SET GOAL TO YOUR LIFE

 

                  

                            TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE

                          ARISTOTLE WROTE THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE TELEOLOGICAL ORGANISMS, WHICH SIMPLY MEANS THAT WE ARE PURPOSE DRIVEN. THEREFORE, YOU FEEL HAPPY AND IN CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE A CLEAR GOAL THAT YOU ARE WORKING TOWARD EACH DAY. THIS ALSO MEANS THAT THIS ABILITY TO BECOME A LIFELONG GOAL SETTER IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DISCIPLINES YOU WILL EVER DEVELOP.

                    IN  NATURE, THE HOMING PIGEON IS A REMARKABLE BIRD. IT HAS AN UNCANNY INSTINCT THAT ENABLES IT TO FLY BACK TO  ITS HOME ROOST, NO MATTER HOW FAR AWAY IT STARTS OR IN WHAT DIRECTION IT MUST GO. YOU CAN TAKE A HOMING PIGEON OUT OF ITS ROOTS, PUT IT IN A CAGE, PUT THE CAGE IN A BOX, COVER THE BOX WITH A BLANKET, AND PUT THE COVERED BOX IN THE BACK OF A PICKUP TRUCK. YOU COULD THEN DRIVE 1000 MILES IN ANY DIRECTION, OPEN UP THE TRUCK, TAKE OUT THE BOX, TAKE OFF THE BLANKET, OPEN THE CAGE, AND THROW THE HOMING PIGEON INTO THE AIR.

                THE HOMING PIGEON WILL CIRCLE THREE TIMES, GET ITS BEARINGS, AND THEN FLY STRAIGHT BACK TO ITS HOME ROOST. THIS IS THE ONLY CREATURES ON EARTH THAT HAS THIS ABILITY - EXCEPT FOR HUMAN BEINGS, EXCEPT FOR YOU.

                 YOU ALSO HAVE THIS REMARKABLE HOMING ABILITY WITHIN YOUR OWN BRAIN, BUT WITH ONE SPECIAL DIFFERENCE . THE HOMING PIGEON SEEMS TO KNOW INSTINCTIVELY EXACTLY WHERE ITS HOME ROOST IS LOCATED. IT THEN HAS THE ABILITY TO FLY DIRECTLY BACK TO THAT ROOST. IN CONTRAST, WHEN HUMAN BEINGS PROGRAM A GOAL INTO THEIR MINDS THEY CAN THEN SET OUT WITHOUT HAVING ANY IDEA WHERE THEY WILL GO OR HOW THEY WILL ACHIEVE THAT GOAL. BUT BY SOME MIRACLE, THEY WILL BEGIN TO MOVE UNERRINGLY TOWARD THAT GOAL, AND THE GOAL WILL BEGIN TO MOVE TOWARD THEM.

                 STILL, MANY PEOPLED ARE HESITANT TO SET GOALS. THEY SAY, " I WANT TO BE FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I'M GOINT TO GET THERE". AS A RESULT, THEY DON'T EVEN SET FINANCIAL SUCCESS AS A GOAL. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU DON'T EVEN SET FINANCIAL SUCCESS AS A GOAL. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW HOW TO GET THERE. YOU JUST, NEED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, AND THE GOAL-STIVING MECHANISM IN YOUR BRAIN WILL GUIDE YOU UNERRINGLY TO YOUR DESTINATION.

                FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN DECIDE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO FIND YOUR IDEAL JOB, IN WHICH YOU WORK FOR AND WITH PEOPLE YOU LIKE AND RESPECT AND DO WORK THAT IS BOTH CHALLENGING AND ENJOYABLE. YOU TAKE SOME TIME TO WRITE DOWN AN EXACT DESCRIPTION OF WHAT YOUR IDEAL JOB AND WORKPLACE WOULD LOOK LIKE, AND THEN YOU GO OUT INTO THE JOB MARKET AND BEGIN SEARCHING.

               AFTER A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS, YOU WILL OFTEN WALK INTO THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME AND FIND YOURSELF IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT THE RIGHT JOB. ALMOST EVERYONE HAS HAD THIS EXPERIENCE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. YOU CAN HAVE IT BY DESIGN RATHER THAN BY CHANCE SIMPLY BY DEVELOPING ABSOLUTE CLARITY ABOUT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT.

                                              THE TEN-GOAL EXERCISE

                      THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL GOAL-ACHIEVING METHODS I HAVE EVER DISCOVERED. I TEACH IT ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND I PRACTICE IT MYSELF ALMOST EVERY DAY.

                    TAKE OUT A CLEAN SHEET OF PAPER. AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE WRITE THE WORD "GOALS" AND TODAY'S DATE. THEN, DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO WRITE DOWN TEN GOALS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS. WRITE DOWN FINACIAL FAMILY GOALS, AND FITNESS GOALS, AS WELL AS GOALS FOR PERONAL POSSESSIONS, LIKE A HOUSE OR A CAR.

                  DONT' WORRY FOR THE MOMENT ABOUT HOW YOU ARE GOING TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS. JUST WRITE THEM DOWN AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN. YOU CAN WRITE AS MANY AS FIFTEEN GOALS IF YOU LIKE, BUT THIS EXERCISE, REQUIRES THAT YOU WRITE DOWN A MINIMUM OF TEN WITHIN THREE TO FIVE MINUTES.

                                                        SELECT ONE GOAL

                    ONCE YOU HAVE WRITTEN OUT YOUR TEN GOALS, IMAGINE FOR THE MOMENT THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE ALL OF THE GOALS ON YOUR LIST IF YOU WANT THEM LONG ENOUGH AND HARD ENOUGH. ALSO IMAGINE THAT YOU HAVE A "MAGIC WAND" THAT YOU CAN WAVE THAT WILL ENABLE TO ACHIEVE ANY ONE GOAL ON YOUR LIST WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.

                   IF YOU COULD ACHIEVE ANY ONE GOAL ON YOUR LIST WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, WHICH ONE WOURL HAVE THE GREATEST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW? WHICH ONE GOAL WOULD CHANGE OR IMPROVE YOUR LIFE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE? WHICH ONE GOAL, IF YOU WERE TO ACHIEVE IT, WOULD HELP YOU TO ACHIEVE MORE OF YOUR OTHER GOALS THAN ANYTHING ELSE?

                WHATEVER YOUR ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, PUT A CIRCLE AROUND THIS GOAL  AND THEN WRITE IT AT THE TOP OF A CLEAN SHEET OF PAPER. THIS GOAL THEN BECOMES YOUR "MAJOR DEFINITE PURPOSE". 

                         ACTION EXERCISE  :

                          1. RESOLVE TODAY TO "SWITCH ON" YOUR SUCCESS MECHANISM AND UNLOCK YOUR GOAL-ACHIEVING MECHANISM BY DECIDING EXACTLY WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IN LIFE.

                         2. MAKE A LIST OF TEN GOALS THAT YOU WAT TO ACHIEVE IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. WRITE THEM DOWN IN THE PRESENT TENSE, AS IF YOU HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED THEM.

                        3. SELECT THE ONE GOAL THAT COULD HAVE THE GREATEST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE IF YOU WERE TO ACHIEVE IT, AND WRITE IT DOWN AT THE TOP OF ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER.

                        4. MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU COULD DO TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, ORGANIZE IT BY SEQUENCE AND PRIORITY, AND THEN TAKE ACTION ON IT IMMEDIATELY.

                      5. PRACTICE MINDSTORMING BY WRITING OUT TWENTY IDEAS THAT COULD HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT GOAL, AND THEN TAKE ACTION ON AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE IDEAS.

                       6. RESOLVE TO DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, TO ACHIEVE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT GOAL UNTIL YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL.

                      7. CONTINUALLY REMIND YOURSELF THAT "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION". NO MATTER WHAT, RESOLVE TO PERSIST UNTIL YOU SUCCEED.

ABOUT MONEY, RESPONSIBILITY AND SITUATION

 

                         

                                MONEY AND EMOTIONS

                    MANY OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS IN LIFE HAVE TO DO WITH MONEY, EARNING IT, SPENDING IT, INVESTING IT, AND ESPECIALLY, LOSING IT. AS A RESULT, MANY OF OUR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MONEY IN SOME WAY. HOWEVER, THE FACT IS THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE. YOU CHOOSE. YOU DECIDE. YOU ARE IN CHARGE. YOU CANNOT BLAME YOUR FINANCIAL PROBLEMS OR SITUATION ON OTHER PEOPLE. YOU ARE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT.

                   SO IT IS ONLY WHEN YOU ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR INCOME (WHO CHOSE TO ACCEPT THE JOB YOU ARE WORKING AT?) YOUR BILLS (WHO SPENT THE MONEY THAT PUT YOU INTO DEBT?) AND YOUR INVESTMENTS (WHO MADE THOSE DECISIONS?) CAN YOU MOVE FROM BEING AN "ECONOMIC CHILD" TO AN "ECONOMIC ADULT".

                                           RESPONSIBILITY AND CONTROL

                            

                 THERE IS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND THE AMOUNT OF PERSONAL CONTROL YOU FEEL YOU HAVE OVER YOUR LIFE. THIS MEANS THAT THE MORE YOU ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, THE GREATER SENSE OF CONTROL YOU EXPERIENCE.

                     THERE IS ALSO A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF CONTROL YOU FEEL YOU HAVE AND HOW POSITIVE YOU FEEL. THE MORE YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE A HIGH "SENSE OF CONTROL" IN THE IMPORTANT AREAS OF YOUR LIFE, THE MORE POSITIVE AND HAPPY YOU ARE IN  EVERYTHING YOU DO.

                    WHEN YOU ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, YOU FEEL STRONG, POWERFUL, AND PURPOSEFUL. ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY ELIMINATES THE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS THAT ROB YOU OF HAPPINESS AND CONTENTMENT.

                   IN EVERY SITUATION, THE ANTIDOTE TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONS IS TO SAY, "I AM RESPONSIBLE" . THEN LOOK INTO THE SITUATION TO FIND THE REASONS WHY YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED OR FOR WHAT IS GOING ON.

                 YOUR INTELLIGENCE IS LIKE A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD. IT CAN CUT IT EITHER DIRECTION. YOU CAN USE YOUR INTELLIGENCE TO REATIONALIZE, JUSTIFY, AND BLAME OTHER PEOPLE FOR THINGS YOU ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT, OR YOU CAN USE YOUR INTELLIGENCE TO FIND REASONS WHY YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENDED AND THEN TAKE ACTION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR RESOLVE THE SITUATION. YOU CAN MAKE EXCUSES OR YOU CAN MAKE PROGRESS. YOU CHOOSE.

                EVEN IF AN ACCIDENT HAS OCCURED, SUCH AS YOUR CAR BEING DAMAGED IN THE PARKING LOT WHILE YOU ARE AT WORK, YOU MAY NOT BE LEGALLY AT FAULT FOR THE ACCIDENT. BUT YOU ARE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR RESPONSES, FOR HOW YOU BEHAVE AS A RESULT OF WHAT HAPPENED.

                                       NEVER COMPLAIN, NEVER EXPLAIN

                       THE MARK OF THE LEADER, THE TRULY SUPERIOR PERSON, IS THAT HE OR SHE ACCEPTS COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SITUATION. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO IMAGINE A TRUE LEADER WHO WHINES AND COMPLAINS RATHER THAN TAKING ACTION WHEN PROBLEMS AND DIFFICULTIES ARISE.

                       THIS SENSE OF "RESPONSIBILITY" IS THE MARK OF THE HIGHLY DEVELOPED PERSONALITY. YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE BY RESOLVING, IN ADVANCE, THAT YOU WILL NOT BECOME UPSET OR ANGRY OVER SOMETHING THAT YOU CANNOT AFFECT OR CHANGE. JUST AS YOU DO NOT BECOME ANGRY ABOUT THE WEATHER, YOU DO NOT BECOME ANGRY OVER CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATIONS OVER WHICH YOU HAVE NO CONTROL.

                        FUTHERMORE, YOU ESPECIALLY DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE ANGRY AND UNHAPPY IN THE PRESENT BECAUSE OF UNHAPPY EXPERIENCES OR SITUATIONS FROM THE PAST. YOU SAY, "WHAT CANNOT BE CURED MUST BE ENDURED".

                    IT IS AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE UNHAPPY TODAY BECAUSE OF A PAST EVENT, SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED MANY YEARS AGO. EACH TIME THEY THINK OF THE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES, THEY BECOME ANGRY OR DEPRESSED ONCE AGAIN. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT AT ANY TIME, YOU CAN STOP THINKING ABOUT, DISCUSSING, AND REHASHING THE PAST. YOU CAN LET IT GO AND BEGIN THINKING INSTEAD ABOUT YOUR GOALS AND YOUR UNLIMITED FUTURE. AS HELEN KELLER SAID, "WHEN YOU TURN TOWARD THE SUNSHINE, THE SHADOWS FALL BEHIND YOU".