How to Set and Achieve Realistic and Effective Goals (Part One - Updated)

Article Title: How to Set and Achieve Realistic and Effective Goals (Part One - Updated)
Author Name: Craig Lock
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Category (key words): Self Help, Personal Growth, Motivation, Goalsetting
Web Site: http://www2.webng.com/writernz/
Other Articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles.html
(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, words of inspiration and money management)

Publishing Guidelines:
We hope that the following article (an extract from Craig's first published book HANDBOOK TO SURVIVE) may be informative
and helpful to your e-zine readers, or on your web site.
This article may be freely reproduced electronically or in print.
If it helps others "out there", then we're very happy.

"We share what we know, so that we all may grow."
*
HOW TO SET AND ACHIEVE REALISTIC AND EFFECTIVE
GOALS (PART ONE)

Oh no, not another article on goalsetting!

Author's Note:
This extract is from Craig's first published book HANDBOOK
TO SURVIVE - a collection of writings on various subjects
to help every man or woman survive in a rapidly changing,
uncertain world. An introductory look at the concepts of success,
motivation, attitude, goal setting and stress.
*

It's past half-way through the year already and have you put all your
January 1 2007 goals (business and personal) into ACTION...
or were they simply New Years resolutions - merely WISHES? Or perhaps just some distant, long-forgotten memories in the deep recesses of your mind! No matter, now is a good time of year to reflect on life, our family's lives, our individual journeys ' down the river of life' - where we've come from and where we are headed. Who knows!

'There is one quality which one must possess to win, and
that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one
wants and a burning desire to possess it.'
- Napoleon Hill (author of the classic book, 'Think and Grow Rich')

'Nothing happens, no forward steps are taken until a goal is
established.'
- David J. Schwarz (author of 'The Magic of Thinking Big '-
an excellent book by the way!)

' Your life is controlled by your thoughts. Your thoughts
are controlled by your goals.'
- Earl Nightingale

' When we have no personal goal which we are interested in,
and which means something to us, we are apt to go round in
circles.'
- psychologist Maxwell Maltz

'The key to peak performance is not potential or skill,
but motivation and dedication....having clear performance
goals and putting in the training effort to achieve them.'
- Dr Sven Hansen '

I would like to repeat the critical importance
of committing your plan to writing. It cannot be over-
emphasised!'
- Paul J. Meyer of Success Motivation Institute

'Learn how to set your goals:
a. Write down your goals
b. Give yourself a deadline
c. Set your standards high.'
- Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone (co-authors)

UNDERSTANDING GOALS
Setting goals is the first step towards ACTION. They get you
into motion. The energy of motivation should be harnessed
by being transformed into clear goals and a clear PLAN to
achieve them. Goals are dreams which come true
....and they are far easier to achieve once they are
focussed.
Goals therefore help to fulfil one's PURPOSE in life by
giving expression to your core inner values, the 'real YOU'.
Psychologists have found that helping people to develop
personal goals has proved to be the most effective way to
help them cope with personal problems by:

1. Crystallising one's purpose in life - through adding
meaning .
2. Helping make difficult decisions.
3. Giving direction to your life and keeping you on track by
concentration.
4. Resolving conflict
5. Building confidence and
6. Adding to your self respect (or sense of value = self
worth)

The power of imagination in goal setting comes from having
BIG HOPES AND DREAMS. I believe too often we
underestimate our capabilities. Use the amazing power of
your CREATIVE IMAGINATION to think what you REALLY
WANT OUT OF LIFE..
Then visualise your dreams actually coming to pass.

Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more powerful
than knowledge".
Very true, as I believe the human imagination is our
greatest asset. Thoreau once wrote these beautiful words:

'If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams
and endeavours to live the life which he* has imagined, he
will meet with a success unexpected.'
(Sorry ladies!) *

* Only joking - you can have dreams too and achieve them
even better than us "mere males"
(and please don't beat up " Mr un- PC" Thoreau for neglecting you).

'Be true to your ideals, no matter what may happen now.
Then things will take a turn and the very things you wanted
to happen will happen.'
- anon

That one has just inspired me as I write this.

*
Summary:

Set realistic, yet achievable goals. Ones that stretch
you...because we are all different, what is achievable for one
person might not be so easy for another. Also, because
we are all unique creations with different hopes, desires,
aspirations and dreams, what goal is important to you may
be totally inappropriate for another individual's life
direction.

I believe setting goals is vitally important in achieving
what we want out of life....and setting even small daily goals are a great help in a daily action plan to move your life forward. I find it
very satisfying ticking off even small routine tasks,
like paying bills (well that is a big goal for a "starving"
writer!). These small immediate goals are stepping stones to our
bigger goals " down the track".

WRITE THEM DOWN, because putting them down on
paper makes for more COMMITMENT. It focuses your thinking on what you want to achieve, like a magnifying-glass (that's called a
simile, by the way!). Doing this chrystallises (nice big word) our hopes, aspirations and dreams. They keep us on track towards our medium-term and long-term goals - the "grand plan or vision" for our lives.This is most important.

Re-evaluate your progress from time to time. Doing this
keeps you on track to see how you are progressing
towards the "big picture". I find it extremely satisfying
looking back and ticking off the goals I have achieved.
( Of course , I don't achieve all of them, but am working
hard on that.). It can be very encouraging seeing how far you have come , when you look back at your first "teeny-weeny" goals and
doing this is a great motivater to me.

Goals are the first step in a positive plan of action. And always remember, every great journey down the "river of life" starts with one small first step.

YOU CAN ACHIEVE ALL YOUR PERSONAL GOALS.

So
WHAT'S STOPPING YOU FROM TAKING THAT FIRST
STEP RIGHT NOW?

Craig Lock ("Incorrigible encourager, information and inspiration distributer")
http://www.craiglockbooks.com

As the ancient Chinese philosopher said so well,
"A journey of a thousand miles starts with a ...
broken fan belt and a flat tyre"...
er sorry...
a single step.

"A wish is just a wish,
A New Years Resolution is just a resolution.
Goals have deadlines and are the stepping stones down the
path, the stair-case to your dreams."
- craig

About the author:
Craig Lock has studied and written extensively in the field
of self help. Craig believes in the great potential of every human being in the journey of life and loves to encourage people to share their individual (and guiding) spirits, so that they become all that they are CAPABLE of being.

The various books that Craig 'felt inspired to write'
(including 'Handbook to Survive') are available at: http://www2.webng.com/writernz/books.html

"The world's smallest, most exclusive bookstore"

* Hardcopies and electronic books, fiction and non-fiction: self help, novels, travel, humour.

All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children - MINE!

End of Part One

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