ARE YOU CREATING THE RIGHT TYPE OF GOALS?

Several years ago, I took a course with the late Bob Proctor, where I learned about establishing the right type of goals, which I'll discuss a little later. I'd like to start with the importance of setting goals.

Goal setting is important because it provides direction and focus, motivates and challenges individuals to achieve their aspirations, and helps measure progress and success. It also enables individuals to prioritize their time and resources and helps them to overcome obstacles and make effective decisions. Additionally, setting goals helps individuals develop a sense of purpose and meaning, and can lead to increased self-esteem, satisfaction, and achievement.

The benefits of setting goals include:

1. Clarity and focus: Goals provide clarity and focus on what an individual wants to achieve, allowing them to prioritize their efforts and resources.
2. Motivation: Having specific, measurable, and achievable goals can increase an individual's motivation to work towards their aspirations.
3. Measurement of progress: Setting goals provides a way to measure progress, allowing individuals to see the results of their efforts and make adjustments as needed.
4. Improved decision making: Setting goals helps individuals make effective decisions by guiding them to prioritize their actions and allocate resources effectively.
5. Increased self-esteem and satisfaction: Achieving one's goals can lead to increased self-esteem and satisfaction, which can contribute to overall well-being.
6. Improved time management: Setting goals helps individuals manage their time more effectively, as they are able to prioritize their activities and focus their efforts on what is most important.

Bob Proctor explained to us that "Change is inevitable, but personal growth is a choice." We can go to any city, anywhere in the world and ask someone what their goals are, and chances are they'll ask, "What do you mean?" If you do find someone who has a clearly defined goal, ask them if they have it in writing. More than likely, they won't. When you decide on your goal, you should write it on a card and carry it with you. He also said that if you know the goal you want and you know how to reach it, it's probably the wrong goal. You need to establish goals that allow you to grow, but yet draws something out of you that you didn't know existed.

Bob put goals into three categories, A, B and C. "A" type goals are going after something you already know how to do. For instance, I used to drive an Acura MDX SUV. If I decided I wanted to get another Acura MDX SUV, but newer, it's an "A" type goal. I've already had one, so I already know how to get it. When people move away from "A" type goals, they then move to "B" type goals. They gather all the information they need to work towards their "B" type goal, basically saying if all of these things happen, then they can accomplish this goal. This is something they think they can do, but there is no inspiration in it. People who go after "B" type goals get bored and they're not inspired, so they give up. "C" type goals are going after something you really want. You have to sit down and fantasize about something you really want, but don't know how to get it. Most of us were conditioned as we grew older, that fantasy is for children. "You don't fantasize. You have to know how things are going to happen." As far as we know, we are the only creatures on earth that can fantasize. Napoleon Hill said, "Imagination is the most marvelous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known." When you sit down and fantasize what you want, you're not going to know how to get it. The fun is finding out how you're going to get it! There are only two questions you have to ask yourself: 1) Am I able? 2) Am I willing to do what I have to do to get to where I'm going?

Do you know how many times people laughed at Thomas Edison when he said he was going to make an incandescent light? Do you realize that he failed over 10,000 times? When you fail at something, that doesn't make you a failure. You're only a failure when you stop.

Once you establish that you are able and willing to go after your goal you become emotionally involved in that goal. That is when your behavior starts to change and as your behavior changes, your results start to change. Eventually, your goal turns into reality and that allows you to establish bigger and better fantasies.

Remember, personal growth is a choice. Every morning when you wake up, you have to get excited and say, "I'm working towards my goal!" The only way to reach your goal is to provide greater service. As you provide greater service, you will grow. Anyone without a goal is lost and doesn't know where they are going. I'm grateful that I learned from Bob Proctor about establishing goals and if you haven't done so, I hope this will help you get started.

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Proctor and Gallagher, 2009, Thinking Into Results