“…when you have a sense of your own identity and a vision of where you want to go in your life, you then have the basis for reaching out to the world and going after your dreams for a better life.” — Stedman Graham
A couple of weeks ago we looked at the power of dreams.
You will have written down all of your dream thoughts as you have them. Don’t think of any dream as too outlandish or foolish – remember, you’re dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.
Now that you have the precious piece of paper with your dreams listed, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important to you? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Which would give you the greatest joy? Now put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not only dreaming about could be’s.
Now that we have written down what our dreams are let’s take a closer look at the topic of goal-setting and see how we can make it forceful as well as practical. What are the most important aspects to learn and remember when studying and writing our goals?
Evaluation and Reflection. Once we have identified our dream, the only way we can reasonably get there is to first know where we are right now and what our level of satisfaction is for where we are in life. So first take some time to think through and write down your current situation, then ask this question on each key point – is that okay?
The purpose of evaluation is two-fold. First, it gives you a baseline from which to work. It is to show you where you are so you can determine where you need to go. Secondly, it gives you an objective way to look at your accomplishments and your pursuit of the vision you have for your life. What have I achieved so far? I would strongly encourage you to take a couple of hours this week to evaluate and reflect. I found that this can be encouraging as well as discouraging! However, for me, when I evaluated honestly, I could make the changes necessary to correct the short fall. If nothing changes, then nothing changes! Be encouraged at the end of each month to evaluate where you are and write it down in your journal. This allows you to evaluate this month against last months progress. As you continue a regular time of evaluation and reflection at the end of each month, you will see just how much ground you will be gaining – and that will be exciting!
It is often said the major reason for setting a goal is who you become in the pursuit of that goal. The value of what you get from achieving your goal will always be dwarfed by what it makes of you. That is why goals are so powerful – they are part of the fabric that makes up our lives. The pursuit of a goal identifies our character and shows us the areas where we need further development.
Now that you have identified your dreams we can begin to set some goals. That is one of the reasons that Goal-setting is so powerful because it provides us an opportunity to sit down and say “how do I go about getting what I really want? What is my purpose for being on the planet? What do I want to accomplish? What do I want to be remembered for?” These questions sharpen our dreams and give clarity. It gives us the ability to hone in on the future that we want for ourselves. Once we have that clear, then we can break it down and focus on the actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. Goals are GREAT because they cause us to break the dream down into bite size chunks. This creates an opportunity for us to stretch and grow in ways that we never have before. In order to reach our goals we must become better.
Next week let’s get specific about how to set goals.
Your Wealthcoach, Yvonne
