Self Talk and Positive Thinking.com

There are many formulas and recipes for goal setting.  As a rule, “Any plan is better than no plan at all.” In February 2003, USA Today reported on a study of people who had set New Year’s Resolutions the year before. They found of the people who had set New Year’s Resolutions, but not in writing, only 4% had followed through. But of those people who had written down their New Year’s Resolutions, fully 46% had carried them out. This is a difference in success rates of more than 1100%! Here is one of the best and most effective goal setting plans or formulas you will ever learn:

Step One: Decide exactly what you want in a specific area and write it down clearly, in detail. Make it measurable and specific.

Step Two: Set a deadline for the achievement of the goal. If it is a large goal, break it down into smaller parts and set sub-deadlines.

Step Three: Make a list of everything that you will have to do to achieve this goal.  As you think of new items, add them to your list until it is complete.

Step Four: Organize your list of action steps into a plan. A plan is organized on the basis of two elements, priority and sequence.  In organizing by priorities, you determine the most important things that you can possibly do on your list to achieve your goal. The 80/20 Rule applies. 20% of the things that you do will account for 80% of your results. If you do not set clear priorities, you will “major in minors” and spend much of your time doing small and irrelevant tasks that do not help you to achieve the goal.  In organizing by sequence, you determine what has to be done before something else can be done. There are always activities that are dependent upon other
activities being completed in advance. What are they, and what is the logical order or sequence?

Step Five: Identify the obstacles or limitations that might hold you back from achieving your goal, both in the situation and within yourself.  Ask yourself, “Why have I not achieved this goal already?”  Identify the most important constraint or limitation that is holding you back and then focus on removing that obstacle. It could be a certain amount of money, or a key resource. It could be an additional skill or habit that you need. It could be
additional information you require.  It could be the help or assistance of one or more people. Whatever it is, identify it clearly and go to work to eliminate it.

Step Six: Once you have determined your goal, developed your plan, and identified your major obstacle, immediately take action of some kind toward the achievement of your goal. Step out in faith. Do the first thing that comes to mind.  But do something immediately to start the process of goal attainment moving forward.

Step Seven: Do something every day that moves you to toward your most important goal.  Make a habit of getting up each morning, planning your day and then doing something, anything, that moves you at least one step closer to what is most important to you.  The habit of doing something every single day that moves you toward an important goal develops within you the power of momentum. Daily action deepens your belief that the goal is achievable, and activates the Law of Attraction. As a result, you begin moving faster and faster toward your goal, and your goal begins moving faster and faster toward you.   People told me that the habit of taking action every day on one or more of their major goals has been life-transforming.  They have told me that this single habit has been more responsible for their success than any other idea they ever learned. Try it for yourself and see.

Good Luck, and Have A Great Day!