Set Goals and Achieve Success

Posted by Mick Kopp | June 5, 2008 .

Not everyone should read this.

Got big dreams?  Set any goals yet?  If, you’re serious about being successful in life, you should read this.

Have you ever felt like you just weren’t getting ahead?  Maybe you’ve felt like life was leaving you behind.  Your friends and family may be doing well in life, but your life just down right sucks.  It could very well be your lack of planning.  As the saying goes, “Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail”.

Most people can achieve goals, if they just know what the goals are, first.

Many people start out planning what they want to do next week or next month.  They don’t have any long term goals.  This is the biggest reason they never succeed at anything.  They set little tiny goals and if they accomplish those they have to come up with more little tiny goals. This might work if you where setting these to accomplish you big goal. But, you’ll never get to live your dream life it your goals stay small.

1. Begin from the end.

Set your first big goal by deciding what is it that you want to ultimately achieve.  For instance you might want to start up your own Internet business. Write it down. If it’s a business that you want, then what kind of business?  Where will it be located?  How much do you want it to make?  How many employees do you think you will have?  Write and describe what it will look like, once you achieve your goal, in as much detail as possible.

2. Stop.

Do a gut check.  Yep, how does it feel?  Is this something that you really want? Do you have a burning desire to have it.    Does it scare you or excite you in some way.  If you aren’t getting any vibes from it, it’s probably not something that you really want.  If your answer is no, then it’s not the goal for you. Rethink this goal till it motivates you are start over with a new one.  A burning desire is important if you want to set good goals.  This desire will fuel your fire when times get rough.

3. Check your motives.

Are you doing this simply for yourself or does this benefit others in some way?  Ask yourself, “Does this goal help others or is it selfish?”  If it’s purely selfish you might have a hard time achieving you goal.  Because if you know that what you are trying to achieve is wrong, it will be hard to bring it to pass.  Don’t let your unconscious mind work against you. You must have a motive that helps you live your life with purpose.

4. Get a vision for your goal.

Interact with the goal in your mind, if you can.  See, feel, smell, hear and taste it if possible.  Refer to Daydream Your Way to Success. If you can see your goal clearly, you’ll be able to achieve it much easier.  Whatever you do, make sure you have a clear vision in your mind before you continue.

5. What will you give up?

Write down a brief summary of what you will have to do to achieve your goal. What will you have to give?  What will you sacrifice?  What will it be: time, money, health, relationships?

6. Put a time line on reaching your goal..

That’s right, you have to put a time line on it. Decide just how long you have to complete your goal. A goal without a definite ending point, isn’t much of a goal.  I can’t help you with this one.  Choose what feels right to you, without cutting yourself any slack.  Just don’t be lazy about it.

7. You must take action now!

You’ve got everything written down, so all you need to do is figure out the steps you need to take.  Do this by writing down six things you can do, within the next seven days, to get you closer to achieving your goal.  Then, do one of the things each day until the seventh day comes.  On the seventh day write down another six things to do the next week.  Do them as fast or as slow as you want.  But, do them and don’t let the sun go down on the seventh day without having done them all.

8. Write your goal down on three small sheets of paper.

Laminate them if you can.  Stick one in your pocket, wallet or purse. Just some place on you that you will see it often.  Then, put the other one on the mirror in your bathroom or bedroom so that you’ll see it when you are getting ready to head out into the world.   Put the third one up in your office, on the fridge or anyplace that you are planning on spending lots of time.  You could even put it on the ceiling if you like, so you can see it before you go to bed at night.

9. Visualize (This is the last, but I think most important step.)

Keep visualizing the achievement of your goal.  Make sure you do this often.  Others have said that the first thing in the morning and before you go to sleep at night are the best times.  I think anytime is a good time. Try it for yourself and see what times work for you.

Okay, you are well on your way to achieving your goal.  Now it’s time to set another! Just follow the steps above and you can accomplish anything you want in your life!

One more thing!

If you are in need of more information, there are some great books out there on the subject of goal setting.  I’ve read many, but the one I recommend the most is Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.  This book is not about getting rich, but rather living a successful life and achieving your goals.  It’s a classic, so some of the stories are a little old, but still very useful in today’s world.

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5 Comments so far
  1. winser June 6, 2008 1:46 am

    Hi,nice post.
    it is really can help me. am running a travel company now based in Beijing China.but the clients are come from America and EU.it is really a small business now. but i am doing my best.
    i just wanna to introduce the real and beautiful China to other people.if they come to visit China,i can offer discount hotels and can design a great tour itinerary for them with typical scenery.
    hope you can contact to me if you come to visit China someday.
    Best
    Winser

  2. admin June 6, 2008 10:44 am

    Hi Winser, thanks for the comment.

    Running a small business is an adventure and takes a lot of planning. I’m happy to know that you feel the need to set some big goals. Setting a goal is half the battle. I hope I can continue to help you succeed in life.

    Congratulations on your new biz. I checked out your website. I like it.

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