Expert advice on goal setting and achieving your goals.

An Internet search of the term “goal setting” yields nearly 9 million results. If you’re a new to the world of goal setting – or even if you’re a veteran – 9 million results can feel daunting.

As you begin to delve into the results, it feels even more overwhelming: you’ll read about creating a vision. You’ll discover there are different types of goals: short-term and long-term goals, performance, result and process goals, something called SMART goals, business goals, personal goals, and more. You’ll notice there are tips and techniques and “secrets” to goal setting. There is online software for goal planning. There are books about goal setting.

Where to begin?

If the whole idea of setting and achieving goals is new to you, I suggest you start small. It’s important to get some goal setting and goal achieving experience under your belt without getting overwhelmed or frustrated.

With my down and dirty process, you’ll create three achievable goals — each with a relatively short time frame — that you can begin working on immediately. This is goal setting in its simplest form, but goal setting nonetheless, and it will get you started. When you feel comfortable with this starter process, you can move on to create a complete goal plan for your life, your work, or both.

Three Simple Steps to Down and Dirty Goal Setting

Down and dirty goal setting is as simple as answering a few questions:

1. What are three things I would like to accomplish, (three things I would like to do, be or have), in the next 3–6 months?

2. What do I need to do to accomplish these things?

3. What is a reasonable time frame for each accomplishment?

Here are a few tips to help you along:

When you think about question #1, what you want to accomplish, think about what you really, really want. In my view, when it comes to creating a goal, “shoulds” are not allowed. If your goal is something you really, really want, you won’t lose your motivation.

Next, brainstorm with yourself. Write down everything you can think of that you need to do –— all the actions you need to take — to achieve your goal. There’s no right or wrong here. Simply make a list.

Last, determine a reasonable time frame for each of your actions. Record the time frame next to each action, then enter those actions on your calendar.

Voila! You now have three goals and the actions you need to take to achieve them. Goal setting and goal achieving need not be difficult: it just takes three simple steps.
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Valerie Taloni, the Goal Diva, is an expert at setting and achieving goals, and teaching others to do the same. Get your free audio, “The Goal Diva’s 3 Most Powerful Goal Setting Strategies” at TheGoalDiva.com

-what are your thoughts on the ideas shared? Do you have anything you’d like to add?

* If you found the ideas above helpful, be sure to join our free Goal Setting and Motivation Newsletter!

Professional athletes and other highly successful people use the power of visualization technique on a regular basis. Why?

Results of a 20-year study of the effects of visualization revealed an amazing discovery. Humans see pictures on the screen of the mind when thoughts are being processed; i.e. when they think of things.

For example, if a person, let’s say, George Right, stopped doing what he was doing right now, closed his eyes and thought of his car. What would he see? Is it the word car that pops up on the screen of his mind or a visual image?

Mentally, here’s what is actually happening…

George is accessing a memory from his mind that was instilled while he was first learning what a “car” is. Then specifically, his present car popped up. He didn’t always know it was called a car.

Similarly, other humans associate names with images or other forms of stimuli as a way to refer back to them in the mind. And here’s an example of why this simple talent is so important.

Let’s go back to George for a moment. When he goes to find his car after he’s been at a shopping mall, all he is focusing on is finding the image that he has inside his head for his car. He quickly scans the parking lot and with lightning speed eliminates all other cars until he finds the familiar one that he is focused on.

With this example in mind, here is a behind-the-scenes look at how to use visualization to achieve any goal.

* Visualize an outcome you want over and over again to build ‘cells of recognition’ in your memory bank, just like you may have had with a car or other learned object when you were younger. This serves in the following two ways.

* First: you become consciously and acutely aware of everything that can help you achieve the visualized outcome that you desire. (Just like looking for a car). You quickly scan over anything that is not in tune with that image.

When you continuously focus on an image in your mind, every cell in your body is involved in that image and you vibrate and resonate with everything that is in harmony with that frequency both on a physical and non-physical level. This frequency moves you towards, and moves everything that is needed towards you, for the manifestation of the desired image.

* Second: you impress an idea into the subconscious part of you, it eventually becomes ‘fixed’ and you automatically attract and move towards that which you desire.

The reason athletes practice visualization is because they want to condition their mind in such a way that the body automatically behaves the way they want it to without effort. It is the only way to become ‘unconsciously competent’.

The same is true for highly successful people. If they visualize the success they want over and over again, eventually their bodies will automatically do whatever it must to make the image a physical reality.

The outside world is a mirror image of the inside and hidden mental world. Unfortunately, very few people have really taken the time to learn this side of their personality. And that is unfortunate because this is the part that is so powerful.

To visualize is to direct unseen energy into an orderly vibration and that is what is needed to manifest desires of the inner self. Desires must first be created in thoughts and then they are created in ‘ real life’. Humans are the sum of what they think about and focus on most.
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John Assaraf is an international bestselling author, speaker and entrepreneur with a passion for brain research and quantum physics. Visit him at JohnAssaraf.com

* Key Points: 1. A 20-year study revealed the effects of visualization. It showed that humans see pictures on the screen of the mind when thoughts are being processed; that is when they think of things.

2. The outside world is a mirror image of the inside and hidden mental world.

-What are some of the ways you use visualization in the goal achievement process?

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Have you ever asked yourself what your highest income producing activity is? If you’re like most people, you probably go about your day-to-day business never really thinking about the moment-to-moment activities that consume your day.

I’d like to walk you through an exercise that has helped me and my clients really stay focused on earning their highest possible revenue per hour.

Let’s assume that we each start with 365 days in a year. If we take away the following:

104 days-weekends
5 days-major US holidays
2 weeks-vacation
3 days-personal religious holidays

That leaves each one of us with approximately 238 days in order to earn the income we desire. Of course we can add or delete days based on our own schedule and desires.

If you multiply these 238 days times an average of 10 working hours per day, you are dealing with 2,380 hours of real work time for the year. So let’s do some math. If your yearly income goals are as follows…

$25k = you must be earning an average of $10.50 every hour of work.
$50K = $21 per hour
$100k = $42 per hour
$250k = $105 per hour
$1M = $420 per hour
$5M = $2100 per hour
$10M = $4200 per hour

In order to earn the income per year that you really want, you absolutely must be doing activities every hour that line up with this chart. If you catch yourself doing anything that isn’t your absolute highest producing income activity all the time, you are in effect making it much harder to achieve your desired financial goals: What activity or activities generate your highest producing income?

What are you spending your time doing? Are you focused on the real money makers or the real time wasters? Are you making it easy for yourself to be a high income earner or are you doing the things that can be done by someone whose income goal or ability may be less than yours?

I can tell you that when you start to look at each hour this way, you’ll stop doing the small stuff that can be hired out and you’ll start doing the real high producing stuff that yields big results.

Just look at your most recent 3-5 days and count the number of hours you spent really making the big bucks vs. all the stuff that you’ve done that creeps up on all of us. What you discover will amaze you.

I’ve often said that it’s not the smartest among us that makes the most money, it’s the ones who do the smartest things consistently that win big!
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John Assaraf is an international bestselling author, speaker and entrepreneur with a passion for brain research and quantum physics. Visit him at JohnAssaraf.com

* Key Points: 1. Take the time to identify which tasks actually give you maximum return on your time with regards to achieving your given goals. Then be sure to do those items which will give you the maximum results first.

That’s not to say that the more menial tasks aren’t necessary, rather the idea is that you either delegate it out to someone else, so that you can spend more time on the highest result producing tasks, or if they absolutely must be done by you that you do them in your down time, after those items that will give you the biggest return for the time you’re going to spend doing them are completed.

-What was your biggest takeaway from the ideas shared above? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Sponsor message: Motivational Speaker, Author, and Coach Josh Hinds is available for personal development trainings and coaching sessions. Details at www.JoshHinds.com

Answer this question for yourself right now: Are you happy and attaining the things you’ve envisioned for your business and life? If so, congratulations, you’re doing something right – if not keep reading.

There are certainly many factors and circumstances that determine whether you get what you want out of life or not. Some of them you don’t have control over, some of them you do.

Goal setting – more specifically, learning HOW to reach your goals can be the most useful skill you can learn in order to maximize what you can
control and get what you want.

Goal setting is simply an organized and intentional personal planning process. This is the definition of a goal: The purpose toward which an
endeavor is directed.

Here’s yet another way of saying that: Goals are the objectives you are moving toward achieving. Having defined goals will be essential to setting direction and providing a focus point for you to follow as you are building your business. A friend of mine often says, “If you don’t set goals, you probably won’t reach them”.

It’s important to understand the difference between making decisions and setting goals. Making decisions is where you start, but making a decision is not the same as setting a goal. Setting goals is putting action to your decisions. And action is the only way I know to get things done.

Outcome vs. Action
There are two types of goals – outcome goals and action goals. An outcome goal is an objective that is focused on accomplishing a specific task, such as earning a certain amount of money each year. Action goals are objectives that are focused on your commitment to take a certain action each day, such as showing up to work at 8:30.

Both types of goals are important, and it’s imperative that you combine both outcome and activity based objectives in your planning. Your outcome goals will compel you to shoot for the stars, and will help you clearly define what you want to achieve. Activity based goals will allow you to feel a sense of accomplishment each day, and condition successful patterns of behavior.

Goal Anatomy
When setting goals it’s important for them to be specific, measurable, attainable and in alignment with your values. This is where it can get tricky. You’ll want to find a mindful balance between setting realistic goals you know are achievable, yet not letting fear limit or stifle unlimited possibility.

Call To Action Activity
Commit to not only setting a goal today but following through with creating the action plan necessary to achieve it. Start by writing down what you want. Next, list all the tasks you need to accomplish to meet that goal. Be sure to include the timeline you intend to follow.

In addition include any resources needed to accomplish the task. Finally, write a short narrative on WHY you want to reach the goal, what benefit will it provide you? And, how is reaching this goal consistent with your values and overall vision for your life?

This process works ONLY if you do it rather than just think about it. I challenge you – learn the rules of goal setting, take action today and I guarantee, you will get what you want.

It’s YOUR life… imagine the possibilities!
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Helaine Iris is a Life and Business Coach, who has been featured in numerous publications, including “O” The Oprah Magazine. She helps entrepreneurs and professionals accelerate their success, while achieving a more complete and fulfilling personal life. She combines a broad range of professional experience in her work, including management positions in the education, training, retail and international non-profit sectors. For a free consultation, contact her at 603-363.4252 to discuss how she can help you accelerate your own success. You may also visit her website, www.pathofpurpose.com, for additional information, or email your questions to helaine@pathofpurpose.com.

*brought to you by GoalsSuccess.com

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Kindra Hall is a storyteller with 18 years of experience. She shares her stories on stage, in coaching sessions, and on her blog: KindraHallTellsAll.com. She works with organizations and individuals to discover, craft, and deliver their stories in order to more effectively communicate their mission and values.

Josh Hinds: What is goal setting?

Kindra Hall: When I was a little girl, I remember my parents building a walkway from our driveway to our front door. We lived in the country, so before that it was merely packed-dirt and sometimes difficult to navigate. I remember “helping” dig the dirt and lay down big yellow stones that would serve as the path to get to the front door. When the walkway was finished and we could easily walk from the driveway to the house, it was a very exciting thing.

Goal setting is similar to laying down those big yellow stones. Goals are the pathway from dreams to reality. Setting goals helps us to navigate this journey more successfully.

Josh Hinds: In your opinion why is goal setting important?

Kindra Hall: Setting goals can help us to revise the negative stories we tell ourselves; “I never follow through,” “I’ll never be good enough” for example. If you set a small goal for yourself and you achieve that goal, it is exciting. And it doesn’t take long for the story to start to change, “Maybe I can stay focused,” “Maybe I am capable.” If this set goal-achieve goal process continues, our stories get stronger, as does the belief in ourselves. This results in compounding motivation and success.

Josh Hinds: Can you share goal-setting strategies?

Kindra Hall: Dream big. Set big goals. Break those goals down into smaller goals.

I have a goal to run a marathon. For me, it’s a big goal and when I think of it (all 26.2 miles of it), I get overwhelmed, nervous and discouraged. This often occurs when we have a Big Goal. The best strategy when you have a Big Goal is to break it down into more manageable pieces.

In order to run a marathon I needed to start with one mile. One Mile. Doesn’t sound like a lot but one mile became two, which became a 5K, which turned into a 10K, which resulted in a Half Marathon. I still have some distance to go, and some challenges to overcome, but as I’ve achieved each one of those smaller goals, the story I tell myself has changed from “you’ll never run a marathon” to “you’re becoming a runner.”

A few last thoughts.

One word of warning when it comes to goals, that is to keep in mind that the setting of the goal is only the beginning. What is REALLY important, what will really get you where you want to go, is taking action. A goal to become a best-selling author is no good unless you start writing. A goal to lose ten pounds is no good until you stop eating peanut M&Ms. While goal setting is a great way to motivate and guide, it is only when you take action on those goals that progress truly occurs and that your story will truly improve.

-What are some of the key lessons you learned from the interview above with Kindra? Use the comments section to share your thoughts & feedback.

Yours in goal setting, Josh Hinds

*brought to you by GoalsSuccess.com

Rene Godefroy has a passion for empowering others to excel and succeed. His personal story of struggle, grit and perseverance epitomize triumph and the American dream. Starting from the humblest of beginnings, Rene has become one of America’s most sought-after and inspiring motivational speakers. You can visit him, and learn more about the work he does at BusinessMotivationalSpeaker.com.

Josh Hinds: What is goal setting?

Rene Godefroy: Goal setting is a tool that enables us to navigate through life with confidence. Once you know where you are going and you have the right directions, you will not feel discouraged if the way appears to be long. Why? Because you will know when you get there. That is what goal setting is all about.

Josh Hinds: What is your best advice on how to effectively set and achieve goals?

Rene Godefroy: Most people don’t achieve their goals because their focus is on the big picture. Yes, it’s great to think big and see the big picture. But it’s essential to think small as well. The key is to chap your goals into little pieces. Stop looking at the elephant. Take a bite instead — one piece at a time.

Just do what you can today (right now). Thinking about how much there is to do is not doing. Simply put, don’t let the whole overwhelm you when you can be taking actions to complete the parts.

Josh Hinds: Can you share an example where you’ve seen goal setting pay off?

Rene Godefroy: Every achiever sets goals. Companies set goals. Personally, I have achieved some powerful goals. When I started in the speaking industry, I set goals to write my book. I did it. I set goals to be a in certain fee bracket in 5 years. And exactly in 5 years, I was there. Along the way, through my life, I have set and achieved many small and big goals. To this day, I continue to set more. That’s the way to go. I strongly encourage you to give it a try. You will be rewarded immensely for doing so.

- I hope you found the ideas shared by Rene helpful. If you would like to share some of the key things you got from what he shared in the interview, please do so in the comments below.

It’s your life, LIVE BIG!
Josh Hinds

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Jon Gordon is a speaker, consultant and author of several books including the international best seller The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy. He has been featured on CNN, NBC’s Today Show and in Forbes, Fast Company, and other places. You can visit him at JonGordon.com

Josh Hinds: What is goal setting?

Jon Gordon: To me goal setting is identifying what you want and where you want to go. If you have a vision for your life this vision will fuel you on your journey.

Josh Hinds: Why is goal setting important?

Jon Gordon: It’s important to know what you want because if you don’t know what you want then how can you work hard to make it happen. As I wrote in The Energy Bus, every journey begins with a desire to go somewhere and do something and if you have the desire then you also have the power to make it happen.

Josh Hinds: What is the best advice you could give to someone on setting goals and achieving them?

Jon Gordon: My best advice is a little different than most. I don’t believe in setting “number’ goals. I believe in setting “purpose driving goals” It’s not the numbers that drive the people but the people and their purpose that drive the numbers. If you focus on your purpose then you will fuel up with the power to achieve great outcomes.

Josh Hinds: Can you share an example where you’ve seen goal setting pay off?

Jon Gordon: Every day I get up I ask how can I make a difference. My purpose is to inspire millions of people, one person at a time and this purpose keeps me energized. By focusing on my purpose driven goals I am reaching more people than I ever thought possible. I don’t care about numbers and I have never focused on money. I focus on my purpose and doing my best and let God do the rest.

-Yours in goal-setting success, Josh Hinds

PS. What were some key takeaways from the ideas above? Is there anything you would like to add that might be helpful?

Mark Joyner is the #1 bestselling author of over a dozen books that have been translated into 23 languages. His books are read by entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 executives alike, and have been used as text books in universities around the world. He is the founder and CEO of Construct Zero, tech incubator and philanthropic research center. Their largest company, Simpleology, offers free software that lets you get 8 hours of work done in 2 hours — you can get it here.

Josh Hinds: Why is Goal Setting important for success?

Mark Joyner: That question presupposes that it is. There are some people that are very successful without setting goals at all. Before we can say what is important for success we first have to define “success.” That definition is going to be different for everyone – and there’s a secret right there: figure out what you want. With that said, setting goals won’t hurt – as long as they are inspiring and attainable.

Josh Hinds: What do you believe are the necessary ingredients to ensure one achieves the goals they set for themselves?

Mark Joyner: Clarity, Inspiration, Attainability… It’s unlikely any goals without these elements will be hit.

Josh Hinds: How do you set goals? Do you have any special techniques or strategies that work best for you?

Mark Joyner: what we teach in Simpleology 101 explains the whole philosophy – but put simply: I think things to be clear, attainable, and short term. I also like to clear everything else from my path. The small distractions of the day add up to a life of zero accomplishment. Mastery over those minutia is essential.

Josh Hinds: Can you share an example where you’ve seen goal setting pay off with positive results?

Mark Joyner: Sure – years ago I set out with the ambition to become a #1 bestselling author. That’s clear enough, but I had to define what that means, how it can be attained, and then create a plan for attaining it. I did just that and now I’m a #1 bestselling author 4 times over – and my books are available in 23 languages, often used as university texts. I didn’t plan for those last benefits.

It goes to show that sometimes setting an audacious goal will pay off more than you expect. Just make sure you believe you can do it – and make it short term. I have serious doubts about the effectiveness of very long term goals. Life is too transient for them to remain relevant for long.

Yours in goal setting, Josh Hinds

-What was the biggest lesson you learned from the ideas Mark shared in his interview above?

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Phil Gerbyshak is the founder of the Make It Great! Institute and a self-proclaimed relationship geek; someone who knows all the tools, but also knows that people are what really matter in business, and in life. Phil enjoys helping others learn the simple strategies and tactics that make life great. You can visit him at PhilGerbyshak.com

Josh Hinds: Why is Goal Setting important for success?

Phil Gerbyshak: If you can see it, you can achieve it. A goal written down makes a dream visible, and lets you see what you’re aiming it. Think of goal setting as a treasure map. The better the goal you set, the more specific of a goal you set, the better you can visualize it, and the greater chance you have of achieving it. That’s why goal setting is so important.

Josh Hinds: In your opinion why do you think so many well intentioned people fall short of the goals they set for themselves?

Phil Gerbyshak: I fall short of the goals I set because I lose focus, and I get distracted by the latest “shiny object” or whatever is new and fun for me. I fall short because I don’t stay the course to the end. I also sometimes fall short because I lose momentum and get right to the end, but not quite.

Both of these problems can be overcome by finding great partners to help you be accountable and achieve your goals, and this is something I am committed to doing in 2010 and beyond!

Josh Hinds: Can you share your best advice on goal setting?

Phil Gerbyshak: Three pieces of advice on goal setting have stuck with me over the years:

First, be as specific as possible in the end of your goal… but don’t worry so much about the process. Stay focused on that end, and success will come.

Second, goals need rewards for achieving them. Sometimes the thrill of accomplishing a goal is reward enough, and sometimes you need something else to keep you driving towards what you seek.

Last but most importantly, don’t do it alone. Share your goals with people who can help you be accountable to your goal. Ask for help when you fall down. And if you have a goals partner, you have someone to share your successes and struggles with. And life is way more fun when you can share it with someone great!

Josh Hinds: Can you share an example where you’ve seen goal setting pay off?

Phil Gerbyshak: I’m leaving my day job as of May 28th, 2010. It’s been a 2 year goal to be a professional speaker and coach full-time. I put it out there and gave my manager my two year notice back in 2008. I’ve told everyone I know about my goal, even though they thought I was completely crazy for giving a two year notice.

I wrote 2 books, have done more than 60 speeches, written more than 1000 articles, and connected with thousands of people who have offered advice and encouragement on taking the next step.

Now I’m just a few days from seeing my goal become a reality. And I couldn’t be MORE excited!

-what are your thoughts on the ideas Phil shared above? Going forward look for ways you can put to use the ideas he shared in your own life.

Yours in goal setting success, Josh Hinds

*brought to you by GoalsSuccess.com

Simon T. Bailey is an internationally known speaker, author and consultant, he inspires individuals to take charge of change and transform their lives from the inside out. You can visit him at SimonTBailey.com.

While this is a very brief interview, I’m confident you will agree that Simon shares some great ideas when it comes to achieving goals.

Josh Hinds: What is goal setting?

Simon T. Bailey: It’s laser focusing on one thing that matters the most to you.

Josh Hinds: Why is Goal Setting important for success?

Simon T. Bailey: It enables an individual to focus their energy on being effective instead of busy.

Josh Hinds: Can you share your best advice on goal setting?

Simon T. Bailey: If it doesn’t move you, make your hair blow in the wind, cause your heart to skip a beat then why do it anyway. It has to be something meaningful.

-I hope you’ve found the ideas helpful.

Yours in goal setting success, Josh Hinds

*brought to you by GoalsSuccess.com