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Why You Need Goals
To make 2006 your most successful year ever, you need exciting goals.
The following article is excerpted from "How to Set Exciting Goals You Can Reach," a free e-booklet you can download at www.tipsforsuccess.org/goals-link.htm.
"Without goals, hopes, ambitions or dreams, the attainment of pleasure is nearly impossible." -- L. Ron Hubbard
Fifteen Signs You Need to Set Some Goals
1. You want to accomplish something great, but you don't know what to do.
2. Even though you are busy, you accomplish little.
3. Little problems seem like big problems.
4. You hate your work or other parts of your life.
5. Nothing interests or excites you; you have little passion for what you are doing.
6. Staying focused or concentrating is difficult.
7. You are waiting for someone else to give you opportunities or make you successful.
8. Even if you seem more successful than others, you are still unhappy.
9. You spread out a little work to fill your whole day.
10. Your life seems to be going downhill.
11. Your days are filled with meaningless motion.
12. Negative feelings are controlling your life: apathy, depression, fear, grief, pain, hopelessness, anxiety, anger, jealousy, revenge and so on.
13. You wonder what will happen to you in the future.
14. You know your potential is unlimited, yet you do not change.
15. Life does not contain much happiness or pleasure.
Even if you realize you need to set goals, you might use one or more of the following excuses.
Top Ten Excuses For Not Setting Goals
10. "I don't know how to set goals."
9. "I set some goals one time, but it didn't make any difference."
8. "I would rather do what others want me to do."
7. "I'll probably fail anyway, so why try?"
6. "I don't need to improve anything."
5. "My life is not in my control."
4. "I just keep changing my mind on what I want."
3. "Why set goals? I'll forget about them."
2. "Success is too much work."
1. "I don't have time to set goals."
However, these excuses are less valid when you consider the amazing benefits you earn from having goals.
Ten Benefits of Goals
1. If you have goals, you have direction. You can invest your time and effort in a specific way that pays off.
A race car that is chained to the ground is the same as having no goals. You push on the gas pedal and the engine roars. The tires spin and smoke. Yet no matter how hard you push on the pedal, you go nowhere.
2. When opportunities pop up that can help you reach a goal, you recognize and seize them.
Opportunities are all around you. The trick is noticing them. When you have a goal in mind, opportunities are easier to see.
For example, when you decide to buy a red Chevy truck, you suddenly notice dozens of red Chevy trucks on the road. Before you had the goal of getting the truck, you probably drove past red Chevy trucks every day and never noticed them.
When you have a goal in mind, you see ways to reach your goal you never noticed before.
3. You make better decisions. When faced with an important choice, you simply ask yourself, "Which of these options will best help me reach my goal? Will Plan A help me with my goal or will Plan B do it best?"
Like a flashlight in the night, your goal lights up your best choice.
4. Goals motivate you and give you energy.
For example, when you are preparing to go on vacation, you get more done in less time. You have a firm goal to finish several tasks and then go on your trip. The excitement of the vacation helps you work hard and fast without getting tired.
5. You have more control of your life.
When events in life knock you around, goals can put you back in control. For example, you get arrested by the police and spend time in jail for something you did not do. The day after you are released from jail, you focus on your goals and continue onward. The bad incident does not ruin your life.
6. You can have greater confidence. You can take the initiative. You can be a leader.
Imagine you and your group are lost in the wilderness. You alone know the correct direction to hike. You would not follow someone else. You would not sit down and worry. You would take the initiative and lead your group to safety. Goals give you the same level of confidence.
7. You can determine if your current activity contributes to your overall success or not.
For example, you find yourself digging a hole in the ground. You ask yourself, "Why am I digging this hole?" You then realize, "Oh, yeah! I'm building my own house and need a good basement." Or you realize, "Wait a minute. This hole is for my buddy's house! He's pretty persuasive! He already owes me plenty. It's time to go dig my own basement."
As another example, you are frustrated and cannot sleep because you accomplished nothing worthwhile during the day. But then you realize you took three good steps toward one of your goals. You pat yourself on the back and fall asleep.
8. Long-range goals help you solve short-term problems.
For example, you and your spouse have a long-term goal of raising your three children to be happy, healthy, honest and productive. You keep that goal in mind when your son is caught stealing a jacket at the shopping mall. Of course, you work out a punishment, but you also use the incident to teach your son the benefits of honesty. The big picture helps you take wiser actions.
9. Your plans are more effective.
Each morning, you can plan your day based on your goals. For example, "What can I do today that will take me one step closer to my goal of becoming independently wealthy?"
Weekly plans, monthly plans and yearly plans give you better results when you line them up and match them to specific goals.
10. Goals give you hope for a better future. Goals make you happier.
Watch the fans at a football or baseball game. They have a goal to win the game. For a few hours, the goal helps them escape the problems of life. Even if they lose, they have fun.
Goals help you make life more enjoyable, even exhilarating. Goals give you a natural "high" you can never achieve from chemicals or other artificial means.
"Happiness could be defined as the emotion of progress toward desirable goals." -- L. Ron Hubbard
Free E-Booklet
Deep inside you are big, exciting goals that you can reach in 2006. "How to Set Exciting Goals You Can Reach" is a booklet that can help you uncover these goals so you move your life in a new, more interesting direction.
Because this e-booklet is free, you can keep it in your computer, print copies and e-mail it to friends.
Go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/goals-link.htm for instructions to read or download the e-booklet.
Happy New Year!
Copyright © 2005 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. Take better control of your life with the TipsForSuccess coaching website at www.TipsForSuccessCoaching.org. For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm or click here. To subscribe, buy books, contact us or learn more about TipsForSuccess.org, click here. |
