you are doing is the answer to that question.

The second question is: "What are my highest value activities?" In your personal life, this means, "What are the things that I do that give me the greatest pleasure and satisfaction? Of all the things that I could be doing at any one time, what are the things that I could do to add the greatest value to my life?"

And the final question to ask yourself, over and over again, is: "What is the most valuable use of my time right now?" Since you can only do one thing at a time, you must constantly organize your life so that you are doing one thing, the most important thing, at every moment.

Personal time management enables you to choose what to do first, what to do second, and what not to do at all. It enables you to organize every aspect of your life so that you can get the greatest joy, happiness, and satisfaction out of everything you do.

(Brian Tracy is one of America's leading authorities on the development of human potential and personal effectiveness. He is a dynamic and entertaining speaker, known for his ability to inform and inspire his audiences.)

Success

How to Increase Personal Motivation to Achieve Your Goals

· Does it leave you cold?

· Do you wonder if there is something wrong with you, why you can't seem to get motivated?

· Do you set goals and then leave them?

· Have you set many goals this way?

· Have you achieved goals and felt lost afterwards?

If the answer to any of these is yes, read on...

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