Goal Setter Blog

Just sit down and relax and watch it happen? Not quite, the task is to break it down into manageable milestones.

Goal setting is a methodology to manage the formulation, dissection and progress of goals. "Everybody can eat an elephant as long as you eat it one mouthful at a time."

First you need to want to achieve that goal of yours bad enough that you are prepared to withstand the pain to get there.

Goal setting is a journey, an adventure between where you are right now and where you want to be in the future. Like any traveller you would use a map, devise the most appropriate route, calculate the cost, prepare the supplies, check overnight accommodation, finalise paperwork, ring other people, etc...

Your goal is to be broken down into tasks. Some tasks are independent of others and can be started anytime by the same or different persons. Other tasks depend on the completion of one or several prior tasks in order to start. It's called your critical path. This is the bottleneck where the whole project can be held up by one little unforseen detail.

This is the chance to demonstrate your creativity. If you can't get in through the door, have you considered the window instead? Life would be rather boring if we knew in advance the problems we are likely to face. Don't you like surprises? Obstacles are only there to be overcome and make you stronger out of the experience. In latter years you will recall such and such incident and tell your story to your grandchildren...

Sometimes it is not a physical obstacle that beset you - it is lack of right information. A trip to the library, a search on the internet, a little experiment will get you sidetracked but not abandoning your goal.

Beware of jealousy. Not everyone will appreciate you achieving something for yourself. Your success could make someone else's failure all the larger. If friends, relatives, workmates don't want to come alongside - just ignore their criticism. That too is part of the package. Achievers are made, not born. What doesn't destroy you will make you stronger.

Setting out on your goal is managing your project. You will learn what is called "transferrable skills" on the employment market. Your first goal should be on your own. When you have demonstrated to yourself and to others your ability to get things done, to keep your eyes on the destination despite all the distractions - then and only then can you tackle another goal involving other people.

Don't just wish for things. Make them happen. Goal Setter is an online tool to document and track your progress towards your goals while Wise Accounts is an online bookkeeping tool to manage your finances and forecast your cash flow.

Add comment

There is a name for it - it's called procrastination. The problem is, you can't keep time in a bottle. If you don't run with it, you have wasted it already.

The only people who can rest in peace and not face any new challenges are those who are six feet under the ground. For the rest of us who remain alive, setting goals is a natural part of life. You only get one shot at it. You might as well plan it well...

Anybody who has achieved something worthwhile with their life will tell you it didn't happen by accident. Setting goals give you the ability to see past your current mental horizon. It gives you a purpose to live, the drive to achieve, the determination to overcome obstacles, the strength to withstand pain, the resolve to stand-up to criticism, the joy to accomplish your passion.

People are reluctant to set goals for fear of having to be accountable. They shy away from making commitments for fear of failure or for giving-in under pressure. They like to be comfortable and not rock the boat. They like the status-quo. The perfect couch potato.

Setting goals and most importantly reaching them is an ongoing process. As you plod along you review your progress periodically. You ponder about that insurmountable obstacle a month ago which now looks more like a molehill. You smile at the taunts from siblings, friends and neighbours who gave you everything but encouragement. You have now saved some cash to finance the next phase of the project. You have done your homework and talked to people in that field.

Then comes the unexpected setback. "I told you so!" comes ringing in your ear. The unforseen event that puts everything in jeopardy. Time for a break. Go and smell the roses. A spark of creativity will come when your mind is free to idle for a bit.

A phone call rings. A friend of yours you haven't seen for a while has got it all worked out. People get encouraged by your plight. You are not running the race on your own. Some folks are cheering you on. Keep up the pace.

Eventually the goal is reached. The adventure is over. What a great feeling. You can't wait to do it all over again with a greater, better goal. You file away your journal for posterity. What a great story to tell your kids dangling on your knees.

See what you're missing out on by not setting goals...

Add comment

You may be so focused that you will indeed reach your goal no worries - and screw-up your life in the process.

What is the point of increasing sales by 15% if that cost you your marriage? You can always make more money next year if that's what you're good at - where you spend your time right now is what will shape your future. Relationships should be valued above all. Every divorce casualty will tell you that if they had known they would have paid attention to those early warning signs and extinguish the fire before the whole house was ablaze...

Goals do compete with each other for our limited resources of time and money. A dejected spouse will remark: "My partner does this and that - I know I'm not number one anymore..."

Therefore having business goals without family goals and spiritual goals is quite short-sighted. Yet all around you the clamour is all about doing more with less, increasing productivity, reducing costs, beating the competition, increasing market share...

Better to be poor together than rich alone. That's not exactly the message Madison Avenue would print in bold on the back of a bus. Yet if you have a close look at it you will realise that if you invested so many years of your life with your partner this is something you can never replace. When a relationship is broken something inside of you dies. The joys and hardships you went through together belong to both of you. If you are no longer together that legacy is lost forever. You will never get it back by getting involved with someone else. You can never press the reset button of your mind. Those memories will haunt you. You can only live your life once.

The reason we give up easily on family goals is that you cannot change somebody else. You have to love people how they are - warts and all. But if you are able to do that then they might return the compliment and let you know you are also accepted and loved as you are. This in turn releases us to be our best. Notice the boomerang effect when you choose to be unselfish. Working on your family goals first will in turn enlist their support for your business goals because they appreciate you are doing it for them. It's no longer your idol you worship at the pedestal of success no matter what. You have become real - not a phoney stereotype who has lost self-identity.

Corporate cultures are notorious for wanting to own you body and soul without leaving anything left for your relationship. Some of us have to make a hard choice - work or family - why can't I have both?

Spiritual goals are even starker in consequences. What is the point of amassing wealth since you will leave it all behind when you depart this world? There is nothing wrong with having wealth - it gives you the power to do good in your sphere of influence. So after you're gone (I can assure you you're not eternal) what do you want to be remembered for? How do you want to make your life count? Are you just a passing vapour or do you have some substance you can pass on for posterity?

Think about those things when you set your goals. Some goals are worth everything - others may not be that important next year...

Add comment

If you are bored with your life or dissipate with the wrong crowd the best thing that can happen to you is to get fire in your belly to go after a worthwhile goal. But what could that be?

Do not despise your time of idleness. People who keep racing around do not have time to think. When they finally use their brain for themselves it is usually too late.

There are two types of goals you could go after. The selfish goals and the altruistic goals.

You could set yourself in motion to own that dream car you looked at in the past. It would make you feel on top of the world. You would be the envy of your neighbourhood. It would be the perfect status symbol. Problem is the moment you drive out of the showroom its value has instantly depreciated by 20%. Compare that with the interest on the car loan. The immaculate duco of your new set of wheels will almost become an extension of your body and you will become very touchy about potential dents and scratches.

Could you take up some vocational training and be more versatile on the employment scene?

Could you overcome this phase of depression, take a holiday, meet new friends, relocate in a new area?

On the other end you could search high and low for issues that resonate with you in an attempt to formulate a solution as your goal. Are there homeless kids in your area who could do with a bit of team sport instead of roaming the streets in mischief?

Could you build a granny flat or a guest room at your abode to cater for visitors and people you want to help?

Could you rev-up your business venture to provide employment for those willing but unable to work?

Could you invent some safety device to prevent another tragic death like the one which just shattered your life?

Could you impart knowledge or work as a volunteer to make a change in someone else's life?

Could you mind your grandchildren so that their parents could pay off their mortgage sooner?

A goal in itself is just a destination. The fun and challenging part really is the journey to get there.

So go on and do it. There is out there a goal just the right size and shape for you. Throw yourself into it. Claim your first achievement. Get set for a new one after that... Get the achiever's spirit in your blood.

Don't just wish for things. Make them happen. Goal Setter is an online tool to document and track your progress towards your goals while Wise Accounts is an online bookkeeping tool to manage your finances and forecast your cash flow.

Add comment

Being able to rest from your labour is a privilege few of us know how to enjoy in a world that wants more for less. You are not a machine. Unless you learn how to pace yourself you will burn - guaranteed!

There is a time to work and a time to rest. A time to concentrate and a time to unwind. A time to be creative and a time to relax.

What would be the motivation to get people to break that rule? Who said we had to obey rules? The common wisdom "do as you please as long as it doesn't harm anyone" is flawed.

Human beings work in cycles. We have a heartbeat. We need a regular sleep pattern. Even being deprived of sunlight is detrimental. The short answer is that we were made that way.

Learning to manage your time is a skill that is taught by frustration and disappointment. Something good can come out of a negative experience - as long as you have a teachable spirit. If you had it your way all the time you would become lazy and conceited. Not a pretty sight. Where you spend your time tells me all about your priorities in life. If you care for your family you will spend quality time to build them up. If work is your idol you will bow to a slave master that is never satisfied.

Why not be content with what you have now rather than trying to bite more than you can chew? And you know what? If you don't have the discipline to know when to stop someone else will pull the plug on you. It might be an accident, a mental breakdown, a relationship that ends up abruptly, a large customer taking their business elsewhere, etc...

The knowledge of the future does not belong to us. One thing we can control though is how we spend our time right now. Don't be burdened by past events. The past is gone. You can't go there and try to fix it. It is water under the bridge. Let go and move on. Forgive those who did you wrong. They might be oblivious to the hurt they caused you but by holding a grudge you're the one being bound - not them!

It is by abiding to your own rhythm that you can move forward. When you the least expect it, new ideas will spring to mind, why? Because the pressure is off and you are free again to be who you were meant to be...

Add comment