Goals and How They Matter?

Goal setting is a topic that has been spoken and written about since time unknown in the history of motivational talk. Ask any successful businessman or a motivation "guru", how goals are important and I bet they can go on and on telling you why for hours together. Even after this, most people do not have any aim in life. When I say "any", I mean that they linger around in the world aimlessly, without anything meaningful to do. They go on doing what they do everyday without thinking why they are doing it. This is mostly unconscious, but it's the way most people are and this is what seperates the successful from the unsuccessful. The majority of your success and happiness in life depends on what your goals are and what you do to achieve them. Though there are many ways to motivate yourself, your biggest motivator should be your goals. This is because goals and aims help keep you on track and moving in the right direction. They are something like standards against which you compare your actual performance and try to mend your deviations from the "right track".

So, the question arises: "How to set Goals?" Good question. Let me answer that here:

If you ask me, personally, I don't like writing down my goals (I hate writing anything for that matter, lol!). Though different people are 'programmed' differently, it is important to know that goals are something you must have very clearly stated and registered in your MIND. It doesn't matter if you note it down or not, if it is there in your mind and it stays there till it is achieved, you are sure to make it through whatever obstacles you face in achieving them. However, before you set any goals, you should know what are the types of goals.

In terms of time, there maybe two type of goals: Short-term and Long-term. There is no set time which makes a goal short-term or long-term. It depends on how you percieve it. For example, while for some, a goal that needs to be achieved in, say, 1 day is short-term, for some other person, it maybe short-term if it is to be achieved in a month. Get the idea? You have to figure out for yourself what you think is your short-term goal and what you think is a long term goal for you. The trick here is to make one main or central long-term goal (or 2-3 long-term goals) and then make numerous short-term goals that ultimately contribute to achieving the long-term goal that you set initially. Thus, short-term goals would form your "road-to-success" while success is your long-term goal.

One thing that people often confuse for being a goal is "means". What is "means"? Means is a mean to achieve a goal. Not sure what that means? Let me explain. Given that placements from MBA institutes has increased two-fold due to a surge in the requirement of managers by companies, many students - engineering and commerce - state their goal as: "I want to do an M.B.A." Wrong, absolutely wrong! That is NOT a GOAL. A goal is final. There doesn't have to be anything after the goal. If you do an M.B.A., you'll not just sit there with your degree, will you? You will try to find work in a good and reputed company that offers you a handsome salary and an attractive package. So, your actual goal or aim here is to lead a good life in which you have no problem of money. Right? Doing an M.B.A. is but a means of getting that kind of a life. Are you with me here? You have to set a goal that is "ultimate", that has nothing after it. If you achieve that goal, you are done away with it - no more strings attached to it. Getting me?

Goals should be clear. Crystal clear. As you must have guessed, your goals are reflective of your inner self. Thus, you have to know your inner-self before you can set some goals for yourself. If I ask you right now - "How do you see yourself 10-15 years from now?" (and no, 'Married' is NOT an answer and NOT a GOAL for heaven's sake!). "What car do you own/drive?" "What kind of a house(s) you own/live in?", you have to know the exact answer to all of them. As I always say, you must be able to answer all these questions even if I woke you up from a deep sleep.

Ask yourself the following:
1. What will I be doing 10-15 years from now? (doing business? working from home? earning in millions?)
2. What car will I be driving? (luxury car? what company? what model?)
3. What kind of house will I have and where? (in which country? farmhouse? bungalow? more than 'n' houses?)

And please, don't make it all up. Answer yourself seriously. Remember, they are YOUR GOALS. So, YOU are ACCOUTABLE to YOURSELF to find the right answers and then work towards them.

I hope that you'll have your goals set out clearly before I post again.

Until next time then,
Get, Set, Live!