Goals in One Word

That’s right, pick one word for your goals! Goals are something I do every day all year long. I know a lot about goals because I achieved all the important ones in my life. I know that sounds a little arrogant, but it is true. I was not my high school valedictorian nor did I graduate college phi beta kappa either. I was just the most determined person in the room and it worked!

Impossible is just an opinion (Paulo Coelho). This is my mantra for dealing with difficult situations. I have achieved the impossible many times and continue to work on a number of impossible projects.  When I was thirty-one (31) years old, I wanted to achieve financial freedom before I reached forty years old. I reached my dream when I was thirty-eight (38) years old. I started investing in income property and built it into a business. Soon after, I started more businesses and diversified into other industries.

I started with SMART goal setting a very long (during the 1960”s) time ago. Goal setting involves creating an action plan to motivate and guide you toward your particular goal and the action plan is intended to help you achieve your goals. It can range from breaking a bad habit to making a million dollars. The steps are similar; you just need the goal and the action plan. I would add that you need to monitor your performance or progress and adjust your effort too.

I often heard advice that all you need to do is write down your goals to make them real and possible. That seems too easy although it does help. There really is more to it than that though! I think writing down your goals helps, but it still needs an action plan to make it happen. The more you can be specific in goal setting, the better off you will be. Hence, SMART goal setting involves making your goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. You still need a good action plan and monitor your progress.

I have used goal setting for over fifty (50) years and I think I can reduce it to one word! When you spend a lot of time to create SMART goals and have an action plan, all you really need is one word to keep you focused. I used to create milestones or tasks I would perform daily/weekly/monthly to help me reach my goals. I would use just one word to remind me of my goal daily. Yes, the key to goal setting is stay focused on your goal. It is a great way to keep you motivated!

When I started out, it may have been a note on my mirror. It was a place I would go to daily to comb my hair, shave or check how I looked before I left my room. You may put your one word in a different place such as in your car, on your Smartphone or on a bulletin board. It is your choice, but pick a place you will look at daily if not several times a day. My first goal was just one word and it reminded me exactly what I wanted to do. It was the name of a girl I wanted to meet in college.

If you are wondering, I did meet her and we dated for a couple of months. The goal was meeting her not marrying her! I ended up seeing her several years after I graduated, married and completed my military service. She was the flight attendant when I went for a job interview. It really is a small world! The post script regarding this particular goal was staying focused on the goal and constantly adjusting my effort. Failure was not an option!

Can you use just one word to keep you focused on your goals? I am sure you can, you just need to find the word that keeps you motivated. Goal setting is not difficult; it just takes a consistent effort to reach your goal. This very similar to sports! All teams practice, they work on their skills and improve their performance as a team. Tiger Woods was famous for practicing whether he won or lost a golf tournament. He spent hours to get better when he was at his best! His dedication has paid off.

Reducing goals to one word makes it easier to keep you focused on your goals. You can put that one word everywhere to remind you of your goal. The mental or psychological side of goal setting is just as important as the actual action plan. If you ever tried to lose weight or break a personal habit, you understand this concept well. This is particularly true for long-range goals! A lot can happen to frustrate or discourage you along the way. It is real important to stay focused and motivated so you do not give up.

Final thoughts

Setting goals is just the first step to achieve them. Keeping yourself focused on the goal is important particularly for long-range goals. The biggest reason for failing to achieve your goals is losing interest, motivation or failure. Successful people look at failure as just part of success. Most people let failure keep them from success. Good intentions are not enough! You need to stay motivated while you overcome obstacles. I used lists to stay focused and crossed them off as I achieved a particular task or goal. What do you use to stay focused on your goals?

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SOURCE: KrantCents – Read entire story here.