Measuring Your Goals

“Goals are a means to an end, not the ultimate purpose of our lives. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction.”
- Anthony Robbins

When goals are set, the next step is to find a method of measuring the progress made towards achieving them. A need exists to chart where you are on the path to accomplishment. While the end will always look distant, knowing how distant will help you stay focused.

This is why experts say to write down your goals and then list a path to them.

For each goal, write down those things which must be down to place yourself at the end. It could be be a goal to lose weight. What are the steps besides simply not eating? These steps might include a proper diet appropriate to your health conditions, a change in your exercise habits or possibly changing your environment.

If you work at a Krispy Kreme donut shop and love donuts, maybe a change is needed.

Maybe the goal is to find a better job. Some would think the best thing is to quit and go look for a new job. Normally that is a bad idea because you need the current income to keep you going until finding something new. So how does one do this when working 12 hour days?

Take an hour or even 30 miinutes each day to look through the papers, yellow pages, search the Internet or by driving around. See what businesses are out there either close to you or in an area you are interested in. Research these companies and find out more about their business. Is this something you would want to do. Is there something you could fill a need for them. Now create your resume based on their needs, fill out an application and contact the company.

There are many steps you can write down for any goal.

By checking each one off as you complete them, you move closer to realizing your goal. This checklist can be your measurement. Yet the biggest obstacle many times to achievement is your own attitude. You have to believe in yourself and if not, change your attitude first. There is nothing worse then working towards a goal and hitting a problem along the way.

Those with a negative attitude will let the problem win and they will give up on the dream. If you maintain a positive attitude, you will recognize the problem for what it is, a temporary and short-term delay in achieving your goal.

Positive people work through it and continue on with renewed knowledge and ability.

Dream your greatest dreams, believe in those dreams and in your self. Now create a written path to those dreams. Watch as you progress to the finish line, gaining momentum with others cheering you on to success. Your success will be an inspiration to others but it will also be an inspiration to yourself.

Stay inspired my friends!

Dreams To Plan

"Dreams are free, so free your dreams." - Astrid Alauda

I have always been fascinated by dreams. Each of us have them and each of us know when one occurred either last night or the night before. But for the life of me, can you always remember everything that happened in your dream?

In a book called NIGHTLIGHT, written by The Lucidity Institute, they write that "the first dream of the night is the shortest, perhaps 10 minutes in length, while after 8 hours of sleep, dream periods can be 45 minutes to an hour long. We all dream every night, about one dream period every 90 minutes. People who say they never dream simply never remember their dreams. You may have more than one dream during a REM (dream) period, separated by short arousals that are most often forgotten. It is generally accepted among sleep researchers that dreams are not recalled unless the sleeper awakens directly from the dream, rather than after going on to other stages of sleep."

So I wake up after each dream in order to remember them?

No wonder I toss and turn at night.

Psychology Today reports more recently dreams have been viewed as mere "mental exercises of the brain with no function at all." Think of it as the mind's attempt to make sense of random neural firing while the body restores itself during sleep.


Maybe it is a lot of random, meaningless brain waves firing in nonsensical patterns. As powerful as the brain is, it tries to interpret or put these random firings into some sort of logical sequence. Similar to making sense of events during our waking hours but only while asleep.

Yet in those random firings we might find something new and daring.

During the light of day, we think and attempt to put various thoughts together. It works pretty well, but distractions and other sensory input can cloud our thinking and judgment.

But in the randomness of dreams, combinations and bits of information we may not find in the daylight can come together. We can find new possibility, new ways of doing what the old can not.

That is the great thing about dreams, they can give you new ideas.

- If your dreams show you living and running along the beach, you can set that as a goal and realize it.
- If you find in your dream an accident happening, maybe its an indication to drive more defensively.

I do not mean dreams are a crystal ball to future events.

What I do believe is dreams can be a way of seeing your life from a different perspective. You can use your dreams to find a new way of doing things, to think differently or to create a better you.

Now if I could only remember that dream from last night...

Stay inspired my friends!

Planting Now for a Later Harvest

"It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in the Autumn." ~ B. C. Forbes

The fall will arrive quickly and we will wonder how the year went by so quickly away from us? It will seem like only yesterday that we were celebrating the new year, full of hope and wonder? Will we have wasted our days daydreaming or will we have prepared those dreams and planted them in the spring?

When September takes hold of our days, the harvest will be upon us.

Those seeds of hope and want were planted in great soil in the spring of the year. Will we have carefully watered and tended to them into the summer months, knowing our expectation of a bountiful harvest? And when fall arrives, will we reap the reward of our hard work?

When we harvest that bounty, will we store those collected achievements to carry us through the winter months. For it is the harvest that gives us yearning and desire for new dreams when another new year approaches.

Are you acting upon your dreams and planting them with actions?

Will you tend to them and move boldly to ensure your dreams take root and flourish? If not, you will wonder where the time went when harvest arrives and there is nothing for you to reap. Or you may wonder why your harvest is so small. For the time was wasted and a cold winter will approach and want will take over your days.

We are now in the time of planting and tending to our dreams.

The actions you take now, throughout the summer and into the fall will prove to be worthy. Spring time is the time to begin movement. Start now, preparing, moving, and bringing your dreams to life. Spring is a great time to plant seeds and the time to take action upon your dreams is now. The great harvest this fall will be the reward for all of your hard work.

Stay inspired my friends.

Set Your Goals

“Success will be within your reach only when you start reaching out for it.” ― Stephen Richards

There are articles I have written and others you have read where we speak of setting goals in your life. Sometimes we do a good job of explaining why and how to do just that. Sometimes we do not do a good job doing that as well.

Setting goals can be hard, frustrating and difficult. Achieving those goals in the end will seem effortless in comparison to just getting started. Again though, how should you even start?

The author and blogger Michael Hyatt wrote a very good "Beginner’s Guide to Goal Setting" to help each of us get started. I recommend you reading his short article. To give you a glimpse into the article, he states the five basics shown below.

1. Keep them few in number.
2. Make them “smart.”
--- Specific
--- Measurable
--- Actionable
--- Realistic
--- Time-bound
3. Write them down.
4. Review them frequently.
5. Share them selectively.

The questions become;

...will you write your goals down?
...will you remind yourself of what you wrote down?
...will you allow yourself to actually achieve them?

Each of us can benefit by setting goals. They can be five, ten year long goals. But they can also be short, one or two month goals. Achieving the short term ones when aligned with your long term goals will send you down a path of success.

Try it.

Take the challenge and write down one realistic one-month goal. Tape a copy on your bedroom mirror. Place one on the kitchen refrigerator. Tape one on your car dashboard. Tack another to your office work desk. Put reminders in places where it will remind you of the goal set.

Now achieve it.

Small goals will lead to bigger goals achieved. You can achieve.

Stay inspired my friends.

Suppose

"We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows." ~Robert Frost

The word suppose is a pretty simple one to understand. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as "to lay down tentatively as a hypothesis, assumption, or proposal." An example might be, suppose I quit sitting on the couch and took a walk. Or possibly, suppose I stopped complaining about my job and did something to improve my lot.

There are many supposes out there each of us carry. Suppose I did this or suppose I did that? But suppose you actually did something about it? Suppose you actually got out and walked more? Suppose you took a class to improve your knowledge? Suppose you loved a little more and complained a little less? Suppose you quit supposing and did?

To paraphrase a quote by the great boxer Muhammad Ali, "Suppose you view the world the same at fifty as you did at twenty; then you have just wasted thirty years of your life." So much will be passed by if we never act upon our goals or dreams.

Getting oneself to create movement towards a goal is easy to talk about. The difficult part is actually creating that movement. But once you start with the slightest move, the momentum will build and help sustain your movement towards achievement.

You walk a little more, you read a little more, you even love others a little more. The dream starts to become less of a dream and more of a reality. And once reality is in sight, it grows bigger each day as you move from suppose to will. The suppose in your life will finally be reality.

Suppose it all could really happen? It will when we stop supposing.

Stay inspired my friends.

Start and Run

Start by starting." -Meryl Streep

Okay, so you have made that decision to create change in your life. Your dream has been transformed into a set of goals. There are pieces of paper hung in those places to remind you of the vision. You are really going to do it this time you have reminded yourself a multitude of times.

You click on the 'START' button and all of a sudden you have choices. You had thought it was as simple as starting. The act of starting is a big step towards your goal, but the goal doesn't just happen. There are going to be decisions to make, changes to the plan and needed help along the way.

Think of the different choices presented to you;

- NEW DOCUMENT
- OPEN DOCUMENT
- SET PROGRAM ACCESS AND DEFAULTS
- UPDATE
- PROGRAMS
- SETTINGS
- SEARCH
- HELP AND SUPPORT
- RUN
- LOG OFF
- SHUTDOWN

And get the SHUTDOWN and LOG OFF options off your list now.

These are the options that say quit or end the journey towards a goal. It doesn't mean an end to life, it means you have decided not to pursue your dreams any further. That is why there is a HELP AND SUPPORT option available to you. A place to go that will help give you direction and assistance along the way. We each need help once in a while and don't be afraid to use it.

There are PROGRAMS that will work with you along the way and when you can not find your way, then the SEARCH feature of your life is available. Use those people in your life that build you up with real advice. Surround yourself with positive people and learn from the success of others.

You can UPDATE your goals along the way as well. You will OPEN the DOCUMENT that describes your goals. You read these constantly and try never to close it. When the time to update the goal comes, create a NEW DOCUMENT with the updated goals. Save and never lose the document; make copies and read them often.

As you get things figured out, you can SET PROGRAM ACCESS AND DEFAULTS that put those things into an automatic mode so that your energy can be focused on the goal. Just don't forget that even these items need to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

Finally, an important choice you can make.

The choice is to RUN towards a vision. You have been talking and dreaming of it for so long. Now is the time to reach out towards that thing you want.

It all "starts by starting" and you are on your way.

Stay inspired my friends!

Focus On Your Goals

"Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now." -Denis Waitley

In an article called "Healthy, Wealthy & Wise" by Andrea Rains Waggener, being goal-oriented means never leaving home without knowing where you're going.

Goal-oriented is visionary. It sees possibilities and figures out how to turn them into actualities.

Goal-oriented has a plan and a result in mind. It enjoys the trip along the way, but ultimately, it wants to reach the viewpoint at the end of the trail.

I'll admit that I've never been the best at being goal-oriented. My success has come more from having a vision in mind and then simply moving upon it. Making changes and adjustments as I work towards that vision. And over the years this process has taught me that it can work yet is full of twists and turns.

To bring your vision to fruition, having goals attached to and driving that vision greatly helps. Writing these goals down will make that vision much more real, much more attainable. Set goals that will move you towards your vision.

Then sit down and do the following;

1. Write down your vision
2. Write down three goals that will set a course towards your vision

Now, make copies of the above and put one in your billfold or purse. Place one on your desk at work, at school and at home. Put one in places where you'll see it during the normal things you do through out your day.

Repeat them to yourself when you can, tell them to others when the opportunity presents itself and keep your focus on those goals. Your vision will shine within you and become more clear.

Stay inspired my friends.

Start Now

“What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

At the start of a new year, many people like to make resolutions. They decide that January 1st is the best time to start on a path to accomplish some particular task or goal in their lives. It could be a goal to lose weight, exercise more or eat better on a daily basis. Others may decide to quit smoking, drinking or try to simply moderate any excesses in their lives. Still others have financial, relationship, college and a host of other goals.

Whatever type of vision or dream you might have, what are you waiting for?

You are probably telling yourself that January 1st is nearly a month behind us. You could be saying internally, "I'll plan during the year and get a start on things next January 1st." The problem with this thinking is that it will never happen. Unless you push the start button now and start moving, year after year you will keep repeating the same thing. You will never advance from that worn spot on the carpet where you pace, constanly planning but never doing.

Anything you decide to do in the new year can not be accomplished if you do not begin moving towards it today. And guess what? There is nothing magical about January 1st. Yes, you read that correctly. January 1st is a date on a calendar, a moment in time. What that means is that you can start now, today, this hour, this minute.

There is no special alignment of the stars.

There is no perfect economy.

There is no fool-proof business model.

There is only YOU and this moment in time.

Stay inspired my friends!

Turn Goals Into Action

"Some people dream of success... while others wake up and work hard at it." - Anonymous

I have talked to many people over the years regarding what they want to achieve in life. They will tell me their visions for success and how they plan on achieving it.

I will listen intently and offer words of support and agreement. Everyone should have a dream for success. Everyone should wnat to achieve their best life. But after they have told me all they have to tell, I ask them one question.

- What have you done to actually move towards your goal? -

Many people will write down those goals on a dream sheet. They will speak in great length about what they wish to achieve in life. The lists made are taped to their bathroom mirrors, maybe up on the refrigerator or attached to the computer screen at work.

The hard truth is that many of those same people will never actually do anything. They will look at those lists every single day and tell hundreds of people about their dreams. But dreams do not come to realization automatically, we must create movement in order to accomplish anything.

In fact, it takes hard work to achieve our goals and visions. You have to actually get up and do something about it. Talking about those goals will only result in talk.

• Goals without actions are only scraps of paper.
• Goals with actions will produce results in your life.

So once you start making movement on your goals, make sure you have one or two people that will keep you accountable to working on those goals. These are people that can offer advice, keep reminding you and also give you encouragement. Without accountability, we will fall prey to failure.

Secondly, do not try to accomplish your goal in one gigantic step. It is impossible to lose 100 pounds of weight in one week. It happens in smaller steps of one, five, or ten pounds at a time. If you are wanting to walk a thousand miles, it starts with mile one.

Lastly, mark off each small step as a successful accomplishment along the way. Remaining positive in spite of setbacks that may occur is important. Reward yourself appropriately with each success and keep your attitude positive along the way.

By following these simple steps, there will be success in your life. The object is to have your best life. Getting to that point will take a lot of little steps in your journey. Now that you have written the destination (goal) on a piece of paper, it is time to get up and put it into action.

Enjoy the journey, enjoy the success and stay inspired my friends.

Wake Up

"If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up." ~J.M. Power

A friend of mine, David Spell recently wrote a great article titled A Season of Change that talks about setting goals.

Its a pretty darn good reflection as this year starts coming to an end and a new year is preparing to begin. What goals did we set this year and what goals are we preparing along with the new year?

I would confess that I'm better at setting work goals then I am for my own personal life. That probably sounds odd coming from someone that writes motivational articles. But I am no different then each of you. I need to remind, encourage and inspire myself to a great life.

That journey includes needing to set goals. As we age though, we tend to lose the ability to dream like a child. I don't mean dreaming childish dreams, but dreaming of the impossible like a child does.

If you dream the impossible, you also have to plan and prepare by setting goals to achieve those dreams. Whether the dream is large or small, dream like children, never grow out of that ability. Dream big things all of your life.

Then set goals to achieve those dreams. Prepare yourself because simply dreaming won't get you there. And then the only thing left to do is to WAKE UP and get moving.

Turning Dreams Into Goals

“Our life is composed greatly from dreams, from the unconscious, and they must be brought into connection with action. They must be woven together.” -Anais Nin

Your dreams are now ready to be converted into goals. Conversion of dreams into goals creates a more tangible or physical realization of them. Goals are the first steps to realizing the dream.

By setting goals you can:

- Achieve more in your lifetime
- Improve your overall performances in life
- Increase your motivation to achieve the most out of life
- Increase your pride and satisfaction in your achievements
- Improve your self-confidence
- Plan to eliminate attitudes that hold you back and cause unhappiness

People who use goal-setting effectively:

- Suffer less from stress and anxiety
- Concentrate and focus better
- Show more self-confidence
- Perform better in all areas of life
- Are happier and more satisfied with life

Preparing For The New Year

As you prepare yourself for the Christmas Holiday or even as you approach the new year, it is a good time to evaluate your life. I like to say that 'now' is the best time when you are making a decision to make change. But there are many people that use a calendar event such as the first of January.

So what are the things you should be thinking and preparing for? Here are three questions to ask yourself.

1. Where are you?

- Examine yourself, are you happy, do you have strengths and weaknesses, is your life the type of life you want it to be? You need to understand where you are and who you are to better equip yourself to succeed.

2. What do you see around you?

- Meaning what do you see for you, do you have a vision for your life, a goal or dreams. Why go anywhere unless you have a destination in mind. The same goes for success in your life. Unless you have a goal in mind, the journey has little direction.

3. What do you want?

- You have established a goal, a set of dreams and visions of what you want your life to be. So do you really want it? Do you wish to simply sit still and only dream and plan, never moving closer to realizing it? You have to be bold now and move towards that dream. One step, small or large it all begins with being bold enough to start it.

Your new year will bring many changes if only you take that first step. Be bold, I know you can do it because all of us have it in us. Goals and dreams are powerful motivators, let them drive you to a great life.

Reaching A Goal

Here we are on what many may consider the beginning of the last month of summer. August 1 in the year 2007 and only a few weeks left until many school systems here in the U.S. open their doors.

One last chance to get to the beach, the local swimming pool or a quick vacation. One last chance to prepare for final months of this year. Getting yourself ready to complete all of those goals that you set back on January 1, 2007.

At MyGoals, to stay on track they suggest the following. "First, accept personal responsibility for staying on track. It's not up to anyone else, just you. You alone decide what you want to accomplish, and when." It was you that made the decision to accomplish those things in your heart and mind. So accept the idea that it is you that needs to get them completed.

The final months of any year can be busy and quite distracting. Life has a way of pulling us off our charted course. But with the right attitude and conviction, you can keep your focus on achieving your goals. I read a quote once from a person I think was Michael Hanson who said, "to will is to select a goal, determine a course of action that will bring one to that goal, and then hold to that action till the goal is reached. The key is action.”

Action, movement, continuance towards your goal is what you must remember. Change which will result in your goal is caused by movement. Keep moving towards your goal and accomplish that which you seek.

Goals: Tips On Achieving

Joy Browne writes a great article in Parade Magazine called How To Set Goals - And Reach Them. She offers a few ideas that you can use to reach a vision or dream. I have written previously and expressed to many others that you need to establish goals and when doing so, write them down.

There is nothing more powerful then looking at a piece of paper with a goal written upon it. That piece of paper can be a powerful voice to you every time you read it. I have heard others speak of placing these written items on the bedroom wall, the bathroom mirror, steering wheel of the car, as well as your computer terminal at work.

The tips Ms. Browne writes about are;

- Avoid New Year's-type resolutions
- Be Specific
- Think in steps
- Figure out your tactics
- Limit the number of goals
- Build on your skills
- Embrace change

Ms. Browne is a clinical psychologist and is well respected in her field. I suggest you read the article to learn more. I will talk more about goals and living your life with change. You can achieve things in life, you can achieve a great life. But it will take change, it will take movement by you. Grab the chance to move now.