There are literally hundreds of books about goal-setting. I would even bet you’ve heard at least one speech about the importance of goal-setting, but has it made a difference in your life? It’s common to set goals or resolutions at the beginning of the year because it represents a fresh start or a new beginning, but by springtime most have stopped working on them or simply forgotten about them.
In spite of that, let me be clear: goal-setting is one of the most important things you will ever do in life. In 1979, Harvard interviewed its class of MBA graduates and found that:
- 84 percent had no specific goals at all.
- 13 percent had goals but not committed to paper.
- 3 percent had clear written goals.
Next, 10 years later the interviewers followed up with this class and found:
- The 13 percent with goals were earning twice as much as the 84 percent who had no specific goals.
- But the 3 percent who had clear written goals earned on average 10 times more than the 97 percent combined!
If you’re reading this I believe you’re more apt to have goals. So here’s an important question for the top 16 percent who do have written goals but still fail to reach them:
Why isn’t goal-setting giving you what you want in life?
You treat goal setting as a one-time event. But it’s really an ongoing process. Don’t just write a goal and stick it on the wall. Your goal is the end result, but break it down into projects, action steps and prioritize your efforts. Make a clear vision of where you are now, and what needs to happen to get where you want to be.
You don’t read your goals. Billionaire businessman Bill Bartmann said the key to creating his fortune was reading his goals at least once a day for 10-20 minutes. If you’re serious about your goals, put them in your smart phone and set a reminder alarm each day to read them. Water the seeds in your conscious and subconscious mind.
Your goal is weak as water! Ever write down a goal then forget why you wanted it in the first place? Your goal must stir your emotions. It’s not enough to want more money. What are you going to do with the money? Get out of debt? Take your family on a vacation? Buy that dream house or car? Whatever your reason, you need to feel some kind of way about it to stay on track.
Everything you see around you (with the exception of Mother Nature) had to be written on paper before it was created. Writing a goal or vision releases your God-given power to create what is not yet seen. That’s your Star Power! Your ability to create more of what you want using what you already have.
Start now! Write. Read. Repeat.
