Take Control Of Life With Smart Goal Setting

Some highly successful people have been able to take control of life and get what they want without setting any goals – or so they say. They may not have sat down and followed a formal process, but in their minds they knew what they wanted. While this does work, it is not smart goal setting. This is too random and leaves too much to chance – not the best way to take control of life. Enough research has been done to show that the people who have written objectives and a structured approach do better than those who have none. There are tried and proven methods to goal setting and the first and most important step to successful goal setting is to define what you want. Put Your Objectives In Writing This is probably the most important action you can take. This makes you come to grips with the reality of what you want and what you are trying to achieve. When you start writing down your goals you will soon see the difference between real goals and dreams. Of course, you need to have dreams in the first place otherwise you will not be inspired or motivated. But the dreams only become realistic goals when you can make them part of a practical plan. Are They Realistic? For example, one of your dreams might be to have a 4-bedroom house by the ocean. This will only be a dream until you can make some concrete steps to achieving it. You will need to do some research and check if it is feasible. How much will it cost? Will you need to borrow money? If so, do you have the assets to secure a loan and do you have the income to service it? Once you do your homework you might find that a house by the ocean may not be a realistic goal at this time. On the other hand, in doing the exercise you may find you could get close to what you want with a little compromise or you may find it is achievable over a longer time frame. This dream then becomes a goal and you can start working towards it. You now have a realistic goal and a time frame. But you could find it is not a realistic goal and you will be better off using your energy going after something you can achieve. Apply The Process To All Your Goals This is part of a smart goal setting process and you can apply it to all your goals: write them down to separate the real goals from the dreams; check their feasibility; think about what you have to do or what you will need to achieve them; give yourself a realistic time frame to reach your goals; take action by making positive steps to set you on your way. Putting your objectives in writing does crystallize them in your mind. Your mind can visualize definite, clear images rather than fuzzy, grey pictures. Give your sub-conscious mind clear, strong images and then feed it with positive self-talk backed-up by positive action. This will help you take control of life and set you on your way to getting what you want.