Achieving your goals (part 2)

April 30, 2009 at 08:00 PM
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In last month's article, we examined the importance of setting goals. Now, I'd like to further examine the topic and provide some additional suggestions for taking your goals to the next level.

Make plans to achieve your goals

Napoleon Hill said, "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Deciding what you want to do with your life is half the battle, but winning the battle requires a plan of action. Now that you have determined your goals, what steps will you take to achieve them? It's time to write again.

List your goals

Make a list of all of the steps necessary to reach your goals, and then prioritize those steps. Remember, successful people fail far more often than unsuccessful people. Learn from your mistakes, make adjustments and move forward. You may have to take detours on the road to success, but your destination is there waiting for you.

Work on your plans every single day
You usually become what you think about most of the time, so it's important to review your goals every day. Your goals should excite you and give you direction for how you spend your time. To use your time wisely, you must maintain a clear perspective on which tasks provide you with the highest payoff. "What is the most valuable use of my time, right now?" You are the only person who can answer that question. Your goals help you answer it correctly.

Do your homework

This article is not intended to provide an exhaustive study of everything you need to know about setting and achieving goals. I encourage you to invest your time in researching the subject further. The Internet is a wonderful source for additional study. I highly recommend the writings of Brian Tracy. His book "Goals! How to Get Everything You Want–Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible" provided much of the information for this article, and I have gained valuable insight from reading his material. I am not asking you to do something I haven't done. I make use of these skills every day. I can honestly say that the use of goals has changed and enhanced my life. I firmly believe it will change yours, too.