Get Goals & Go For It
AIM HIGH, ASPIRE TO GREATNESS AND IMPACT THE DIRECTION OF YOUR LIFE.
by Toni Alessandra, Ph.D.


Stepping Stones:
One step leads to another. After an achievement, there’s a tendency to believe that more accomplishments are possible. This positive cycle gains momentum and continues repeating itself. Greatness, therefore, is achieved through small “stepping stones” of achievements.

Step 1: GOAL SETTING
Striving for and attaining goals makes for a meaningful life. Without goals, we are susceptible to feeling emotionally, socially, spiritually, physically, and professionally unbalanced. Goal-setting creates drive and positively affects your personality and character.

When asked: "What are your goals in life?” many people respond, "To be happy, healthy, and have plenty of money." As goals leading to actions, these goals are not adequate. They don't possess the key ingredients necessary to be effective, workable goals. To change your approach to goal-setting, acquaint yourself with the following rules.

PERSONALIZE YOUR GOAL
Your goals must be uttered with sincerity. Goals must be something you want rather than something you think you should attain. Know your reasons for One step leads to another. having the goal.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS ARE EFFECTIVE
It's an automatic response to imagine the very object that you’re told not to think about. When you think a negative thought such as "I will not smoke today," your mind perceives it as "I will smoke today." You will think less about smoking if you phrased it differently: "I will breathe only clean air today."

WRITE IT DOWN – SEEING IS BELIEVING
Turn a nebulous thought into a bona fide goal by writing the goal on paper. Written goals are more official and strengthen our commitment. The visual reminder continually reconfirms their importance.

BE PRECISE
Be specific with goals to avoid the lack of commitment that comes from being vague. Rather than having a broad goal of losing weight, be more specific: "I will increase my cardiovascular workouts by 10 to 15 percent.” This statement defines the increase that you are striving for as well as the range of the desired increase. In addition, it is a flexible goal, which tend to be more realistic.

PUSH BEYOND COMFORT
A goal must be a challenge and motivate you to work harder. Set your goals beyond your reach so that you'll stretch beyond your comfort zone. The more you stretch, the more limber your goal achieving abilities will become.

GET REAL
What’s unrealistic today may be realistic tomorrow. For example, it was once believed that a four minute mile was the fastest a man could run. It was unrealistic to aspire to run faster until Dr. Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile in 1954. Since then, hundreds of runners have done the same. In any field, we don’t know the extent of our limits. How, then, do we define realistic? For our purposes, the best definition must come from your values. You must ask yourself: "What price am I willing to pay to accomplish this goal?" Weigh the payoffs and the sacrifices involved before coming to a conclusion. Setting a realistic goal is ultimately your decision.


Incite Change in 2010 Continued...