It is not hard to realise that making a goal is essential for living. Many of us are making subconscious goals everyday. I have glossed over about subconscious goals in my article Success is a mind game. But when coming to make conscious goals, procrastination sets in.
What is your comfortable place?
Everyone comfort territory is unique. Some get calm when they sit by the seaside. A sit at the balcony seeing nature is another way to get your mind calm. Thoughts are essential for living. But too many can affect clear thinking.
We have about 80000 thoughts per day. But not all those thoughts are going to do any good to us. Have you ever thought about a person who have offended and caused hurt a few months ago? Thoughts will not serve us if it is not controlled to proper use. The gushing river is useful when a dam is built and water channelled out for different use. Not all the thoughts are used for living. We choose practical and constructive thoughts to enrich our lives.
For a conscious goal setting all thoughts, whether negative or positive, has to be isolated like the dam across the river. Simply, you need to set your mind placid first. You can read 5 time tested technique to control and calm your mind .
Whether it is visit to a beautiful beach or the scenic mountains, if you can find an appropriate location to calm your mind you are ready to set your goals. Goal setting is essential. But to have effective goal setting system, the first thing you have to clear the ‘chattering’ of the mind.
Anytime or Specific time?
When is the best time to think about your goal? My best time of the day is 7:00am in the morning. Coincidentally, it was the time of my birth. If you divide the day into five zones then the most beneficial portion of the day shall be the early morning or the late evening.
You can decide to make a perfect goal on your birthday. New Year eve is also an opportunity for making new goals.
Do you really want it?
What do you want to do? What do you want to achieve? Do you want to be a painter? Do you want to an actress? Do you want to be a famous dancer? What actually you want to do or become?
I would say that this is the most important part in the whole system of goal setting. If you fail to answer this question of what you want to do then it is impossible to go to the next step. An accountant of a certain company can make out a goal of either consolidating his position as a capable accountant in the same company or he can decide to venture into opening a business as an accounting firm. A person who wants to settle a debt can either sell one of his properties and cash in for a settlement or can cut down his expenditure and increase his savings. After deciding on what you want to do the next essential question shall be this – Do you really want it?
After deciding to open an accounting firm, you need to put the plus and minus of opening it. If you find that opening an accounting firm is advantageous then be bold to decide on this goal and carry on with the sketch.
Sketch
An architect after visualising a concept will do a sketch of the entire building before he does the model. Outline precedes all work of art. The skeleton is the vital part of a any body.
In this part a goal setter should answer: what are the basic things required to open a business school? He needs a building, teachers and staff and most importantly he needs students to enrol in his institution.
Detailing
Detailing comes from the word detail. If you are required to write a detail answer in your examination, a short one means failure. In any works of paintings, the absence of perfect detailing affects its pricing. How detail you are in your goal setting will have a direct influence on the final result.
If a sole proprietor decides to move his business office from a more popular location to less popular one will have a large sum of capital outlay for his renovation expenses. It is because his real intention of moving is to show that he is expanding and his classic interior finishing makes his employees and clients feel important. Showmanship was his detailing in the entire concept of moving.
A picture without detailing is action against reality. Which portion of his painting has to have more light?
Time line
Within a timeframe a time line has to be drawn to reach all goal set. When the goal can be achieved? If you want to reduce your weight by 10 kg in 2 years then you need to burn off few hundred calories each day. By making your timeline explicit, your goal will become a reality.
All the best in your goal setting experience!
