ABC's of Goal Setting

"I don't want another year to go by and not achieve my goals."

For years, that's how I felt. Although by most outside measures I was very successful - I was a Vice President in the investment business, owned a beautiful home, was the parent of two wonderful sons and had a nice bank account, at the start of each new year my heart often sank. The disappointment of feeling constantly stressed and overwhelmed, and like I was falling short of my reaching my potential, weighed on me.

Setting the RIGHT Goals

Then, after years of this cycle, I learned some foundational concepts about goal setting studying and learning personal growth and success principles from one of my teachers in personal growth, Bob Proctor. And that changed everything. 

If you keep reading, I'm going to share with you these concepts.... what I like to think of as the ABCs of goal setting. This means setting the right goals. So that in one year, you can look back and say “Wow, I achieved what I set out to do, I am on the right track!” 

ABC's of Goals

A: The first type of goal is going after what you already know how to do. So let’s say an individual is a Vice President at a fortune 500 company and they are okay with the status quo. That is not a goal because there is absolutely no growth in that. Knowing what you already know and doing that again is not a goal, that’s just maintenance.

B: The second type of goal that you will hear people talk about is what they plan to do. This is very common for very analytical and well educated individuals. For this goal, you have to have everything lined up and thoroughly researched in order to hit your goal. You have to know everything in advance in order to achieve your goal. The problem with this type of goal is that there is absolutely no inspiration here.

This second type of goal is actually how I used to go after my goals. I was always a dreamer but then I would get really buried in having everything perfectly lined up. 

C: Finally, the third type of goal is going after your dream, your vision. This is the kind of goal you want to set...one that is going to move you in the direction of achieving that dream and vision. This comes from  tapping into your imagination, and your deepest desires and  aspirations. This is going to cause you to be inspired. And inspiration is exactly what you need to go after and achieve your dream!

Going After Your Dream

When you reflect on individuals in our world - past or present - who have had or are having significant impact, the truth is, they have big, bold dreams. For example,  think about some of the famous names in our world like Coco Chanel in the fashion industry, Estée Lauder in cosmetics or the Wright brothers in aviation. In today’s world, Elon Musk in automobiles and space travel or Oprah Winfrey in media. All of these individuals started with a dream.

What Do You Really Want?

Setting the right goals starts with tapping into what YOU really want. Ask yourself, what is your dream? What do you really want?

Getting back to the ABC's of goals, a "C" goals is one that moves you in the direction of your dream.

And it should be something you haven’t yet achieved. In fact, you may not have any idea how you are going to achieve it but you absolutely want it! It might scare you at the same time that it excites you and that’s okay because it’s going to take you out of your comfort zone. It's going to cause you to grow, and draw talents and abilities out of you.

The Real Purpose of Goals

And that's an important point, because the real purpose of goals is to grow. At the deepest level of your being, you seek growth. You want to experience yourself and your uniqueness more fully, and to be able to express that, and experience life more fully. A "C" goal will cause you to grow!

Make a Decision

Make a decision, right now, to make this the year to set the right goals and finally achieve them. Start today by setting the right goals. It's time to go after your dream and play a bigger game in the year and years ahead.