Without question, achieving real success depends on learning how to set goals and following through. Success by definition means accomplishing something you are not accomplishing now, and having one or more goals helps you focus your energies and resources. But understanding success and how to set goals, and actually doing it, are two different things. On this page we will share with you what we and many others have learned over the years about increasing success and how to set goals. For more information, be sure to read our concise book, “The 5 Keys To Unlimited Success & Happiness.”How exactly do you set a goal? Here are the 7 keys to success:
- Write – Begin by thinking about what you want and writing it down on paper. This will help you objectify your thoughts and feelings. Once you have words on paper, you have something external to your self that you can reflect on and refine. So just get a notepad or notebook, get in a comfortable place, and write whatever comes to mind about what you want in your life that you don’t have now.
- Control – Now most people think a good goal should be something that sounds good, like “I will save the world from suffering.” But broad, high-sounding goals are often not realistic. So the next step is to focus your goal or goals on what you can control. And really there are only two things you can control – yourself and the things you own. You cannot control other people, so don’t create a goal that requires you to do that. Get your own “house” in order. You might have a goal of cleaning up your bedroom. But don’t aim for a goal of making someone else clean up for you.
- Visualize – Now refine your goal into something you can visualize. Our minds are much more energized by visualizing than just reading or speaking words. State your goal in words that allow you to clearly visualize achieving each goal. Create a moving picture of your achieving each goal that you can play back often.
- Present – State your goal in the present tense. Not “I will” but “I am” or “I have.” You are programming your unconscious mind, and it only “works” in the present tense. It does not relate to future time.
- Feel – The more you can project feeling into the visualization, the more powerful it will be. Feel the joy of accomplishment, the rush of happiness, the thrill of doing something you’ve always wanted to do. Connect those feelings with your visualization.
- Speak – Now add sound to your mental pictures and feelings. Whenever you can, say your goal out loud. This is a great thing to do when you’re alone in a car, or perhaps when you wake up in the morning. If this is not possible, then say them to yourself, experiencing the visual and feeling dimensions at the same time.
- Repeat – The more you repeat your goals, with full visual-feeling-speaking impact, the more likely you will achieve them. Try to repeat them at least twice a day, when you start in the morning and before you go to bed at night. Try to memorize them so you can repeat them any time, anywhere. You will be amazed at how well this works! Achieving success through goals is not an either-or, it’s a matter of degree. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Write them down on paper and carry them around with you. Do this often and you WILL be successful!
To learn more about achieving goals and success, be sure to read our unique guidebook, “The 5 Keys To Unlimited Success & Happiness.”