What Happens When You Run Out of Goals? - Earl Nightingale

Here are some interesting questions you might want to try answering.

One: If you could completely change places with any other person in the world, would you do it? And who would that person be?

Two: If you could work at any job you could choose, would that work be different from the work you're doing now?

Three: If you could live in any part of the country you want to live in, would you move from where you are now living?

Four: If you could go back to age 12 and live your life from that point over again, would you do it?

Studies indicate that the great majority of people, even though they have a certain amount of dissatisfaction with their present lives and don't seem to be as happy as they might be, will answer "no" to all four questions.

A person often feels when he's accomplished everything he's worked and struggled for so long to achieve, he finds himself depressed more and more of the time. He has a fine job and an excellent income, a beautiful home, a wonderful spouse and children.

In fact, everything is finally just as he'd planned it for so many years. And for no reason that he can put his finger on, all the fun and enthusiasm has strongly disappeared. He's listless and unhappy, and he can't think of a single reason why.

This has become a common modern malady, especially in retirement, and it's what so often happens when a person runs out of goals.

This is when the game of life begins to go to pot, and the person needs to remind himself of the basic rules for successful, enthusiastic living. And the first rule is that a human being must have something worthwhile toward which he's working.

Without that, everything else, even the most remarkable achievements of the past and all the trappings of worldly success tend to turn sour.

Achieving our life goals can be compared to opening our presents on Christmas morning and watching those we love open theirs. We look forward to the day, plan, and work toward it. Suddenly it is there and all of the presents have been opened, and then what?

Well, we must then turn our thoughts and attention to other things. The successful novelist begins planning his next book before he completes the one he's working on.

The scientist always has something new and challenging to turn to when he completes a project. The teacher has a new class coming up. The young family has children to raise and get through school, the new home to buy, the promotion to work for.

But for millions who reach their 40s and 50s and find they've done all they set out to do and that there are no new challenges to give them stimulus and direction, there often comes the most trying time of their lives – the search for meaning, for new meaning, and it must be found if the old interest and vitality are to be restored to their lives, if they're to achieve renewal as persons.

If you understand this, even the search for new meaning can bring new interest into your life. You've got to say to yourself, "All right, I've done what I've set out to do. Now I must find something new and interesting to do."
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Earl Nightingale co-founded Nightingale-Conant, an audio publishing company and world leader in personal development. In addition to Earl’s audio programs, Lead the Field and The Strangest Secret, Nightingale Conant publishes authors such as Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Napoleon Hill and many more.

Josh's Thoughts:

The advice above is right on. For the most part we are goal striving individuals. That is to say we feel best when we're moving in the direction of a worthwhile goal. That being the case it's perfectly normal to feel a sense of confusion or discomfort when we are no longer in pursuit of some accomplishment. It's for this very reason that we would all do well to keep a few goals & dreams handy to pursue.

An easy way to do this is by keeping an idea journal, or keeping a list of projects and goals you want to accomplish. A simple idea that will pay you dividends in the form of happiness and an ongoing sense of joy.

-- Here's to your goal-setting success, Josh Hinds

A Written Goal Must Be Specific - By Warren Greshes

Most people have vague goals and therefore speak in vague terms. They say things like, “I want to make a lot of money.” “I’d like to live in a nicer house.” “I’d love to have a better job.” What does that mean?

For example, what’s a lot of money? Everybody’s a lot is different, and the best part is: it doesn’t matter what your “a lot” is, what matters is that you know what it is. Only if you know what your “a lot” is will you be able to formulate a plan to achieve it.

A number of years ago, I was conducting a seminar in New York City. I asked the audience to give me their definition of success. I received the usual vague responses: money, power, recognition, fame.

I asked the person who said, “money,” “Did you mean a lot of money?” He said, “Yes.”

I then said, “What’s a lot of money?” He said, “Whatever will make me comfortable.” I said, “What will make you comfortable?” He said, “Whatever will give me everything I want.” “What do you want,” I asked. He said, “A lot of money.”

We went around like this for awhile until I finally had enough and said, “Give me a number, what’s a lot!!” He said, “Eighty billion dollars!” Now I had to admit, that’s a lot.

But watch what happened next. I said, “OK, you’ve got it. I’m going to give you eighty billion dollars. What are you going to do with it?” (There’s no motivation to get it, if you don’t know what you’re going to do with it. Why do you think so many lottery winners go broke?). He said, “I’m going to spend it.” I said, “What are you going to spend it on?” He said, “I’m going to buy everything!” I said, “How do you do that? Will you just back up a truck to Macy’s and say, ‘give me everything?’”

He said, “No, I’m going to buy the United States.” I said, “STOP! Could you buy the United States for eighty billion dollars?” He said, “No.” “Well then,” I said, “is that a lot of money?” He said, “I guess not.”

You see, it’s only a lot if it’s going to get you what you want. But if you don’t know what you want, how do you know what you have to do in order to get it? And, if you don’t know what it is, how do you know you didn’t already have it, but because you couldn’t recognize it, you just let the opportunity pass you by.

When you have a clearly defined goal, sense of purpose and direction, it makes it much easier to take advantage of the opportunities that come up simply because you’ve already defined, on paper, the ones you want to pursue.

When writing down your goals, please be specific.
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Warren Greshes is a professional speaker, who has keynoted corporate and association meetings throughout the world for the last 20 years. In addition, he is the author of “The Best Damn Sales Book Ever: 16 Rock-Solid Rules to Achieving Sales Success,” and hosts his own talk show and podcast, “The Warren Greshes Show: Your Voice for Sales, Success and Small Business.” To learn more about Warren go to GreshesNetwork.com Warren can be contacted at: 1-800-858-1516 or by email at: warren@greshes.com.

Josh's Thoughts:

Being specific is a vital engredient when it comes to winning the goals game! Take a moment to think about your goals -- particularly areas where you would benefit from making them a little more specific. The time it will take you to do so is peanuts compared to the benefits you're sure to gain.

-- Yours in goal-setting, Josh Hinds
GoalsSuccess.com