Goal Setting For Self Improvement And Personal Development

OK, so you've taken a look at where you're at in

the different aspects of your life (physical,

financial, emotional, relational and spiritual)

and you're not happy with what you see in one or

more of those aspects. You made the decision to

make a change in your life and begin on a journey

of self improvement and personal development. You

begin reading self improvement books, listening

to self improvement programs and attending

motivational seminars. You really start to notice

that you're feeling and acting more positive in

all areas of your life. You're excited about the

journey you're on, but something's wrong. You

feel like you're "flying by the seat of your

pants" and don't have the focus you expected. Why?

You have to set your goals.

How will you reach your destination if you don't

know where you're going?

Your journey towards self improvement and

personal development is similar to any journey,

or trip, you take. When setting out on a trip in

your vehicle you can't jump in the car and start

driving without a destination and expect to get

there. Where is there? Obviously you need to know

where you're going in order to determine the best

route to take.

Well, having a set goal in self improvement is

the same as having a destination in travel. In

order to be focused on your end result you need

to know what that end result is. And your goals

need to be positive, specific, written and

flexible.

Know what it is you want

Be Positive - The first, and most important, step

in setting your goal is to determine what it is

you truly want. What is the end result you are

working to obtain? When determining this it is

very important to state your goal in a positive

sense and a not negative one. What I mean by that

is that you need to determine what you want, not

what you don't want. I'm sure that seems to be

common sense but when you ask most people what it

is they want, they usually answer by telling you

what they don't want anymore; "I don't want to be

fat anymore", "I don't want to be broke any more"

etc. Instead of those thoughts as your goals you

need to state them as; "I want to be healthy and

energetic", "I want to be financially free". When

you learn how the T-F-A-R process works you will

understand how important this is, but that is

another topic in itself.

If you don't have a target, what are you shooting

at?

Be Specific - Once you determine what it is you

want for your goal, you now need to make it very

specific. I want you to take a moment to close

your eyes and think of your goal as "making a lot

of money". Go ahead, close your eyes and think of

how it would feel to have "a lot of money". OK.

Now take moment to close your eyes and think of

your goal as "making an extra $100,000 per year".

I bet you feel a noticeable difference in the way

you feel when you think of the two different

goals. When you think of having a lot of money

you get a vague feeling or desire. But when you

think of a specific goal, such as making an extra

$100,000 per year, you have a much more focused

feeling. You're basically giving yourself a

target to shoot for. The first example is similar

to saying that your goal is to shoot an arrow

into a tree while aiming at a forest of trees.

The second example is similar to picking a

specific tree in the forest and setting your goal

to shoot that particular tree just below the

first branch. You become much more focused when

your goal is specific.

Make a commitment to your personal development

goals

Write them down - Another important step in goal

setting for your personal development goals is to

WRITE THEM DOWN. Thinking about your self

improvement goals is great, but they are just an

idea at this point. Once you write them down they

become something that you are now accountable for.

Once you write them down on paper they become "

real". You can see them and touch them and you

are now making a commitment to follow through on

these goals. Sharing the goals that you wrote

down with others reinforces your commitment even

more because now other people will be holding you

accountable to your word. By not sharing them

with others you are allowing yourself an escape

route and setting yourself up for failure. Once

you cross the bridge to self improvement and

personal development, BURN THE BRIDGE. Once you

do that you have to keep moving forward because

there's no way you can go back.

Even the strongest of oak trees need to bend with

the wind

Make them flexible - When I say to make your

goals flexible I am not telling you to give

yourself a built in excuse to fail. The reason I

tell you to make them flexible is that we live in

a world that is always changing. And as our lives

and situations change so do our goals. The end

result purpose of your goals should remain the

same, but you have to sometimes allow for change

in order to reach that ultimate goal. As an

example let's assume your goal was to make an

extra $100,000 per year and you are in a sales

position. As part of your journey towards your

self improvement goal you attend some night

business management classes so that you can work

your way into an executive management position in

your company which will allow you to realize your

goal. You apply for and are promoted to a mid-

level management position within your company.

Along with the promotion comes a raise in pay and

you are well on your way to making an extra $100,

000 per year. Before too long your company has

cut backs and you are laid off from your

management position. What do you do now? Have you

failed? Do you need to start over and set a new

goal? NO. You need to be flexible and make some

adjustments. Your goal wasn't to become an

executive level manager in a particular company

it was to make an additional $100,000 per year.

You need to evaluate your situation and your

options, take stock of all of your attributes and

make a new action plan, a new road map, to reach

your ultimate goal.

Take time to deliberate; but when the time for

action arrives, stop thinking and go in"

- Andrew Jackson

Take Action - The only way you are going to

accomplish any of your goals is by taking action.

You can read all the self improvement and

personal development programs you can find, you

can listen to hypnosis cds and attend

motivational seminars until the cows come home.

But until you take action; focused, specific

action; you will never make a change in your life.

I'm sure you've heard the saying "Keep doing

what you've been doing and you'll keep getting

what you've got". Well, it's time to change what

you've been doing. And in order to do that you

need education, motivation, behavioral change and

support. YOUniversal Results (www.

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If you are truly ready to make the necessary

changes in order to start living the life that

you desire and deserve, and if you're tired of

following self improvement programs that deliver

more fluff than results, it's time you check out

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