5 Simple Ways to Kick Start Your Goal-Setting
It's that time of year again where many pause and reflect on the
previous year and consider what, if any, changes are needed and
appropriate for the new one.
There are five important, yet simple steps to follow,
which I believe are necessary for seemingly impossible goals to
be achieved.
Step Number One
Spend some quiet time and write down exactly what the
change or changes will be and why you want them, this is the
first crucial step towards achieving goals. At this stage, write
only what it is you'd like to achieve and why. The 'how's' and
'when's' can come later.
Step Number Two
This step too is very important, and it has everything to do
with you accessing a state of inner peace. The peace I
write about has little to do with listening to relaxation music,
essential oils in a burner or harps playing (though they can
help).
Achievement of your goal requires having peace through a quiet
mind and inner calmness regardless of the chaos around you and
how long this chaos reigns.
When you have this (peace) you'll have greater clarity, your
creative self will make itself known, you'll gain foresight into
how you will achieve your outcome, focus, and negativity will
have minimal impact.
There are individuals who know how to step into the state of
peace; however others may require some gentle guidance.
If you find achieving a peace state challenging, there are 5
options listed below that may help you:
1. Find yourself some quiet time when you know you'll be
undisturbed and paint, draw, write, or map out all you can about
your intended outcome.
2. Embark on a meditation program that will teach you a
selection of meditation techniques.
3. If you're willing to be coached, find yourself a reputable
personal coach who can help you work through limiting beliefs
and help you discover what your values are.
4. Seek out a mentor. This would be someone whom you admire, is
inspiring, motivating, and successful, be available to you and
who is a fundamentally positive, peaceful and calm individual.
5. Embark on a spiritual development program.
The world of alternatives is huge. To find something you'll be
happy with may take a little research, start by asking friends
and family members to point you in the right direction. If
they're just not into that kind of thing it may be wise to
broaden your search through the internet, books, and/or other
members of your community.
Step Number Three
This important step is about gifting yourself with a fresh
outlook on life.
Looking at things in a totally different way and from a new
angle will give you a more global perspective revealing
greater possibilities and may be achieved by:
1. Asking parts of you what is important to you, each time you
receive an answer continue by asking why that answer is
important. When you can go no further ask yourself "how can you
change this issue?" This may sound a bit strange, however from
experience this works.
2. Transformational Coaching.
3. Understanding your motivation or lack of motivation. Once
you've gained an understanding of you, you're in a position to
become proactive into making necessary changes toward achieving
your goal.
4. Reading autobiographies of how successful people did it.
Step Number Four
By now you know exactly what you want; you can step into
profound inner peace at will; have picked up great self-help and
self-healing tools; eliminated limiting beliefs; and worked out
your values. Now it's time to finally pinpoint exactly
how you're going to go about achieving your goal.
There will be many ways on how you'll achieve your goal; however
the time frame will vary greatly depending on what you need to
acquire first. Maybe you need:
1. To acquire new skills such as sales, writing, technology, or
marketing skills etc. for that new career you've always wanted
to be part of.
2. To seriously start networking yourself and your product.
Become known in your community.
3. To gather a team of like minded individuals that will
motivate and inspire you into achieving your goal, whatever it
is. Constant negative input can quickly extinguish dreams.
4. Start an investment portfolio for your future if you're after
a secure financial future.
5. Read as much as possible on whatever your goal is, it will
give you a fundamental understanding of what it's all about.
Step Number Five
This last but important step (they're all important) is the
calculation of when your outcome will finally eventuate.
If you've followed the previous steps adding Step Number Four
into the equation, you'll be able to determine the time you can
celebrate in a really, huge way of finally reaching the pot at
the end of your rainbow!
1. Calculate the time it takes to complete your training courses
or higher education.
2. Investment portfolio goals as discussed with your investment
adviser.
3. Discuss with your business/personal
development/transformational coach how many sessions and
'home-play' will be required of you for you to achieve your goal.
4. Factor in time it takes for people to get to know you if
you're selling a product or you are the product. Speak with a
marketing professional or someone 'in the know' first.
5. It's important to be realistic about timeframes. Sometimes
our greatest plans will go awry and will take much longer than
expected (much like newly discovered actors and singers who have
been plugging their trade for many years before hitting the big
time!)
Sometimes, incidents will happen and be out of our control no
matter what we do. Like my computer taking with it all my
electronic office equipment earlier in 2005 (one of the most
frustrating experiences I've ever had). To keep going required
perseverance, patience and flexibility - it would have been so
easy to give up!
Anyone can achieve goals through inner peace, perseverance,
patience, flexibility and sometimes viewing situations from an
entirely different angle.
Michaela Scherr
Transformational Coach