Having aspirations and goals can give you the drive you need to be successful in life. Not having anything to work towards or a sense of purpose can lead you astray. You may find yourself not wanting to do anything and settling for average. We at EE would like to sway you to do otherwise—Set a Goal! Even if it’s just a small one, no goal is unimportant.
The sense of achievement that comes from obtaining the goals you set can be priceless. It’s the feeling of accomplishment that keeps you motivated. Take for instance someone who is afraid of rollercoasters who is convinced to ride one at an amusement park. This person waits nervously in line. The anticipation of the rollercoaster makes them anxious and they start to look for means of escaping, but the time to board draws near. The person gets on the ride and as it slowly creeps up to its first plummet, the feeling to faint threatens to take over. All of a sudden the coaster drops and the person finds him/herself on a thrill—dipping, whirling, screaming screams he/she didn’t even know they were capable of—then the ride’s over. The person gets off the ride feeling a sense of accomplishment and awe. They think that it wasn’t so bad and that it was over quite quickly. This person may even consider getting on another ride.
The point is that goal setting and achieving that goal is not as easy as people think. You have to make the decision and choose the goals you want to accomplish. Once that decision is made, you have to stick to it. On your way to achieving that goal, you may start looking for every way out. Don’t give in because before you know it, you will have gotten closer to achieving your goal. It may seem like the world is standing in your way and/or that you don’t have enough time to be successful, but you do! Don’t let the anticipation make you anxious and turn you away from what may frighten you, or you may miss your opportunity.
If you stay strong, you will find that you have reached your goal before you know it. Perseverance will allow blessings to come your way because of the amount of work you put in. Your patience and courage will help you accomplish something you didn’t think was possible. Have faith in yourself, and remember the feeling that comes with accomplishment because it will keep you motivated.
The EE 411: Goal Setting, Motivation, GOAL!!!
There are some standard guidelines for setting goals:
- Brainstorm: Think about what you want to achieve and why. This could take anywhere from hours to a day or two. Don’t rush yourself because you have to know what you want.
- Prepare Yourself: After you have discovered what you want to achieve, do some research. Find out what it will take, how long it usually takes, what all it encompasses, etc. Make sure you get a handle on everything you need.
- Blue Print: Draft out the main or long-term goal and the steps or short-term goals you will need to take to achieve the long-term goal.
- Timeline: On your blue print, map out how long it will take YOU to achieve this goal. Chart out on a calendar when you will achieve these events.
- Goal Contract: Write out your main (long-term) goal and the steps you will be taking (or short-term goals) out. Make it detailed, and then find a witness to sign this contract. This witness will be responsible for helping you achieve this goal by not letting you out of it. (Choose someone you are close to that will be assertive and adamant).
- Begin!
The Key to Motivation:
Motivation comes in many shapes and sizes. It can be material things or objects, a feeling, or a treat you’d like to give yourself. By definition, motivation is the general desire or means for an individual to do something. So even a person’s reasons for setting a goal could keep them motivated. To help remind them of their motivation, use reinforcers. These can be little rewards that can be merited when a step is achieved. However, make sure the award doesn’t set you back. For instance, if your goal is to quit your shopaholic tendencies, the reward shouldn’t be a shopping spree. Make the rewards moderate and plausible like a trip to the movies. Take the rewards as an opportunity to try something new!
Share with Us: What advice do you have for setting and achieving goals?
(This post was brought to you by Earth’s Enrichments. Similar posts can be found by visiting our Blog. More information about our company and products (USDA Certified Organic Soaps, Organic Bath Salts, Organic Sugar Scrubs, Organic Body Balms and Organic Lip Balms) can be found on our Website. Thank you Earth’s Enricher!)