[This articles is a continuation from Choosing Success which explains how choices rule our lives and why its important to make choices for our success. This article can be read independently from Choosing Success]
Most people do not know that following a standard process for goal setting is one of the keys to success. Setting and writing down clear goals will achieve success for you. I knew it, but I never did it. And I bet the situation is the same for you as well.
I knew what I wanted to achieve and it was clear in my mind, I didn’t think I had to write it down. Why bother?
A success quote from Napoleon Hill (in 1953) provides some insight into the power of goals. This quote is from his discussion with Andrew Carnegie:
The principle of Definiteness of Purpose obviously is a necessity to all who succeed since no one may achieve success without first knowing precisely what he wants. It may interest you to know that approximately ninety-eight out of every hundred people are totally without a major goal, and it is significant that approximately the same percentage of people are regarded as failures.
The principle of Definiteness of Purpose, to be of enduring value, must be adopted and applied as a daily habit. Absence of this habit leads to another habit that is fatal to success, and that is the habit of drifting.
The Wisdom Of Andrew Carnegie As Told To Napoleon Hill (1953)
Here is another success quote …
In the book What They Still Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School, the late Mark McCormack cites a Harvard study conducted between 1979 and 1987. In 1979, Harvard MBA graduates were asked “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?” 3% of graduates had written goals. 13% had goals but they had not written them down. 84% had no specific goals. In 1987, Harvard followed up. They found that the 13% with unwritten goals were making twice as much as the 84% with no goals and those 3% with clear, written goals were making ten times as much as the other 97% combined!
The story is great – but I bet you will not change your life because of it.
The journey to set your own goals and to achieve your goals has begun by your reading of this article.
You don’t need to read the rest of this article if the following applies to you.
- You Understand Why Written Goals Are Important
- You Have A Method For Creating And Managing Your Goals
- You Write Your Goals Down
- You Read Your Goals
- You understand why having tangible goals works.
The setting of goals seems so easy, but we rarely do it and we rarely achieve our goals.
How many of the goals that you have set for yourself in the past 25 years have you actually achieved?
Of the goals you have achieved, how many of them are at the level that you wanted?
Having written goals focuses the mind on delivering the results. It works. Its one of the most powerful ways of creating focus.
As I promised in the introduction to Success Through Balance – I said am going to provide an introductory application of the skill and then provide provide some recommendations on how you can move to a much more powerful level.
I have a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper cut from a brochure from a car I am planning on purchasing. I chose the part of the brochure that shows the inside of the car. Since that’s the part I see and experience when I drive. This is the part I care about, you choose the picture that you care about. The outside looks, the mechanics, or even a picture with you and your companion on the open highway.
On the other side of the paper I have 6 4×4 sticky notes. On each of the notes I have hand written a my goals. The writing The sentences represent my goals. Each morning I wake up and the first thing after making my coffee and saying Brachos (Some Orthodox Jewish Stuff) I read my goals. I always do it with a pen in hand, because I find that I adjust the language and the focus slightly each day.
This simple approach will get you started.
Start it today! Become a success rather than the drifter described by Andrew Carnegie.
Still need more convincing?
Are you already doing something similar and want to move to the next level?
Some other questions that you might want answered?
- What Goals Should I Write Down?
- What Other Kind Of Goal Methods Work?
- Why does goal setting really work?
- How do I word the goals for maximum effectiveness?
To become success ar everything you do, you must learn from experts. You need to become an expert at goal setting. This was a very short introduction.
To integrate Goal Setting into your life fully, take The Ultimate Goal Program by Brian Tracy. He can change your life. His content can take your success to an entirely new level.
I believe in living a life of Balance. I believe in being successful. My approach to life is called Success Through Balance. Choosing Success is just one skill in the components of a successful life. You can find my description of Success Through Balance by clicking here.
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I came across your website today. I love it. Very well done. While reading through it, I am reminded of a saying that I have tried to live by all of my life which is, “If you really want to do something, you will find a way – if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” Keep up the good work.