Attaining Goals in Simple Steps

By: Ronald Shepard

It’s Not The Big Goals That Count Most

In my opinion, the biggest problem in attaining goals is setting too many or setting those that are WAY out of reach (i.e., buying a $650,000. house on an annual earning of $50,000.) However, I do believe even those seemingly unreachable goals can be often accomplished when we break down our process into smaller goals. It is the smaller goals that can be achieved more reasonably and effectively; it is the smaller goals that lead us on the path toward our eventual rendezvous with the larger goal. Reaching the summit of a mountain is not accomplished by a “single step.” Primary to reaching any goal is breaking it down into simple, attainable steps. Buying that $650,000. house is attainable when setting smaller goals that lead you toward that dream.

Believing We Can Do It

When I truly believe I can do something, I work everything I can to make it happen! Sometimes it takes several tries, a great deal of exasperation, sweat, and sometimes even tears to accomplish a major goal, but the core of the work must come from a place of strong, personal belief in ourselves. Without a strong belief in our own abilities, we can accomplish very little. There are many times when self-doubt creeps in and tries to consume us. If we stop believing in ourselves, we set ourselves up for defeat. And unless we have a truly supportive mentor, we MUST believe in ourselves because many times family and friends (even when they express well-intended concerns) can foil our best intentions in a flash. That’s not to say our best allies, mentors, and advisors can’t be family and friends, but our personal power of believing in ourselves is critical in reaching any goal we desire to attain.

Setting Goals Consistent With Your Values

Have you ever set goals for yourself that were really someone else’s goals for you? Many of us have been in that position. That’s not an easy place to be. In fact, it can be detrimental to self-growth. Defining our personal values is important when defining long-range goals. There’s nothing more disappointing than reaching a goal that runs contrary to our values. It’s like climbing a huge mountain and suddenly realizing when you reach the summit that you’ve climbed the wrong mountain. Define your values and design your destiny around them. Ask the question, “How will my personal values be enhanced by the goals I choose?”

How Do We Avoid Setting Goals That Run Contrary to Our Personal Beliefs and Values?

Setting and accomplishing goals happens every day in everyone’s life; however, due to an often face-paced life, we can easily fail to recognize the goals we have accomplished. As well, we can often become consumed by our “busy-ness” that we fail to set meaningful goals and our lives become directed by “other things.” When we get too busy with life, we can easily get off-track with our value system. We start living too much into the future and fail to find the importance of living in the moment. Therefore, it is beneficial for us to be more consciously aware of living our lives in the moment and creating goals in the following areas: family and home life, financial and career aspirations, spiritual and ethical standards, physical and health issues, social and cultural activities, as well as stimulating ourselves mentally and educationally. Setting goals in each of these specific areas is critical to living a balanced, fulfilling life. When we use a value-based process, we are better able to achieve our goals with integrity.

Family and Home Life

What values do you want to impart to your children and how you will raise them with those values? Do you have a goal to invest in better parenting skills? In what ways would you like to see your family spending more “together time”? As a couple, do you have a need to increase your communication skills?

Financial and Career

Are you on the right career track? Do you need to reach a new level within your career? Have your financial needs changed, creating a need to reevaluate your career choice? What is most important in your work environment? How would you define success? What would people say are your strengths? What career would make you happy, if not the one you’re in? These are all questions that those of us in business need to ask ourselves as our views on our lives beginning to change. For many men and women, our career satisfaction takes a shift and we stay with what we know out of comfort. We also need to envision where our lives are going into the future, to secure our retirement or, in some case, a "rewirement" of how we "work" into the future.

Physical and Health Issues

Do you maintain good health? Are you physically well? Do you have a goal of losing 10, 20, or more lbs.? Do you need to set goals for more exercise? Are you making good food choices to maintain a healthy body and mind? Do you need to make an appointment for an annual physical? Our physical well-being is something we take care of today, not tomorrow. In our retirement age, we will pay for how we treat our bodies today. I've seen too many people reach retirement only to settle into the "easy chair" and live out 15 years of misery because their health wasn't the best. We don't buy house insurance on the day (God forbid) our house is burning; we insure our future physical well-being with good health practices today.

Social and Cultural Activities

What one problem in the world would you solve if you could? Is there a civic organization you want to invest your time in? Do you want a better community for your existence? If so, how would you bring it about? Do you want to get involved in the art community? Hospice? Habitat for humanity? Local events? Is there a downtown revitalization project you’d like to get involved with? All of these activities help get us involved with our community, known for our tenacity to get things done, and provide a window into our business practices. We make friends, acquaintances, and long-term relationships in other ways through our civic involvement.

Mental and Educational Stimulation

How are you sharpening your mental acuity? Do you want to make time to read a few good books? Do you want to advance your education? Will a career advancement give you the mental edge you need to stay sharp and alive? Which unhelpful habit would you eliminate? What stops you from knowing what to do next? Keeping our minds sharp and focused now has shown promise in diminishing the chance or the effects of dementia in our older years. As with our body, our mind needs new information unless it becomes stagnant; it requires a steady diet of stimulating ideas to keep our creativity juices flowing.

Spiritual and Ethical Standards

Do you desire a greater connection to your higher power? What is meaningful to you? What do you think is your purpose in life? In what areas do you feel you want growth? What do you see as your most developed strengths? Our spiritual health is vital; it is often neglected and people find themselves aimlessly walking through life without a healthy spiritual connection. I'm talking not so much about religion (which for many is a great source of spiritual nourishment), I'm talking about connecting with something greater than your self, refueling the energy of your soul.

How Do YOU Best Reach YOUR Goals?

Every good athlete understands the benefit of practice. Most of us have heard the phrase, “Practice makes perfect!” Even when you are doing well, practicing and honing your personal skills is very important. We can all benefit from an ongoing practice of self-improvement. All of this requires efforts and investment of our time. We need to see the benefit of self-improvement and the importance of investing in “ourselves.” It is important to be clear on your goals and create opportunity for daily motivation. Having a clear vision of what you want to focus on and what you want to aim for is critical for accomplishing any goal. You need to see our final destination, if you will, so you can create the right map to get there. Bridging daily goals with your weekly and monthly goals will move you forward in reaching the larger goal. Remember, it’s a journey, not a sprint to the goal line; it‘s about building skills and honing them. Enjoy the journey so you can better appreciate the “arriving.”