The Meaning of Life

What is it that you want to achieve in your life?

This is probably one of the most important questions you can ever ask yourself.  It goes to the very root of another question so many of us ask, perhaps without expecting an answer - what is the meaning of life?

With such an important question you should not simply accept the first answer that comes to mind.  Not even if you believe you already know what you want to achieve.  Spend some time thinking deeply about this achievement.  How will you feel as you begin to achieve it?  What will change in your life and in the lives of those around you as this begins to happen?

Make sure as you do this that everything feels really positive.  If it doesn't, then there is something wrong.  You may think that this is what you want to achieve, but the reality is that there is something quite different that you really want, which is expressing itself in a different way for some reason - as it arises from the depths of your mind and spirit it appears to change, until when it comes to the surface it looks completely different.  So if you do not feel really positive about this achievement you must dig much deeper to find out what your true desire is.

What you should find, once you have properly identified what it is you want to achieve in life, is that it is something that can grow and develop.  It is something that you can begin to achieve, if only in a very small way, very soon after you have identified what it is and have started working towards it.  That is why I have tried to avoid using the word "goal", which you maybe expected to see earlier in this article.  It is more a way of life, of moving along a particular path, than something that you get and then find there is nothing left to do.  It really does become "the meaning of life" for you.

If you have identified this path, this growth, this ongoing achievement correctly you should also be able to identify some "milestones" along the way.  Milestones that show you have made progress but are not at the finishing line.  By definition, none of those milestones can be the finishing line, none of them can say "zero miles to go", as what you are aiming for is a continuous growth, not something at which you can finally arrive.

You should try to identify both distant and very close milestones.  This is important.  Have a distant target in mind, and try to make sure that what you are working on now brings you closer to that distant target rather than further away.  But also have some close targets so you can feel fulfilled in the "now" rather than only in the distant future.

So, what IS the meaning of life?  This is a question that has perturbed many very intelligent men and women over many centuries.  When you have completed the exercise I have suggested in this short article, the answers arrived at by eminent philosophers will probably now seem mundane and unimportant to you.  You KNOW the one answer unique to you.  You know the meaning of your life and know that now your life can be fuller and better every day that passes.

What I most want to achieve in life

What is it that you most want to achieve in life?

Don't limit yourself when thinking of your answer to this.  There ARE no limits here.  I am not saying you have to try to achieve it.  I just want you to think about what you would really love to achieve.

Don't let your censor limit you either.  You know who I mean.  That voice inside you telling you it is wrong, that people like you don't do things like that.  Maybe a continuation inside you of what your parents said, what your teacher said, what your spouse might say, what your best friend might say.  Tell that voice to go away!  You are digging deep inside to find out what you REALLY want to achieve, regardless of what others may think.

Have you come up with anything yet?  If not, keep looking.  If you have, still keep looking - there must be a lot more than just the one thing you want to achieve!

Start putting down each of those goals on a blank sheet of paper.  Not as a future goal, but as a statement that this is you, that you have achieved it.  Then focus on each, one by one.  Ask yourself the following questions:

Why do I want to achieve this?

What difference will it make in my life?  How good will that feel?

What difference will it make in the lives of those around me?  Do I get a good feeling from that too?

As you go through this exercise, recognize when your internal censor reacts to any of the goals.  This time allow that censor to have its say.  But then analyse what it is saying.  Is this really true?  Try to follow the logic.  Often you will find there is no logic at all.  Make sure you recognize that, so the power of the censor is diminished.

In some cases you may find you actually completely agree with the censor.  If so, think back to the answers to the questions you asked yourself.  Was it really a good feeling?  As long as it was, then your censor is probably wrong.  Spend some time working on this.  Trust your gut feeling though, not the logic that the censor may use.

If the end result of this analysis is that the censor is right, I want you to dig deeper.  Somewhere deep inside you is another desire which is right for you, but which has expressed itself incorrectly and in a way that doesn't fit with who you are.  Find that inner desire deep within.  When you find it, cross off the original goal and replace it with this new, correct one.

What you now have is a list that defines the future "you".  A future you should now start moving towards.  You don't have to think of it as fully achievable - although certainly do NOT allow that voice inside you to say it is not achievable.  But it defines the direction in which you should be moving.  Every step that takes you closer is the right step, and every step that takes you further away is the wrong step.

Yes, you can use the list for affirmations and work on manifesting from it.  But also it is a very practical list that will stop you meandering through your life and instead knowing that each day is productive and moving you closer to what you really want to achieve.

Setting Goals

Before you read any further, just humour me.  In the next 10 seconds, please write down the number one goal you are working towards.  Not a goal set by someone else, but a goal you personally subscribe to and are trying to achieve.

Done?

I can already hear the complaining voices.

"10 seconds is not long enough.  I need more time."  Is your goal that complicated?  I didn't say give me chapter and verse of the goal.  Just write down what it is.

"It's not fair!  I need longer to work out which of all my various goals is number one!"

Did either of those thoughts occur to you?  If not, congratulations!  You are already very much closer to achieving your number one goal than almost everyone else who is reading this article.

But if you didn't manage to do it, don't despair.  You are not alone.  The reality is that very few people truly set themselves goals and persevere in trying to achieve them.

The reason I gave you such a tight time limit is to stop your subconscious mind from cheating, thinking up a goal and then convincing you that this is a goal you set yourself some time ago.  No, I am not joking.  This IS the way all our minds work.  There are many psychological experiments that have been conducted which prove our minds manufacture memories that support and justify views we now have.  So if your subconscious mind thinks that it is important to you to know that you have been working towards a goal it will happily create that goal and then give you a false memory of having set yourself that goal and even of having started working towards it.

I have read somewhere that only 3% of the population set goals, and only 1% write them down.  If you couldn't complete the exercise it doesn't mean you are a failure, just that you are very similar to virtually the whole population.

Let me ask you a question.  Imagine your favourite team is trying to score a goal.  The trouble is, for some reason every member of the team has a mental block and cannot see where the goal is or remember where it was before they lost sight of it.  They don't even know where it should be, as the shape of the field has changed, so there is no longer a logical place it could be hiding.  How likely do you think it is that they will score the goal?  If you have said anything much above 0%, please go to the back of the class!  Ok, you are not in school, this is not a class, and I am not a teacher, so you don't go to the back of the class - just try again!  If you want to score a goal you really do have to know where that goal is!  Otherwise you will never score.  That is not rocket science, just good old common sense!

It is the same with personal goals.  If you don't know what your goal is, why be surprised that you never achieve it?  If you really have a clear personal goal and really are trying to achieve it, you will know what that goal is and writing it down in 10 seconds is no problem at all.

So the first step in achieving your goals is to set them in the first place.  Set REAL goals.  Ones to which you can really commit.  And the first step in setting them is to write them down and study them carefully.  Look at each goal in turn.  How do you feel when you read it?  Does it excite you?  Energize you?  Make you feel really happy?  Enthusiastic?  If it does, put a tick by it; that is a real goal.  If it doesn't, cross it out; it isn't a true personal goal for you.

Even if you completed the first exercise and are congratulating yourself for being in the top 3%, still do the second exercise.  If the goal you wrote down doesn't come up to scratch, then put it aside and find out what your real goals should be.

For some people this little exercise works first time.  If it does for you, great!  You have found your goals.  Now you just need to go through them prioritizing them.  Once you have done that, focus on your number one goal.  Write it out really clearly and neatly.  Ideally, do that on a piece of A4 paper in landscape view, with nice big writing.  And draw a neat border around it.  Focus on it every day, making sure it is in your mind so that you can begin to make progress towards it.

Now you are not just in the top 3%, but in the top 1%.  The 1% who not only know what their number 1 goal is, but have also written it down.

I am not going to tell you the story of the 3% of Harvard or Yale MBA graduates who made ten times as much as the other 97% combined, simply because they wrote down their goals.  Sometimes it has been reported as Harvard and sometimes as Yale.  It doesn't really matter which one you say, as the story simply isn't true even though you will find it all over the internet.  But it also doesn't matter that it is not true, as it IS a parable, and it is a very good one.  Myths and parables are very powerful, and you should learn to utilize that power.  Write down your number one goal and you WILL have a much greater chance of achieving it.

Communicate your goal to someone, along with the steps you are going to take to achieve it.  That is really important.  If you communicate your goal and the actions you have committed to taking you will have an even greater chance of achieving it.  Don't do this with someone who is likely to be dismissive and tell you that you are silly to have such a goal.  Ideally you should find an accountability partner, and you should then share your goals and action steps with each other.  If you are unable to do this, then share your goal and actions in the comments section of this blog, and simply imagine all the readers of my blog holding you accountable.  When you have completed the steps, communicate that you have done so.  When you have achieved your goal, communicate this too.

Unlike on the football field (or ice hockey rink, or whatever image sprang to your mind when I asked about your favourite team), life goals don't stay in the same place forever.  They change position.  So you need to keep on top of your goals.  A goal that used to be your number one goal may no longer be right at the top, or may even have been replaced altogether.  Perhaps it is no longer relevant.  Or perhaps you have now achieved it, or as much of it as you need to achieve.  We are a very adaptable species, so adapt!  Find out what your new number one goal is.

There is a lot more I could write about setting goals, but I think this is enough for now.  Explore your inner self to find the right goals, identify the number one goal, write it down, communicate it, and keep focused on it as you go through life.  Believe me when I say this one exercise will make an enormous difference to your life!

New Beginnings

Have you ever looked at yourself, who you are and the life you are living, and said "I wish things were different!"?  If so, then this article is for you.  Things can be different.  All you have to do is find out what you want and then start working towards it.

Start with a blank sheet of paper.  Forget about all the baggage you have and start writing about the person you would like to be and how you would like to live.  Don't think about any of the negative, the hurdles, the things that currently stop this happening.  Just write down how you would really like things to be.

At first you may find yourself sitting there, pen in hand, a blank sheet in front of you, and no idea what to write.  Don't worry, that is very common.  For some people it may be that they really don't know what they want.  For others it may be they want so much they don't know where to begin.

If you simply don't know where to begin, then simply start writing.  It doesn't matter where you begin.  Just capture all those thoughts as they come to you and write them down.

If your mind is a complete blank, then just sit quietly for a while thinking about nothing at all.

You may find a trickle of thoughts about what you want begin when you do this.  If so, start writing them down as they come to you.  If the trickle turns into a gush, keep weriting, and if it seems too powerful a gush then don't worry but simply do what I have said a couple of paragraphs above.  Sometimes, though, the trickle will peter out.  Don't worry, just repeat the exercise with a still mind and keep repeating it until either you have a full page or the gush begins.

Some people will find even when they sit quietly for a few minutes no ideas at all come to mind.  If this happens to you, don't panic.  Quiet your mind again and then think back to all the times you were really happy.  Go right back through your life as far as you can remember.  Don't write anything at this point.  Just keep remembering those good times.  Start to feel them rather than just remember them.  Feel a warm glow starting deep inside and then filling you as you add more and more of those good times.  It is almost like building a fire within yourself, a fire bursting with joy.  Then, while you are on fire with those memories, start writing them down on one sheet of paper.  When that paper is full, take another piece of paper and use this to write down what you want to be.  Use those memories to help you, but now you are writing about what you want to be and your life to become rather than what has happened in the past.

When you have filled your paper with future goals, go through it and find the ones that seem most important to you.  Be careful when doing this.  You are not choosing the goals you feel you should have but the ones that really resonate with you.  Many people find this quite a surprising exercise, with goals that they would never have considered previously coming right to the top of the list.  Don't lose the list, as you will need to come back to it later - perhaps even years later.  But take two or three of the main goals, or maybe half a dozen or so, depending on the nature of those goals, and write them down on a separate sheet of paper.  Don't write them as a future goal but as something already achieved.  For example, if you want to be really fit and healthy you should write "I am really fit and healthy", not "I want to be really fit and healthy".

Focus on each of those key goals.  Think about steps you can take now to get closer to them.  Notice I have not said "to reach them".  Just "to get closer to them".  If you think hard there will always be steps you can take towards your dream, even if that dream seems impossible at the moment.

And that is how you create a new beginning.  It is not rocket science.  Every day is really a new beginning if you are open to the right leadings from within.  I hope I have inspired you to take those important steps in the right direction so that you too can have a fresh start, a real new beginning.

Personal Development Tips

I am often asked if I have any tips I can give on how best to organize personal development.

The field is massive, and there are so many things you can do!

Try to begin with the end in mind.  I say "try" as the reality is none of us really knows where we will end up, and usually when you look back after many years of personal development you realize the journey has been quite different from what you initially envisaged.  But it is important at the outset at least to have a rough idea of what your goal may be.  Without knowing that you will not really know the direction you should be going, and without knowing the direction you will probably choose the wrong tools.  It would be a bit like starting on a journey, trying to follow a map, but not actually knowing where you want to go!  So spend some time thinking about what you want to become.  No limits.  Write down all your ideas as they come to you.  Then when you have enough written down try to feel which ones seem right for you.  This should help identify the right direction of travel for you.

When you are thinking about what you want to become, don't be frightened of aiming for the stars.  We are all made of star dust anyway, so aim for those stars!

That's for the big picture.  Long term, don't accept any limitations.  There are no limitations.  Or, rather, the only limitations are the ones you create for yourself.

Now you know where you are headed, start to think about the steps you can take to move in that direction.  These can be very small steps.  In fact, they should be.  They are things you know you can achieve.  You probably have no idea how you are eventually going to reach your long term goal, but that doesn't matter, as you will eventually reach it if you keep taking the right steps in that direction.

Keep an open mind.  You never know when the next opportunity is going to knock or which direction it will come from.  Often it is entirely unexpected.  Also opportunities will often appear and you will fail to spot them.  Do not be discouraged by this.  The more you open your mind, the more you get focused on what it is you want to achieve, the easier it will be to start spotting those opportunities.  You will certainly miss some, but that is not the end of the world as (contrary to what you may have read) similar opportunities will arise again.

Join groups of similarly minded people.  Ideally they will be people nearby, but this is not essential.  If there are no such groups near you then look for "virtual" groups on the internet.  Gain both encouragement and new ideas from the groups.  Ask others what tools they have used to achieve their results.  You will be surprised at how much information you can get and how helpful those new friends can be.

The corollary is to avoid, where possible, people who try to discourage you and tell you that you will never achieve what you are trying to achieve.  There are many such people around, and they are really toxic.  You do not have to put up with this - just avoid them.

A lot of what you need will be available for free.  Take advantage of this.  You will be amazed at just how much good free information is out there.  If you subscribe to my newsletters you will find masses of such free help, as I spend a lot of time looking at what is available and finding out what is the most helpful.  If you have not already subscribed, go to www.beallican.com right now to claim some free personal development e-books and join my newsletter list.

What you will also find, though, is that as you start to develop in a particular direction you will probably have to start paying for further help.  View this not as a cost but as an investment.  The most important investment you will ever make - an investment in you, your future, and your happiness.  I recommend you start keeping aside 10% of whatever you earn to use as an investment in you.  Start right now, before you even know what you will need to invest in - put this money aside, hopefully earning a bit of interest, so it is ready to use when you need it.

Don't get confused by the huge variety of material out there.  Often you will find very similar systems offered by different people and organizations, all promising to help you reach your goals.  As long as the system is good, just go with whichever feels right to you.  There are many paths to the same destination.  As for whether or not it is good, do some research first.  Or let someone prominent in the field search through everything and come up with selective recommendations - which is what I do for my subscribers.

Enjoy your journey.  Remember that you will never reach the end, as your goal will start to change as you begin the journey and well before you reach it you will find you have come up with more goals even further ahead.  So take pleasure from the journey itself - otherwise, what is the point?

Finally, do not become discouraged.  I can promise you there will be setbacks.  That is simply a part of the rich tapestry of life.  Accept the setback, see what you can learn from it (that is very important!) and then move on.  If you adopt this attitude then even the setbacks can be regarded as an essential part of the great journey you are taking, as they teach you essential lessons.

Wherever your personal development journey is taking you, bon voyage!

The Declaration of Independence

On 4th July 1776 the Continental Congress approved the final draft of the Declaration of Independence.

To achieve independance from Great Britain, the United States had to go through a lot of hard struggle and pain.  At times it must have seemed an impossible challenge.  But no matter how impossible it looked, they didn't give up.  They had a clear goal they were determined to reach, and reach it they did.  And the starting point was the Declaration of Independence.  Putting down on paper very clearly and precisely what it was they wanted to achieve, and particularly why they wanted to achieve it.

Putting down in writing exactly what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it is a key step in achieving any goal.

Firstly, there is the "what".  Sometimes we think we want to achieve one thing, but when we commit pen to paper and our goal takes shape we realize that goal is something a little different from what we had imagined.  Fleshing out our goal this way is a very important step.  Otherwise we may find we are struggling to achieve something that later we decide is not so important - in which case we will probably give up the struggle.  Think very carefully about your "what".

Secondly there is the "why".  This is very important in providing the right motivation when things seem to be going wrong and the goal seems further away than we had originally imagined.  If this really is a key goal for you then I can pretty much guarantee you will face such crises.  Without strong motivation it would be so easy to give up at that point.  Read the Declaration of Independence and see just how much of it is about the "why" rather than the "what".  A lot of thought went into that "why".  Think really hard about your own "why".  Think about how much better life will be for you and your family when you have achieved your goal, and put that down on paper.

Imagine the founding fathers had decided not to bother writing the Declaration of Independence.  Without the power of that document providing inspiration and motivation, would Washington have managed to keep the militias fighting when supplies dried up and the challenge seemed impossible?  Perhaps, but it would have been a lot more difficult and perhaps he would not have succeeded.  

Make sure you have your own Declaration of Independence which shows clearly what you want to achieve and why, and you should find it much easier to achieve that goal.

With thanks to Thad Zajdowicz for the image of Thomas Jefferson signing the Declaration of Independence.

Setting Yourself Up for Success

If you are anything like the majority of people you either didn't set yourself any New Year's Resolutions, knowing you wouldn't keep them if you did, or you have already broken most or all the ones you did set.

It doesn't have to be this way!  It is perfectly possible to create Resolutions that you DO keep.  And you don't have to restrict yourself to doing so just on New Year's Day.

The first thing you must do when setting goals (for that is really what Resolutions are) is to prepare yourself for success in advance.  By following this advice you will actually enjoy the process of setting goals and achieving them.

One of the first things you should do when setting a new goal is to not make it an "all or nothing" goal.  Instead of having only the options of "success" or "failure" create your goal so that it is setting you up to succeed.  One way to do this is by creating smaller goals along the way.  As you reach each one you will feel good about it and be motivated to continue. And having reached that "mini goal" you can congratulate yourself that you HAVE kept a resolution!

Track your progress towards your goals. By tracking your progress you can celebrate your successes. You can also identify your weak areas and spend more time working on them.  To track your goals you can use something as simple as a basic spreadsheet and then record your progress. Some people prefer to track weekly while other prefer to use a daily tracking system. 

Set yourself a monthly, weekly or daily target that you can achieve. This could be something such as reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke or not having that beer after work each night.  As you meet each small goal you are again setting yourself up for continued success, rather than simply having a goal of "I will stop smoking" or "I will stop drinking". 

For goals that have numbers (often business related goals) set minimum numbers as targets as opposed to maximum numbers.  By all means have those higher targets as an aspiration, but be ready to congratulate yourself just for achieving the minimum.  Congratulate yourself and feel good about yourself - that will lead to even greater success.

Setting appropriate goals will help you set up for success. Don't set a goal for something that you already do on a regular basis. A new goal should be based around something that you are not good at (or at least haven't tried yet), or one that could be classified as a bad habit.

Always be ready to ask for help in achieving your goals. At work if you are not good at something see if there is help available. Or is it possible to get this task delegated to someone else? Look for options when it comes to setting goals, especially for those tasks that you really don't like doing. 

Plan out a method for reaching your goal before you even start working on it. The majority of people who just decide on a goal will fail without having a good plan of action in place first.  

Even if you are not sure of all the steps just start outlining your first one or two steps. As you begin your journey you may identify other steps that are required for you to be successful. Simply add these into your plan of action. 

One good way to create a plan of action is to look at your goal in reverse. Think about how you might have arrived there and write down the steps. It is often easier to think in reverse when it comes to goal planning! 

A great example of this is having a goal of owning your first home. The last thing you do is sign the deal and pay for the house. So consider how you raise the money for your home, how you choose your location and so on. As you create your list backwards you have just completed a plan of actionable steps. 

If you plan on creating new goals then recording your goals will help you with your next goal. You will have a plan in place that you can follow to a certain extent. More importantly though, your recording of your first plan will highlight any problem areas you had. You will be more aware of them this time around and will know how to deal with them.

Follow these steps and there is no reason at all why you should not be very successful this year!

If you would like even more help in setting and reaching your goals, try my program "Resolution Revolution", which you can access here:

"Resolution Revolution"

Change Blindness

Do you sometimes despair and feel that you are not making any inroads at all into the changes you want to make in your personal development?

If you are not using any of the correct techniques, particularly proper goal setting, mind movies and other various law of attraction techniques, then maybe you need to start applying them right now.  There is plenty of material you can find to help you on my blog, and even more for those of you who receive a regular e-mail from me (if you don't receive any yet, just enter your name and e-mail address in the box to the right of this blog, the one that says "I Want Them Now!", and you will get some free e-books to help you as well as my regular e-mails).

But even if you are moving in the right direction it is easy to believe you are not.

One reason is that our minds are not at all good at recognizing change.  So even if you have made good progress you may simply not be seeing it properly.

Most of us cannot even see when things around us have changed physically.  Psychologists refer to this as "change blindness".

If you don't believe me (or even if you do!) try out this interesting experiment, kindly provided by students at the University of Idaho:

http://www.gocognitive.net/demo/change-blindness

Personally I found this very difficult.  I took ages to see something that had clearly changed right in front of my nose.  How about you?

Well if you cannot even see the changes around you, then do not be at all surprised that you don't notice changes within you.

The next time you are tempted to say you have made no progress, or even just too little progress, try this simple exercise.  Instead of focusing on where it is you want to be, take a look at where you used to be.  You may be surprised, once you do this, by just how far you have come, especially if you have been working on this goal for some time.

Help Your Children Wish Upon that Star

Who doesn't remember a time when they were young and wished upon a star?  Do you remember the hopes and expectations you had waiting for your wish to come true?  Why not evoke these same feelings in your own children?

Children can wish for so many different things these days.  They may wish to visit Disney World or they may want to spend the summer camping.  Or they may want something smaller such as a new toy.

Instead of wishing upon that star you can encourage your children to turn this wish into a goal.  Get them to write down this new goal and then together you can figure out how they can reach their goal.

Remember that it is never too early to teach your children the benefits of setting goals.  If you set your own goal at the same time you can show them that it is acceptable to change and tweak your goal as you go along.  It is very common for a goal to start as one thing and along the way it develops into something different.

The entire process of setting goals and reaching them can help your children in many different ways.  This includes helping them improve their self-esteem and self worth, and helping them boost their confidence levels.

In addition to the above benefits they will learn that they can reap rewards from setting goals.  This also helps them with developing a sense of purpose that will carry through the rest of their lives.

Setting goals either by wishing on a star or writing them down will show your children that they can have certain things that they want.  They will discover that the process can be fun and that dreams can and do come true.

Younger children will probably love the aspect of wishing upon a star while older kids will benefit more by writing them out and creating actionable steps.  Just remember to help your children make this a fun process along the way.  If the goal is too lofty you’ll need to help them break out the smaller steps that eventually lead to their larger goal.

Encourage older children to visualize themselves with what they are trying to achieve.  They may want to be able to shoot lots of baskets without missing.  Get them to visualize this as they close their eyes and see themselves shooting those baskets.

Another way to help your children reach their goal is by planning out their goals in more detail.  This can be done by creating more of a step by step plan with them.  This way they can see exactly what they have to do, and in what order, to achieve their goals.

During this process your children will see that wishes do come true by using a plan of action.  They will see that abstract desires and wishes can become a reality, especially when they decide to take action and do something about it.

Getting your children to set goals is an extremely powerful thing and something that will benefit them during their entire lifetime.  They will learn how to make plans, set goals and carry them out.  You are putting power into your child's hands.

These techniques can be applied to many different situations including doing homework, learning a new skill and taking exams.  Older children can plan out their steps for going to college and for choosing a career by making related goals.

Making wishes and setting goals can easily become a family affair.  Get everyone involved and see if you can't develop one strong goal or commitment for the entire family.

Achieve Any Goal

Do you have some goals in life you would really like to achieve?  If not, you have probably come to the wrong blog!

In this short video by John Assaraf, one of the stars of "The Secret", you will learn how you can visualize, affirm and achieve any goal:

If you want to get a great series of positive affirmations to help you achieve your goals, try these here:
"Goal Affirmations"

If you want to what John Assaraf says to the next level I suggest you make what is called a "Mind Movie" which will really instill positive emotions and make your affirmations so much more effective. You can find out more about "Mind Movies" by going here:
"Mind Movies"

Willpower and Goals

Are you the type of person who has a lot of willpower to see a project through to its completion or do you feel your willpower is lacking? While many people think that some people have more willpower than others this is simply not true. Everyone has the same amount of willpower - what is different is the way you choose to use your willpower. 

It is easy to blame your lack of willpower for the choices you make and for giving up. How many times have you heard someone say, "I just don't have the willpower to follow through?"

The real question is: Do you really want to achieve your goals, or are you happy to continue using the excuse that you do not have enough willpower?

If you really want to achieve your goals, then you certainly can.  You simply have to make sure you have the right mindset and know you can achieve them. Make sure, though, that you are setting realistic goals. You may find, for example, a goal to run this year's marathon may be unrealistic if the last time you did any exercise at all was 10 years ago!

Take a look at each of your goals and make sure it IS realistic within the timescale you are setting for it. Sit quietly and envision yourself achieving it. If you can do this, great! If not, it may be time to scale back on it a little until you really can visualize the right outcome. Then, as you progress towards that goal you can always expand it until eventually you are achieving the original goal which was initially too ambitious.

I want to emphasize that "realistic" here has nothing to do with what others around you may be telling you. Your realistic goal may be considered far to ambitious by your friends and family, but that is not what counts.  What matters is what YOU can internalize as realistic.

Now that you have realistic goals, sit quietly again and picture yourself once you have achieved that goal. If your goal is to lose 10 pounds, visualize yourself wearing the clothes you will now be able to wear. See yourself in the mirror and admire your new, well balanced body. If your goal is to speak a new foreign language fluently, see yourself surrounded by native speakers of that language, having a great time with your new friends. Whatever your goal, really internalize all the positive outcomes of achieving it.

Do this frequently until it becomes a habit.

Create a picture board, or mind map, of your new life once you have achieved your goal. Just looking at this picture board should energize you and make you determined to achieve it.

Now, every time you feel your motivation lacking, your willpower slipping away, just look again at your picture board and visualize your life after you have achieved your goal. Do you feel your motivation return, your willpower strengthened? You certainly should! If not, you are either working on the wrong goal or you have not yet really visualized properly the difference it is going to make in your life!

Don't forget, of course, to create the write positive affirmations for your goal as well. I am not going to explore this important subject here, but check my blog and other positive sites for articles on affirmations if you are not completely familiar with how and why you should do this.

Shifting your mindset will probably not happen overnight. Usually it will take time and effort on your part. Just remember that nothing is impossible if you really want to achieve it, so your focus at the outset MUST be to ensure you have that strong desire to achieve it.

Finally, remember that goals change over time. You must be ready for this and adapt as necessary so you can continue to achieve your evolving goals.

Will This Year Belong to You?

Are you one of those people who follow through on their actions or do you find that your good intentions fall to the wayside quickly? Regardless of which type of person you may classify yourself as, why not make this year the year which belongs to you?

While this may sound like a huge challenge, by breaking it down into smaller steps the picture becomes much clearer. When it comes to setting goals many people often make lofty goals, those that are almost unattainable or out of reach. It’s no wonder that these ambitions and goals are given up almost as fast as they were set.

So how do you set easy to reach goals that will lead you on the path of your dreams?

One of the first things that you need to accomplish is to think about what your goals are. Now I don't mean travelling the world living out of fancy hotels. I mean goals that are going to help you lead the life you have always dreamed of. If your goal was to travel the world what would be the steps you need to take to accomplish this?

By breaking down a main goal into smaller segments you are working towards your end goal. Building on the travel goal, what would you need to make this come true? Lots of money for one thing. How would you get this money? This would become a smaller goal.  Once you had the money how would you travel, where would you go and how long would you stay in each place. All of these steps are smaller goals that need to be determined.

Do you see how these smaller steps are building up to the main goal? Perfect!  This is exactly how you can make this year belong to you!

First define what your end goal is. Then plan out all of the steps you need to take to get there. This might include earning more money, saving money regularly, learning a new skill or it might involve losing weight and getting fit.

Regardless of your end goal, once you have planned out your steps you want to treat each one as a mini goal. Then take each mini goal and work on it until you have reached it. Then take the next one and build upon that. Repeat this process until you can see your end goal in sight.

Along the way you are going to come face to face with stumbling blocks and of course, life will get in the way. All of these things are perfectly normal.  What matters is the manner in which you deal with these road blocks.

For people losing weight it can be difficult when you reach a plateau for weeks and weeks. It is easier to give up and revert back to your old habits.  Such a plateau is very common in virtually every endeavour, not just losing weight. Those people who are really determined and motivated to reach their target goal will look for ways to deal with these plateaus. These people are fighters!

When working towards a goal you do not always have to work hard on it every day. Sometimes it is healthy to take a short break, just don't let this become a vacation though!

You may find it easier to schedule certain days of the week to work on your goal so that you don't become over focused or obsessed on it. Working on a new goal means finding ways to fit it into your life without placing something or someone else in jeopardy.

With this in mind you now have the tools and a plan of attack to make this year belong to you in any way you see fit. 

If you would like more help to do this, take a look at my "Resolution Revolution".  You can get further details here:

http://beallican.com/gpdm/resolutionrevolution/info.htm

Do Resolutions Really Work?

Making New Year's Resolutions seems to be the 'in' thing to do each year, but do they really work? The answer to this would depend upon how serious you are when you make your New Year's resolution.

Do you view a New Year's Resolution as something fleeting? You just make a bunch of half hearted resolutions without any real intention of trying to get them to work. Or are you in the minority where you take your resolutions extremely seriously? If so then you are one of the few that has the best chances of succeeding with your resolutions.

This year why not really commit to changing just one thing in your life? It will be so much easier to tackle just one resolution at a time. In fact, it will be even easier if you see your New Year's Resolution as a goal.

The majority of people view goals as a more serious item, whereas a New Year's resolution is often thought of as just something that by the end of January you don't bother with anymore.

It is just a strange quirk of human nature that goals are taken more seriously. Plus you are more likely to tell your family and friends about your goals. Vocalizing your goal solidifies it into your mind so that it becomes a daily focus. The end result is that you are 10 times more likely to succeed!

Now is the time to sit down and decide which aspect of your life you want to truly change. Make it something that you really want with all your heart's desire, otherwise your motivation will not last.

Once you have decided on your goal your next step is to write it down. This way your goal becomes real, you can also post your intentions on your Facebook page, your blog or even let your list subscribers know. Once you have taken the plunge to go this far, people are going to expect to see results, and you don't want to disappoint them do you?

Now that you have made a commitment it is time to start working on your goal. The best way to do this is to create a plan of attack. This can be as simple as writing down the steps you need to follow to reach your goal. Or you may prefer to write detailed steps and set mini goals that you have to reach.

This will be a personal preference and if your motivation is high you may not feel as though you need a step by step plan to follow. Just remember to make yourself accountable so that you stay on track.

It can be helpful to post weekly updates on your social pages, or let your subscribers know each week how you are progressing. Whatever you do you don't want to lose sight of your goal. Otherwise it may start to get pushed to the back of your mind and become a forgotten goal.

So even if your friends and co-workers have written up a huge list of New Year's Resolutions, be firm and just choose one this year.  Maybe one from the original list you wrote yourself, or perhaps a completely fresh one. It doesn't matter which you do as long as this is a resolution you really want to keep. Then stand back and watch and see how many of your friends actually follow through and who is still working on their resolutions come February.

Have some type of plan to follow or use certain tools, if necessary, to help you achieve the success that you want and that you deserve. In the end you are going to be responsible for your own actions and no-one else.

If you would like a good tool to help you do this, then try my "Resolution Revolution" e-book and workbook. You can find full details here:

http://beallican.com/gpdm/resolutionrevolution/info.htm

Mind Games and Self-Sabotage - Getting Out of Your Own Way

by

Tao De Haas

While you have great potential waiting to be unleashed there is something opposing it that is even more powerful. It stops you from being successful; it prevents you from putting things into action, it hinders your chances of achieving those goals that are important to you. It is so powerful that it can even paralyse you. So what is it that prevents so many people from reaching their potential? What could be even more powerful than the desire to achieve your goals?

Excuse me, you're in my way!

There is 'someone' who wants to stand in the way of your progress, like an overzealous bouncer standing at the door blocking your path to the world of success and achievement. But rather than it being someone external, it is an aspect of you, a sub-personality. It is the part that sabotages you through playing mind games. It tells you to 'start tomorrow' to 'do it later'. It finds more urgent and important things to do than stepping onto your path to success. When it sees others getting on and achieving the things that are important to them, this part will come up with justifications as to why you are not, by letting you believe that you're not as talented, not as capable, not as smart etc. Whatever mind game this part plays, it is often very effective in stopping you from flourishing and being successful.

So what's this mind game?

So what is the game? The game is called self-sabotage. Like in the game of chess it is equivalent to the powerful King. When it comes to self-sabotage, procrastination is King. This King stands in the doorway that leads from intention to action. Just like the game of chess is a process, so is self-sabotage. It is a complex process already started in early childhood. Unfortunately this process is a game that pitches people against themselves. It pitches their desire and intention against their impulses and seduces them not into action, but into stagnation.

Emotional not logical

Perhaps that sounds illogical, and this process is exactly that. It is a process that is emotionally driven and not driven by logical consideration. For the part of the brain that is concerned with protecting you, it seems safer not to act but to 'stay safe' where you are right now. While this is most useful for survival we humans are not merely programmed to survive, we are also programmed to evolve.

This is a perfect dynamic for the mind playing games. The game plays out with the various parts of your brain vying with each other, competing to get your focus and attention; the survival part versus the thriving part. Of course whatever part you favor with the most attention and energy wins the game!

Don't give it power

Sabotage can only thrive when you give it power. You need to stop giving 'King Sabotage' your focus and attention. While at its core sabotage might be there to protect you, your courage, determination and desire needs to be greater. While protection based on fear often does a great job, in many cases it does its job too well standing in the way of your progress, your success and ultimately achieving the things you most want to achieve.

Feel the fear

The game can be most effective, the 'voices' can be convincing and seductive if you allow them to be; 'do it tomorrow, you are too tired today, 'wait till you feel more motivated', 'you won't be good at it', 'you will never really succeed' etc. The more you listen to these voices the more power you give them. It is not about not feeling trepidation or uncertainty, but as the saying goes; feel the fear and do it anyway!

Get out of your own way!

Remember Marden? Deep within us dwell slumbering powers; power that would astonish us, that we never dreamed of possessing: forces which revolutionize their lives if aroused and put into action.

You will be amazed at your own capabilities when you get out of your own way. You will automatically evolve, flourish and grow as this is what nature has programmed you to do. The part of you that has been programmed to excel will win over the part that will try to hold you back. There is a very simple principle I call the seed and brick principle. Once you remove a brick that lies on top of a seed it will grow, flourish and evolve. Then, all you need to do is make sure you 'water it' (by focussing on it) and keep the soil 'nourished' (through nourishing your mind with positive and encouraging thoughts) and weeding out negative and limiting thoughts by not giving power to them.

Get out of your own way. When you stop self-sabotage and procrastination in one area of your life it will positively affect all other aspects. There is nothing more satisfying than disempowering self-sabotage and procrastination through empowering yourself.

Numerous studies have shown that people who set goals consistently achieve more in life than those who do not. Yet there is so much more to goal setting than most people think. Not only do people need to be clear about what they want, they need to create an environment for success and achievement; an environment that guides and supports them, keeps them focused and on the right track.

Just think about New Year resolutions. Despite having the best intentions, most people don't make it past the 7th day of January! At Minds with Integrity we have developed a unique and personalized system that will help you move from hoping and wishful thinking to living your life according to what is really important to you. Experience immediate and tangible outcomes with a system that gets results.

The Life Navigation System is your own personal GPS; an easy and practical online DIY coaching system. It puts you in the driver's seat and more in control of your life and where you are heading.

Sign up for your free trial and test drive The Life Navigation System today. Take your free test drive now. https://www.mindswithintegrity.com/Home/Mi_Community.aspx

Overcoming Obstacles to Success

by

Monika Shaw

Has this ever happened to you? You begin a program, a project, a task or even a diet with the best intentions telling yourself that this is the day you will begin to achieve your goal, then - Pow! An unforeseen setback, roadblock or obstacle hits you that you did not see coming.

We never see these "accidents or obstacles" that come into our lives as anything positive or helpful. We look at them as detours to take us off the path we have committed to be on. It happens to almost everyone at some point in our lives; setbacks, obstacles - whether career, financial, or health-related, obstacles are unavoidable and we find ourselves out of sync with our goal. How do we stay on track? How do we overcome these inconvenient and untimely obstacles that appear unannounced and attempt to keep us from achieving success in the goals we have set?

I have found that the first and most common obstacle that most people can identify with is that many times, there is no clear definition of a goal. This alone can cause you to sabotage your road to success before you even begin. Without a clear goal, a destination to direct your efforts and energy toward, you find that you have created your first obstacle to keep you from achieving success. Clarity of goal is difficult to identify in a few short sentences if you really have no idea what it is that you want to achieve.

Right now, before you continue reading, do this exercise; Think about what it is that you want to achieve. What is that burning desire, that goal you want to achieve? Set your mind to addressing and answering this question. Take the time to write it out, then edit, edit, edit so that you own it in your mind, and can say it clearly in a few short sentences. Doing this forces you to be specific and will remove a lot of external "sidebar goals" that can draw you away from your main focus or objective.

Next, recognize that you may be an obstacle to your success. Do you tend to whitewash some of your negative habits as 'that is just the way I am'? Be honest and realistic with yourself. Identify these habits so that you can watch and recognize them as you set out on your journey toward your goal.

Most people, if you were to ask them would readily agree that fear and doubt are two of the major obstacles that keep them from pursuing their dreams, desires, or their goals. But let us focus beyond that and get more specific.

To help you identify your habits, here are some common obstacles that people face:

• Lack of focus 
• Unclear goals 
• Not knowing where to begin 
• Procrastination 
• Interruptions 
• Lack of self-esteem 
• Inability to let go 
• Hoarding (hanging on to everything) 
• Negative thinking or Negative Self-Talk

Perhaps you may find your habits in the above list, or have different ones - only you know for sure. But is that really true? Sometimes, it is wise to seek outside help from people who truly care about your well-being and success. Ask them to be honest with you and help you identify negative habits, traits, characteristics that impede your ability to achieve your success. This can be difficult if you have a sense of pride, low self-esteem, or think you have all the answers. However, it is also important to make sure that you ask only those individuals that you trust implicitly to give you honest answers.

Once you have identified your list of personal habits or obstacles:

• Write them down then suggest at least three possible solutions to help you overcome them.
• Flip the negative trait to find a positive trait or characteristic and begin to train yourself to think and act to implement and reinforce that positive habit.
• Finally, accept the fact that achieving your goal properly and with successful results will take time.

Overcoming obstacles that have been deeply etched in your life patterns are not going to change overnight. Do not allow negative thinking or negative self-talk to keep you from achieving your goal. Maintain a clearly distilled focus to overcome the identified obstacles will empower you to achieve your goals with success. Keep in mind also that an obstacle can sometimes be the very thing that rivets your from mediocrity, complacency, or the "Freeze Zone" as I call it. When you use an obstacle as a tool to help you overcome a negative characteristic, negative self-talk, or even self-sabotage then it no longer can be your enemy to defeat you. This is a powerful weapon you can utilize to disarm those hindrances that attempt to rob you of your successes. You are a winner and you have everything within you to reach your goal.

About the author:

Founder & First Lady of The Winning Woman Network, Monika Shaw; a CEO over a multi-million dollar company, Entrepreneur,Public Speaker, Trainer, Coach, Breast Cancer Winner, and a mentor to women.

Her passionate vision is for women to be empowered, equipped and released into their talents and gifts to become the success they can be - by giving themselves permission to do so.

From her personal and business experiences, she shares rich wisdom, encouragement and refreshment to the spirits of women who need to hear that they can be who God designed them to be - a Winning Woman! 

An Author, Speaker, Coach, and Mentor to many women over the years, she brings a message of hope, empowerment and the tools to make real the potential each woman has within to be a Winning Woman!

For more information on inviting Monika for Speaking Engagements at your company, convention, retreat, radio or television shows, and training events go to http://thewinningwomannetwork.com

Turning Goals into Results

by

Kai Rambow

Plenty of people set goals and then experience the frustration of not being able to turn them into accomplishments. In a recent goal setting and achievement program one participant, Barbara, asked, "How do I turn my goal of networking more in my organization into reality?" "Great question," I responded, "let's work with your goal."

It's Starts When You Define

Doing more networking isn't enough for a goal; it needs to be more clearly defined. Even noting that you want to focus specifically on networking within your own company isn't enough.

This process to clarify your goal can be challenging. Remember, the more specific you are in defining your goal, the better. Why? Because you'll have a very clear idea of what you're aiming for and how to reach your goal.

Same Goal - Different Outcome

As I asked Barbara some clarifying questions, Anne chimed in that she too wanted to network more. It sounded as if they both had the same goal, however, each had entirely different outcomes in mind.

Anne wanted to meet new people more senior in position to her to learn what she would need to do to advance her career in the organization. Barbara wanted to meet new people in different areas so she could more easily get help for her projects, which involved several departments.

Same Goal - Different Challenges

Anne, not surprisingly, was quite comfortable reaching out to people she didn't know and asking for their advice. Barbara, who has an engaging personality, was shy about approaching new people.

Even though Anne was comfortable meeting strangers, she still needed a solid plan. We set as part of her plan to try and network with people who were not only senior to her, but had great reputations within the organization. Talking with everyone without knowing why you were approaching them doesn't make sense. Anne needed to keep her outcome in mind.

Barbara, because of her reluctance, needed a different plan. We set a plan for her to network through others. Since Barbara was well liked, asking others to help make the connections was one approach to take. Asking for and looking for the most helpful people in a department is what made more sense for her objective.

The Challenge

Even clarifying to this point is not enough. Anne and Barbara needed to determine how many people they wanted to connect with. Would it be one new person per month or one new person every two months?

Did they want to meet over coffee or lunch? What questions did they want to ask? Best to prepare in advance to achieve their respective goals.

Connecting with one new person every two months is realistic and achievable. Meeting for 20 to 45 minutes with specific questions in mind makes it productive. Now Barbara and Anne have a practical approach to turn their goals into results.

The Smartest Goal Technique

Of course, the smartest thing that Barbara did was ask. For most of us, our goals require getting help from others. Remember, if we don't ask for help, we won't get any help.

About the Author

Kai Rambow, Accredited Speaker, is a leading authority on communication, management and leadership. He has delivered over 2,400 programs for clients across North and South America, Europe and Australia. You can learn more by contacting him through his web site at http://www.kairambow.com

Steps To Achieving Your Goals

by

Pat Mussieux

"I don't know what I want. So, how can I set any goals?"  I have been hearing that over and over and over as I speak at different events for women in business.

In my signature keynote, I speak about "7 Steps to Growing Your Business By Getting Out of Your Own Way!"  That content is only useful to those who DO know what they want and are stuck, in some ways.

I have always been very good at setting goals.  In this article, I will give you some guidelines that will help you get the process started.

FIGURING OUT WHAT YOU WANT.

That seems to be the big problem, right there, for many of you.  Human nature makes it easy for us to know what we DO NOT want, though.  So, I recommend you start with that. Make a list of all the things you know for absolute certain that you do NOT WANT in life and in business.

Once you are clear on that - and I mean make a really BIG list - get into the nitty gritty - then flip some of those things to the positive.

For example: I know that I do NOT WANT a brick and mortar environment for my coaching and speaking business.  When I think that through and consider other options, I ask myself what else is there? I have a home-based office that is in a segregated area of my house. Perfect!

What about you?  Make a list of all the things you keep telling yourself that you do not want.  You are certain to be able to pull out 3-5 things that can be flipped to the positive that you DO want, both in life and in business.

(Another exercise that I recommend to my clients is to become very conscious of your world.  By that, I mean - take a look around you, at your life.  What books do you like to read?  What movies do you enjoy?  What music do you listen to?  When you go to a bookstore, what section draws you in?  What hobbies do you like?  All of these are clues as to what you really like because you will note a common thread.)

Now get going to the next step.

PUT ALL THOSE POSITIVE ITEMS ON A SEPARATE LIST.

Once you have that list complete, it's time to identify which items are a priority for you.  I start to pull those out, and grab a calendar and start writing it down.  Once I have my priority items on a calendar, this whole goal-setting process gets easier.

For example, another thing I DO NOT want this year is to work non-stop.  As entrepreneurs, we tend to throw ourselves right into our business - particularly in the early years.  What I DO want is a vacation - so that becomes a priority item and it gets marked on the calendar.  You may only start with a long weekend, or two, throughout the summer.  But commit to it - get away - and recharge.

Keep listing the priority items on a calendar - space them out - some of the items you've identified may be seasonal (for me, my goal is to do more cycling this summer).  That gives you a visual sense of some of the things you want to accomplish - you can use the same process for business.

For example - I know that, each year, I want to attend at least 2 professional conferences so that I can learn the latest marketing and sales techniques in my industry, and beyond.  I may have on my 'Don't Want" list that I travel far and wide for these sessions - but on the DO WANT list, it would be to find these types of professional development events in a major city near home.

See how that works?

THE NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS:

1) Be sure to write down your goals and be specific

2) Only share/show your goals to people who will support you and help you

3) Attach measurable outcomes to each goal so you know you are making progress

4) Ensure you celebrate each achievement along the way! This is important!

5) And always 'goal set through' each item - and not TO the goal. (Think about the stress, worry and preparation that goes into Christmas Day!  The day after can hit women pretty hard... so this process works in this instance also.  Goal set through Christmas Day and plan some fun activity for the few days following.)

6) Keep adding to your list.  This is a 'living, breathing' document and you deserve the best.

As human beings, we are goal-oriented.  For those who want to live their best life, to grow the best business and to be their best self, goals are essential.  And goals are fun, too.

"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going." Earl Nightingale

Make a decision to begin today.

Pat Mussieux is fast becoming regarded as a highly valued Canadian mentor for women entrepreneurs taking her own business from zero to a multiple 6-figure home-based business in less than 4 years.  Much of her success can be attributed to her expertise in marketing, mindset and money!

Pat Mussieux is a business coach, author, speaker and radio host.  You can reach her at http://www.wealthywomenleaders.com

Achieve Your Biggest Goal

We are so very close to what is at least the Western New Year.  Many of us make resolutions which we will try to keep throughout the coming year.  A commendable effort, but very often one which we fail to maintain once the first few days of the year are past.

Whether or not you are planning to make New Year Resolutions, I urge you to use this opportunity to achieve a goal you may have had in mind for some time but have so far not managed to reach.

What is the goal you most wish to achieve over the coming year?  Do you immediately know what it is, or do you have to think about it?

If you know what that goal is, then great!  You have already made one of the most important steps towards realising it.  Before we can achieve a goal we must have a clear idea about what that goal is.

If not, then don’t worry.  Begin by brainstorming.  List on a sheet of paper all the goals you really want to achieve.  Write them as though you have already achieved them.

These should not be absolutely impossible goals.  “I can make myself invisible”, “I am the ruler of the world”, “I have X-Ray vision”, all spring to mind.  These are not the kind of goals you should be listing.  Nor should you put "I am a millionaire" unless you already have substantial wealth and can believe this would not be completely impossible in twelve months.  The latter can be a good goal to have, no matter how little money you have now, but it doesn't belong on this list of short term goals.  If you want a money goal, "I have increased my net worth by 10% over the last 12 months" might work here.

Make sure they are personal goals.  “I have helped bring about peace” is personal, but “there is world peace” is not (and is also rather impracticable to regard as being possible over the next year!).  “There is great love in my household” is not personal, but “I have a deep and loving relationship with my wife” is.

Other than those rules (possible, and personal) do not try to judge or think about a goal before you write it down.  And once you have written it down, don’t stop and think about it, not even to consider whether or not it does fit the rules.  Move right on to the next one.

Keep going with listing those goals until you have written down at least 10, all phrased as though you have already achieved them.  If they are all the same kind of goal, keep going until you have some diversity there.  For example, try to include some goals about your relationships, or your career.

Now you can go through and check that all your listed goals fit the two rules.  Any that are not personal or that you feel are quite impossible, cross out.  In the case of the impossible ones, you should then think whether there is some intermediate goal on the way to this which is not impossible and which you have not already listed.  If so, write that down too.

The next step is to choose the one goal on which you most set your heart.  Not the one you think is most achievable – that is a cop out!  The one you really want to achieve more than any of the others.  Which goal would have the biggest impact on your life if you could achieve it right now?  Circle this goal.  This goal is what we will call your “Biggest Goal”.

Now take another sheet of paper and write the goal at the top of the page.  Next to it, write a deadline of one year from today.  Now brainstorm again.  This time, think of all the things you would need to do to achieve your Biggest Goal.  Write as many down as you can as fast as you can.  Don’t stop at 10.  Not even at 15 or 25.  Keep on going until you have written down at least 50 steps you could take.  This will probably be hard once you get past the first dozen or so steps, but keep going anyway.  Don’t worry about the order; don’t try to think what step comes next.  Just write down any steps you can think of that will help get you closer to your goal.

The final stage is this:  Look at the list of actions you can take and start doing them.  Some may be achievable in one day.  Most will not.  But that doesn’t matter, just begin working on them any way.  Every day, do something, no matter how small, which moves you one step forwards towards your goal.

When you have achieved one completely, tick it off.  Not all the actions can be treated this way, as many will probably be ongoing tasks – keep working on them.  But the key is you must do something every day, no matter how small it may seem, to bring you closer to your goal.

And you know something?  Three hundred small steps, taken together, are one gigantic step.  So well before the year is out you will have made major progress towards achieving your goal, and may even have achieved it completely!

If you follow the principles I have outlined here, a year from now you will look back and will be absolutely amazed at the difference it has made in your life!  Start now, and make sure you can achieve your Biggest Goal over the next twelve months!

PS Don't throw away the original list!  You are going to need it soon, as once you have achieved your Biggest Goal you need to start going for your Next Biggest Goal!

PPS Are you ready to make 2013 your most successful year yet?  Join Brian Tracy for his FREE webinar “12-Step Method For Setting and Achieving Your Goals” and reach every goal you set for the coming year! Get more information here: "Setting and Achieving Your Goals".