How to Set and Achieve Realistic and Effective Goals (Part One - Updated)

Article Title: How to Set and Achieve Realistic and Effective Goals (Part One - Updated)
Author Name: Craig LocknLine Space: 65 characters
Category (key words): Self Help, Personal Growth, Motivation, GoalsettingnWeb Site: http://www2.webng.com/write
z/
Other Articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles.htmln(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, words of inspiration and money management)

Publishing Guidelines:
We hope that the following article (an extract from Craig's first published book HANDBOOK TO SURVIVE) may be informative nand helpful to your e-zine readers, or on your web site.
This article may be freely reproduced electronically or in print.
If it helps others "out there", then we're very happy.

"We share what we know, so that we all may grow."n *
HOW TO SET AND ACHIEVE REALISTIC AND EFFECTIVE
GOALS (PART ONE)

Oh no, not another article on goalsetting!

Author's Note:
This extract is from Craig's first published book HANDBOOKnTO SURVIVE - a collection of writings on various subjectsnto help every man or woman survive in a rapidly changing,nuncertain world. An introductory look at the concepts of success, nmotivation, attitude, goal setting and stress.n *

It's past half-way through the year already and have you put all your
January 1 2007 goals (business and personal) into ACTION...nor were they simply New Years resolutions - merely WISHES? Or perhaps just some distant, long-forgotten memories in the deep recesses of your mind! No matter, now is a good time of year to reflect on life, our family's lives, our individual jou
eys ' down the river of life' - where we've come from and where we are headed. Who knows!

'There is one quality which one must possess to win, andnthat is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what onenwants and a burning desire to possess it.'n- Napoleon Hill (author of the classic book, 'Think and Grow Rich')

'Nothing happens, no forward steps are taken until a goal isnestablished.'n- David J. Schwarz (author of 'The Magic of Thinking Big '-nan excellent book by the way!)

' Your life is controlled by your thoughts. Your thoughtsnare controlled by your goals.'n- Earl Nightingale

' When we have no personal goal which we are interested in,nand which means something to us, we are apt to go round inncircles.'n- psychologist Maxwell Maltz

'The key to peak performance is not potential or skill,nbut motivation and dedication....having clear performancengoals and putting in the training effort to achieve them.'n- Dr Sven Hansen '

I would like to repeat the critical importancenof committing your plan to writing. It cannot be over-nemphasised!'n- Paul J. Meyer of Success Motivation Institute

'Learn how to set your goals:na. Write down your goalsnb. Give yourself a deadlinenc. Set your standards high.'n- Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone (co-authors)

UNDERSTANDING GOALSnSetting goals is the first step towards ACTION. They get youninto motion. The energy of motivation should be harnessednby being transformed into clear goals and a clear PLAN tonachieve them. Goals are dreams which come truen....and they are far easier to achieve once they arenfocussed.
Goals therefore help to fulfil one's PURPOSE in life byngiving expression to your core inner values, the 'real YOU'.
Psychologists have found that helping people to developnpersonal goals has proved to be the most effective way tonhelp them cope with personal problems by:

1. Crystallising one's purpose in life - through addingnmeaning .
2. Helping make difficult decisions.
3. Giving direction to your life and keeping you on track byn concentration.
4. Resolving conflict
5. Building confidence and
6. Adding to your self respect (or sense of value = selfnworth)

The power of imagination in goal setting comes from having
BIG HOPES AND DREAMS. I believe too often wenunderestimate our capabilities. Use the amazing power ofnyour CREATIVE IMAGINATION to think what you REALLYnWANT OUT OF LIFE..
Then visualise your dreams actually coming to pass.

Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more powerfulnthan knowledge".
Very true, as I believe the human imagination is ourngreatest asset. Thoreau once wrote these beautiful words:

'If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreamsnand endeavours to live the life which he* has imagined, henwill meet with a success unexpected.'n(Sorry ladies!) *nn* Only joking - you can have dreams too and achieve themneven better than us "mere males"n(and please don't beat up " Mr un- PC" Thoreau for neglecting you).

'Be true to your ideals, no matter what may happen now.
Then things will take a turn and the very things you wantednto happen will happen.'n- anon

That one has just inspired me as I write this.nn *
Summary:

Set realistic, yet achievable goals. Ones that stretchnyou...because we are all different, what is achievable for onenperson might not be so easy for another. Also, becausenwe are all unique creations with different hopes, desires,naspirations and dreams, what goal is important to you maynbe totally inappropriate for another individual's lifendirection.

I believe setting goals is vitally important in achievingnwhat we want out of life....and setting even small daily goals are a great help in a daily action plan to move your life forward. I find itnvery satisfying ticking off even small routine tasks,nlike paying bills (well that is a big goal for a "starving"nwriter!). These small immediate goals are stepping stones to ournbigger goals " down the track".

WRITE THEM DOWN, because putting them down onnpaper makes for more COMMITMENT. It focuses your thinking on what you want to achieve, like a magnifying-glass (that's called ansimile, by the way!). Doing this chrystallises (nice big word) our hopes, aspirations and dreams. They keep us on track towards our medium-term and long-term goals - the "grand plan or vision" for our lives.This is most important.

Re-evaluate your progress from time to time. Doing thisnkeeps you on track to see how you are progressingntowards the "big picture". I find it extremely satisfyingnlooking back and ticking off the goals I have achieved.n( Of course , I don't achieve all of them, but am workingnhard on that.). It can be very encouraging seeing how far you have come , when you look back at your first "teeny-weeny" goals andndoing this is a great motivater to me.

Goals are the first step in a positive plan of action. And always remember, every great jou
ey down the "river of life" starts with one small first step.

YOU CAN ACHIEVE ALL YOUR PERSONAL GOALS.

SonWHAT'S STOPPING YOU FROM TAKING THAT FIRSTnSTEP RIGHT NOW?

Craig Lock ("Incorrigible encourager, information and inspiration distributer")nhttp://www.craiglockbooks.com

As the ancient Chinese philosopher said so well,
"A jou
ey of a thousand miles starts with a ...nbroken fan belt and a flat tyre"...ner sorry...na single step.

"A wish is just a wish,
A New Years Resolution is just a resolution.
Goals have deadlines and are the stepping stones down thenpath, the stair-case to your dreams."n- craig

About the author:
Craig Lock has studied and written extensively in the fieldnof self help. Craig believes in the great potential of every human being in the jou
ey of life and loves to encourage people to share their individual (and guiding) spirits, so that they become all that they are CAPABLE of being.

The various books that Craig 'felt inspired to write' n(including 'Handbook to Survive') are available at: http://www2.webng.com/write
z/books.html

"The world's smallest, most exclusive bookstore"nn* Hardcopies and electronic books, fiction and non-fiction: self help, novels, travel, humour.

All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children - MINE!

End of Part One

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