Yes I know that this topic is a little 'old-school' in terms of contemporary personal development stuff and possibly it's been talked and written about too much, but apparently we haven't been listening or doing.
Surprisingly (to me anyway) there are still many people who:
1. Don't really know how to set goals (effectively) or
2. Simply don't do it (for a range of reasons).
Despite the fact that we want 'more' (whatever that means for us personally) and despite the fact that we want to be somewhere different (financially, professionally, physically, emotionally, academically possibly geographically!), many of us are clueless when it comes to strategically, methodically, and consciously creating life-long change.
And then we have those sad folk who are waiting to be 'discovered' (good luck with that) or waiting for success to happen to them (and with that).
It seems that the majority of us don't goal set as effectively as we could. We think we do but we don't really. We have hopes and dreams. But no strategies. No plans. No time frames. We know what goal-setting is (that is, we have an intellectual understanding of it) but we don't have a practical application of it in our lives (we don't consistently do it!).
Sure we talk ourselves up and tell people how we're all about personal growth, exploring our potential and pushing the boundaries but when it comes to creating our best life (whatever that is for us personally) we're still very hit and miss.
No strategy, no clearly defined goals, very little logic (sometimes) and some occasional passion. And if you think passion is enough, you're wrong. It's great — but not on it's own. We kind of have a plan and we kind of know where we want to go, but we don't really have clarity or certainty.
And if we want to create amazing, we need both.
What's to follow is a little revision, a little common sense and a little education; none of it is rocket science If you do nothing else but apply these thoughts, ideas, concepts and suggestions you may very well create positive change almost instantly.
Here we go:
1. If you don't have your goals written down, if you don't have a time-line and if you don't have an action plan, then you don't really have goals; you have a wish list.
Article comments
1 - Howard Dratch
Being far older than are you I have spent time looking back and I see how right you are. Lifetimes only seem long when you are young and looking forward, looking into unseen futures.
Your advice to look into a future with clear and focused goals in mind is absolutely correct. Any help you give people in your courses could make their lives better-organized, more successful and -- just better. It is too easy to wander through the future without concentration and goals, without organization.
Then the future is the past and it becomes obvious how much more could have been achieved.