Goals – we all
have them. They are either tucked away in the depth of our mind or written down
in a company annual review. At this time of the year, as we have seen out the
old and see in the new year, we are all filled, to some extent, with
determination to do or not to do what we had done the year before. It is a
strange thing New Year – it is the one time of the year, in my humble opinion,
where you are set free from guilt for not doing something or doing better than the
time before and you are filled with a glass over-flowing with determination.
So why do you and
I fail to achieve our brilliance? I hope to shed some light on this from what I
have taken from the learning of many failed New Year resolutions.
Where do goals
come from? I believe they are the dreams we have, and I am not talking about
the ones that make you toss and turn at night, but simply a vision or
inspiration we see in our minds eye of where we would like to be or achieve, in
other word, a big white fluffy cloud on the horizon.
Thus making a
goal is a very simple and uncomplicated process. It would be simply to focus on
one or more of your white fluffy clouds and start. But wait… if that was the
case why do we fail to achieve some of the very basic goals we chase? Simply it
comes down to not planning and taking the appropriate action as well as not
understanding self. I read a quote some time back which said: "A dream is a
dream, but a goal is a dream with a plan and date”.
I believe that
you, the person reading this blog, can achieve anything. How do I know
this? Well… “YOU HAVE GOT THIS FAR, HAVEN’T YOU!” Before reading further, pause and
take a moment to reflect on all the things you have achieved, some BIG and scary and some not so big and scary
but they are done!
So I believe you can do it, without ever having met you, all you need to do know is
take the resolution made before midnight on the 31st December and
understand self, devise a rustic plan and a date in the future to achieve your
God given greatness. LET'S GO!
I am not a great
believer in Motivational Talking and this is because I believe that
Motivational Talking is performed too often in isolation to the full picture of
achieving goals. I realise that when you finish reading this blog you return to
your reality i.e. paying bills, work deadlines and pressure, family issues, etc. I
believe that it must be a Life Style change where “motivational talking” is the
catalyst to start the journey of discovery and achievement. Thus, what follows are
things to factor in to ensuring you “start the way you intend to finish”.
- The Journey: The 1st thing to remember in achieving a goal is that it's a journey of discovery and not a destination. As you progress down the road, you will learn more about yourself, enhance what it is you want to achieve, suffer disappointments and have mini wins along the way. Too often we see a destination and when we experience the above in some shape or form, we give up! REMEMBER: IT IS A JOURNEY.
- The Plan: This does not need to be a complicated and intense document, it simply is a rustic vital 1st step. Once implemented, in its rustic format, you will start to make the appropriate amendments. Remember “Fail to plan and plan to fail” HAVE A SIMPLISTIC RUSTIC 1st PLAN!
- Date: This is a marker in the sand, point in the future, perhaps the motivation to get going on your journey and lastly an end point. This is a tricky one as too often people are not realistic about the timeline set. It can’t be something too far or to close in the future for you to achieve, it needs to be something that creates the right amount of pressure or “good stress”. Remember be flexible – change the date if necessary should “life happen”. All I would want to know from you is "DID YOU SUCCEED IN YOUR GOAL?", not how long it took to get there. An example – It took me 6 years to get my degree due to learning challenges I was born with. No one has ever asked me how long it took but all asked, do you have a degree? THUS HAVE A DATE!
- Know Self: Who are you? To me this is important; knowing yourself and how you work will take a lot of disappointment away. It will also help you determine what support you will need to keep you on track. My wife and close friend have been gems in pushing one who suffers from a disease called procrastination! WHO AM I?
- Road Blocks: The things I referred to above as “Life”, delays, curve balls etc. These can come from anywhere, family and friends included. Understand them and deal with them, remaining flexible, determined never to give up at the first uphill you encounter and ensure you just keep peddling! Unfortunately with every journey these tests are going to come. I encourage you to embrace them, as they are the mini tests, that check just how much the achieving of your goal burns in your belly! If we did not have them we would not have goals in my view, as nothing that comes easy is worth having. EMBRACE ROAD BLOCKS!
- Submit Your Plans to God: Proverbs 19 vs 21 “Many are the plans of the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established”. God has many great plans for you by simply submitting them in prayer, doing what you need to do daily, being still for a moment to hear God speaking to you and having faith, you will bring on a powerful leader, mentor and friend to keep you on your journey of success and discovery! SUBMIT IN PRAYER THAT WHICH YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE TO ALMIGHTY GOD!
Cheers
Kevin
