The Weekend Leader - Know your need

Make life happen the way you want it to happen

...
Roopleen Prasad

29-September-2011

Vol 0 | Issue 1

“Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here?” said Alice
“That depends a great deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Most people dream about success and also work hard at it, yet find success too distant for them. A key reason why they fail in making the headway is that they haven’t set themselves formal goals.

When it comes to planning their future, they float around aimlessly, without a direction or purpose. As Bill Copeland put it, “If you don’t have a goal in life, you are spending your life running around and not achieving anything for yourself.”

It is well known that ‘people who have goals succeed and people who succeed have goals.’

The one attribute that separates the highly successful from the rest is their ability to make concrete, measurable and time-bounded goals that they can work toward.

The high achievers are always goal oriented; they visualize their goals, determine how they will achieve them and take action on a daily basis.

When you want to achieve something; you need to decide what you want. And that’s called goal setting.

Goals represent your vision about you and your future.

I am reminded of the Harvard study in which the students were asked if they had set clear, written goals for their future. Interestingly, only 3 percent of the graduates answered that they had written goals; 13 percent had goals, but not in writing; and almost 84 percent had no specific goals at all!

Ten years later, those very students were interviewed again, and the findings were startling.

The 13 percent of the students who had goals were earning about twice as much as the 84 percent who had no goals at all. And the most astonishing result of the study was- the three percent who had clear, written goals were earning about ten times as much as the other 97 percent put together!

Goal setting marks the first step towards success and puts your life into action mode. Goals give you a sense of direction and purpose in life. Thus, it is important that you define your goals clearly.

Be precise in what you want. The more clearly defined your goal is, the easier it will be to attain and you will precisely know where to concentrate your efforts.

Also, make sure that your goals are aligned with what you really want in life. Do not make the mistake of setting a goal that you do not want to accomplish. If you’re not driven by your goals, you’re unlikely to keep after them.

Once your goals and time lines are set, it’s time to act on them. As the famous saying goes, “To aim is not enough, you must hit.” You must chalk out a strategy and actively work towards your goal.

Many of your goals will require hard work. It's easy to procrastinate, get distracted or lose momentum. You may face many obstacles, hardships or setbacks. Sometimes, this can be overwhelming.

The biggest challenge, then, is staying focused. Commit yourself to whatever it takes to achieve your goals. Remain determined and motivated. Continue to take small actions each day, and they will add up and make a big difference!

Nothing is impossible. You can achieve whatever you want in life. The secret is to determine what exactly you want, take heart and set your goals and then go after them.

As Benjamin Mays put it: “The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.” So, don’t just wait for life to happen. Make it happen the way you want it to be. There's no better time than now, to get started!

“Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there.” - Bo Jackson

The Author is a Motivational counselor, Speaker, Ophthalmologist, and Author of 'Principles of Success made easy-14 easy steps to climb the ladder of success.'
 

Milky Mist Cheese

Trending Now: