The 12 Commandments of Goal Setting

Many professionals have a basic idea of what they want to achieve in their careers. They may want to close more sales, earn a higher income, or move into a different job. However, somehow they do not achieve the success they desire. Why? Why is it that intelligent, motivated, hard-working individuals are not achieving the success they deserve? It is because they haven't set clear goals.

They may have a general idea of what they want to accomplish, but the mind does not work effectively with generalities. If you want to earn a higher income and you earn one more dollar, have you achieved your goal? No, of course you haven't. Because you were not specific about what you wanted to accomplish, your creative mind could not assist you in reaching your true objective.

In order to be effective, goals must be written down in the present tense using clear, specific, vivid words. For example, if your goal were to earn a salary of $50,000 per year, you would write. "I now earn $50,000. per year in a job that is fulfilling and allows me to express myself creatively."

Completing the following steps will help you set goals effectively so you can achieve positive results in your career.

1. Decide what you want to accomplish. The goal should be very specific. If you want to close more sales, how many more sales do you want to close? What do you want your closing ratio to be? If you want to move into a different job, what are the characteristics of that job?

2. Determine a deadline for accomplishment. A goal must have a deadline. If you do not have a date on it, the goal is only a wish or a dream.

3. Determine that the goal is believable to you. You must feel that the goal can be realized. If you believe it is impossible to achieve, you will never take the action necessary to make the goal a reality.

4. Where are you now? Take a current inventory. You will never know how far you have to go if you don't know where you already are.

5. What obstacles do you need to overcome? Is there something that may make it difficult to achieve your goal? Be aware of the obstacle so you can make plans to overcome it.

6. What knowledge will you need to acquire? Will you need to earn a professional designation or take certain courses? Will you need to research new markets?

7. What organizations and groups should you associate with? Are there certain groups of people that can make it easier for you to accomplish your goal? How can you become affiliated with them?

8. What are the benefits to you? Write down as many benefits as possible. The more benefits you can come up with, the more likely you will be to stick to the goal until it is achieved.

9. Develop an action plan. Determine the specific steps that will be necessary to achieve the goal. Start at the accomplishment of the goal and work backwards.

10. Visualize yourself accomplishing the goal. See yourself in clear detail as if you have already achieved the goal. If you want to close more sales, see yourself closing more sales easily. Do this over and over again until it becomes part of your subconscious mind.

11. Take daily action towards the goal. Dreams and goals require action. The best goal in the world will never materialize unless consistent action is taken.

12. Resolve to never quit. Decide that you will never give up, even when times get tough, until your goal is reached.

Taking the effort to complete the steps in goal setting is not easy. However, when you follow these steps, your success is almost assured.

About The Author

Della Menechella is a speaker, author, and trainer who inspires people to achieve greater success from the inside out. She is a contributing author to Thriving in the Midst of Change and the author of the videotape The Twelve Commandments of Goal Setting. She can be reached at della@dellamenechella.com. Subscribe to free Peak Performance Pointers e-zine - send blank e-mail to mailto:subscribe@dellamenechella.com.

---

Are You Willing To Risk It?

What would your life be like if you kept doing everything the same way? If you stood still for the next 10 or 20 years and didn't make progress with anything? If you... Read More

Goal Setting or How Being SMART Isnt Always the Right Objective

Over the years much has been written on the subject of goal setting with most conventional wisdom coming down in favour of the SMART objective setting process.SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound) has... Read More

Action Achieves Goals - Talk Is Cheap

It is very easy and a lot of fun to talk about dreams and goals and a great future. Achieving these dreams is not so easy as all wise people know. We need... Read More

Losing Site of Your Goals: Determining Your Vision From Your Actions!

In the fury of trying to accomplish our goals, we tend to lose site of our Vision. We get so caught up in "doing things" that we forget why we're doing them. In... Read More

Why Traditional Goal Setting Doesnt Work

If you have a $100.000.000 in the bank, drive new Lexus, look like a movie star and have a perfect health save yourself some time and do not read this article. This article... Read More

Do you Have the Burning Desire to Lose Weight or Reach any Goal?

NOTE: This article is one of the component parts of the 9-step WTA3 program contained in the ebook titled "The Action Path -Your Key to Success!" due out in 2005 at ... Read More

One Focus To Success

Too many times we are distracted from our main goal and purpose by all of the different things out there that we want, or think we want. Instead of making choices, we seem... Read More

Goal-Mapping

Goal-mapping is like a treasure hunt, you must first start out by knowing what you are looking for. Be very specific on what you want without limiting yourself. The next step is charting... Read More

Keep Your Attention On What You Want

Have you ever wondered: "How does this 'Law of Attraction' really work? Can I really attract only what I want?"You Can! It requires you to make many conscious choices. Most of the time... Read More

Achieving Success Through Effective Goal Setting

It is important to have goals because they are good for your physical and mental health. You can have goals for all areas of your life. Here are a few ideas: Career, Learning,... Read More

Get It Done-Or 3 Ways to Advance Your Goals

1. WORK WITH THE END IN MIND- OR FOCUS ON SUCCESS"Beginning with the end in mind is the endowment of imagination . If you are the programmer, write the program", says, goal expert-... Read More

Achieve Your Goals And Dreams By Using Excel Spreadsheets

Do you think your life is passing you by and you want to get back on track? Do you feel you are stuck in a rut and you don't really know how to... Read More

How To Rise Above The Clutter In Your Brain

Ever notice when you start a new hobby or fall in love with a new shrub or flower you start to see it everywhere? This isn't necessarily because everyone else has the same... Read More

The Focus Wheel

The Focus Wheel was first described by Abraham-Hicks as a tool to help us clarify and fix our focus on what we truly desire. If you have been practicing "deliberate attraction" for a... Read More

Setting Achievable Goals For Success

In order to achieve something, the first thing you should develop is a goal. Without a short term and a long term goal, the likeliness of you following through with something you want... Read More

How To Become A Polished Public Speaker In Just One (1) Day

The fear of speaking in public ranks right up there with the fear of death. I had the same fear myself until I was chosen to be an electronics trainer for the Air... Read More

How To Find Lasting Goals

If you, just by coincidence, read my short article about pleasure and pain called "The cockroach test", you know already why exhilarating business goals are important. For the major rest of readers here... Read More

Mission Statements Improve Goal Setting and Decision Making

A Mission Statement consists of a short phrase or a few sentences that form an overview of your core priorities and guiding principles. It describes what you are trying to accomplish and what... Read More

Check Your Frequency

From time to time we need to stop during our day to keep our frequency in check. Our frequencies are the ranges of feelings and emotions that we have. Like radio waves, our... Read More

Four Steps to Goal Setting

When setting goals it is important to know if the goal is realistically attainable. Time is precious; you don't want to waste it moving toward a goal that you will never be able... Read More

Give Bad Habits the Boot!

Everybody has bad habits. Everybody. Now granted, some people have less than others and some people's bad habits are more grating than those of others, but we all have them. What is great... Read More

7 Questions To Tap Into The Limitless Power Of Your Subconscious Mind

When you map out what you want, you let go of the trivial tasks that clutter up your thoughts. When you focus on achieving a definite major purpose, your life will assume an... Read More

Focus = Clarity

Photographs are clearer when they are in focus. When they are out of focus, they are blurry, indistinct. How many times have you been disappointed by the result when the focus was off?... Read More

One Life to Live

Nothing stops us. Well, almost nothing. Although we do live in a world that whirls at breakneck speed, there are a few things that will stop us in our tracks. When tragedy strikes,... Read More

How to Improve Your Life Every Day

Growing Towards ExcellenceWould you like to become a better person? If I did a survey asking people this question, I'm sure I would receive 100% response YES!Let me ask you a question:"Who started... Read More

Finding Life?s Candles for Dark Moments

Tragedy doesn't make an appointment. It attacks! A terrifying surprise that explodes in the midst of a family. Tragedy brings with it multiple consequences as well?financial disaster, depression, guilt and blame. Devastating fallout!... Read More

Improve Your Self Confidence

Knowing yourself is the foundation of self-esteem, self confidence and personal development. Man has been seeking himself since the days of the Oracle of Delphi. "Know yourself" said the Oracle, but she spoke... Read More

Dont Let Go Of Your Dreams

Don't let go of your dreams. If you have determination and belief in your dreams, you will succeed in spite of your desire to let go.One notable person who demonstrated this attitude was... Read More

Six keys to keys build vision - point four

4. Start somewhere (put to use what you already have)"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." -Benjamin Disraeli"There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action." -Johann... Read More