Self-help gurus and life-coaches nowadays all promote the importance of having goals if you want to succeed in life. The first step is identifying what exactly is a worthwhile goal.
On HuffingtonPost (https://www.huffingtonpost.com) I found a definition that relates it to happiness: Happiness is the pursuit of a worthwhile goal. It’s that simple. When you have a worthwhile goal, you have a reason to get up out of bed every morning and start the day. Your life has meaning and a purpose. You smile, laugh, and are more passionate about life.
Some time ago I subscribed to Harvey MacKey online University and recently in his syndicated column he has mentioned his formula for how to determine a worthwhile goal and how to focus on the result you want to achieve. I thought this is worth to share also with you.
In case you haven’t heard about Harvey MacKay. Harvey Mackay (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Mackay) is a businessman, author, and syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. His weekly column gives career and inspirational advice and is featured in over 100 newspapers. Mackay has authored seven New York Times bestselling books, including three number one bestsellers:
- Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive
- Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt
- Fired Up!: How the Best of the Best Survived and Thrived After Getting the Boot
Everyone has heard that our goals should be SMART – Specific-Measurable-Achievable-Relevant–Time-Based. In my blog post here I talk also about one more component. But Harveys Mackay definition of the goal is this:
A goal should reflect your values, of course – what you really want, not what you should want, and certainly not what other people think you should achieve.
Big goals require a big passion to bring them to life. Success usually requires a roadmap, a strategy, but it also calls for an overwhelming drive. Ask yourself these questions: Do you feel strongly about the importance of your goal and why it is necessary to achieve it? Does your goal match your values and beliefs? Is your goal vital to the future of people you care about? Does your goal get you excited when you think about it? Are you willing to devote your personal time to achieve your goal? Will you be able to reject criticism and negativity? Are you committed to the long-term as you work toward your goal?
The formula for setting goals that help focus on the result
Here’s Harveys Mackey formula for setting goals that help focus on the result you want to achieve.
Make it positive.
Think about your objective in affirmative terms: What you will do (“Eat balanced meals every day”), instead of what you won’t do (“Stop eating chocolate”). Remind yourself of what you want, not what you’re denying yourself.
Be fully committed.
Choosing the right goals will make a huge difference in your motivation to succeed.
Take a step-by-step approach.
You have to start with the big picture. Then you should determine what you need to do to get there. Break your plan down to the smallest level of detail; think of what you can do every day to get yourself a little closer to your target. Focus on things you can control. You can’t make your book a bestseller until you discipline yourself to write several pages every day.
Appreciate the learning opportunities. You may not succeed the first time, or the second time or after many times. Instead of obsessing on the results, figure out what works and what doesn’t, and why.
Take your goals seriously but don’t take yourself too seriously.
If you aren’t having some fun along the way, your chances for success diminish. You should be able to derive some real pleasure out of achieving your goals.
Trust your judgment, but don’t be afraid to ask for advice.
There is no rule against asking for help.
Set your sights high.
Be realistic, but ambitious. There’s no glory in accomplishing a goal that doesn’t require any effort. That’s just an item on your to-do list. Your goal should make you stretch and grow. Remember that even if you don’t reach your objective, what you learn along the way will make you a better person.
“Set a goal so big that you can’t achieve it until you grow into the person who can.” – Zig Ziglar
Mackay’s Moral: Don’t be afraid to dream big – be afraid not to.
Take some time each week to reflect on things you have done well, on lessons you learned, and dream, dream big and take action.
What if there was another option than working 40 hours a week for 40 years? Would you be interested?
