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Personal Goal Setting

Two of the benefits you will receive as a result of defining and aligning your major goals in life are peace of mind and focus. Let us take a look at a few of the other benefits of personal goal-setting:

• Know, be, do and have more 
• Use your mind and talents fully
• Have more purpose and direction in life
• Make better decisions
• Be more organized and effective 
• Do more for yourself and others 
• Have greater confidence and self-worth 
• Feel more fulfilled 
• Be more enthusiastic and motivated 
• Accomplish uncommon projects

Remember, you will not pay a price for setting goals. You will pay a price for not setting them. We can choose to get caught up in the everyday activity of our lives without feeling any real sense of purpose or we can choose to accomplish something meaningful with our lives that gives us a sense of direction and self-motivation.  

Ninety-seven percent of the population does not set goals for two major reasons: (1) FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real) is preventing them from doing so and (2) There is a risk that the goal may not be reached. 

One question a lot of women ask is how to know if a goal is good or bad. In other words, how do you discriminate between the really important goals and the "nice to have but not really important ones? 

You will know whether or not a goal you have chosen is important by answering these five questions.

• Is it really MY goal? 
• Is it morally right and fair? 
• Are my short-range goals consistent with my long-term goals?
• Can I commit myself emotionally to completing the project?
• Can I visualize myself reaching this goal?

If you have answered "No" to even one of these questions, you may want to reconsider this goal. In the short-term it may appear to work for you, but in the long run, you may exposing yourself to a lot of unnecessary conflict and frustration.

Be sure to set big goals as well as multiple goals. Big goals force you to reach in and use the potential that is inside of you. Long-range goals help you to overcome short-range failures. They can also help you to change your direction without going back on your decision. 

Whether or not they ever reach the goals they have set, people who set big, long-range goals have been found to have higher self-confidence, higher self-esteem, and greater personal motivation. The bottom line is that more than half the rewards and benefits achieved from goal-setting come from actually taking your first step in that direction, regardless of the consequences. 

There is a very simple process in seven steps that you can go through to set any goal whether personal or professional. To be effective, the goal you choose must include all seven of the following steps:

• Identify your goal by writing it down 
• Set a deadline for the achievement. Put a date on it. 
• List the obstacles to overcome in accomplishing your goal. 
• Identify the people and groups you need to work with to reach your goal. 
• List the skills and knowledge required to reach your goal. What do you need to know? 
• Develop a plan of action to reach your goal.
• Write down the benefits of achieving your goal. ("What is in it for me?") 

On a periodic basis, it is important to re-evaluate your goals to make certain that they are in alignment with what you truly value and want out of life. Remember, goal-setting is a life-long process. Once you have completed one goal, be sure to replace it with something else. This way you will always reap the benefits that goal-setting provides.