Photo Courtesy: Renato Giordanelli
If you do just one thing this month, write down your goals.
This is the single most important step you can take if you are serious about reaching your goals or making changes in your life.
First off, writing your goals down forces you to articulate your goals. The probability that you will reach your desired destination rises dramatically as you add the clarity, definition, and detail that come through writing your goal down.
Writing down your goals also involves more senses – tactile and visual senses – and the more senses you involve, the more deeply that goal is imprinted in your subconscious.
If you are really serious about your goal and don’t want it to go the way of most New Year’s resolutions (only 8% are successful), read through your goal statement daily and tweak it as necessary. This simple activity will make you 10 times more likely to achieve your goal! You are welcome!
This process of creating a goal statement and reviewing it provides several other powerful benefits. First, it activates what Dr. Maxwell Maltz called your “Goal Seeking Missile.” A clear written goal statement programs your subconscious with the goal. Frequently reviewing this refreshes the goal and keeps your subconscious focused on the goal, working and striving to reach the goal 24x7x52.
It also activates your creativity. Immersing yourself in the goal and then stepping away from it activates the creative cycle, letting your mind employ its vast resources to find creative paths to your goal.
Bonus Tips
As your reward for making it this far through my ramblings, here are a couple of bonus tips.
1) Write down the benefits of reaching your goal. This will also increase your odds of success. Again, go into detail – how will your life be changed for the better?
2) Lastly, by announcing your goals to others – friends, family, co-workers you will also improve your odds. We are much less likely to disappoint others than ourselves!
Best of luck to you this year. Remember to leave 2014 better than you found it!
