Personal Goal-Setting
Personal
goal-setting is crucial when you are deciding whether
or not you would like to own your own business, especially
a homebased one. Because your business will have an impact
on every other area of your life, it is critical to know
how it fits into your life and whether it allows you to
reach your other goals. Two of the benefits you will receive
as a result of defining and aligning your major goals
in life are peace of mind and focus. Once you have set
your goals, visualize how your new business will help
you to achieve them.
Let
us take a look at a few of the other benefits of personal
goal-setting:
Know,
be, do and have more
Use your mind and talents fully
Have more purpose and direction in life
Make better decisions
Be more organized and effective
Do more for yourself and others Have greater confidence
and self-worth
Feel more fulfilled
Be more enthusiastic and motivated
Accomplish uncommon projects
Remember,
you will not pay a price for setting goals, You will pay
a price for not setting them. We can choose to get caught
up in the everyday activity of our lives without feeling
any real sense of purpose or we can choose to accomplish
something meaningful with our lives that gives us a sense
of direction and self-motivation.
Ninety-seven
percent of the population does not set goals for two major
reasons:
Is
it really MY goal?
Is it morally right and fair?
Are my short-range goals consistent with my long-term
goals?
Can I commit myself emotionally to completing the project?
Can I visualize myself reaching this goal?
If
you have answered "No" to even one of these
questions, you may want to reconsider this goal. In the
short-term it may appear to work for you, but in the long
run, you may exposing yourself to a lot of unnecessary
conflict and frustration.
Be
sure to set big goals as well as multiple goals.
Big goals force you to reach in and use the potential
that is inside of you. Long-range goals help you to overcome
short-range failures. They can also help you to change
your direction without going back on your decision. Whether
or not they ever reach the goals they have set, people
who set big, long-range goals have been found to have
higher self-confidence, higher self-esteem, and greater
personal motivation.
The
bottom line is that more than half the rewards and benefits
achieved from goal-setting come from actually taking your
first step in that direction, regardless of the consequences.
There is a very simple process in seven steps that you
can go through to set any goal whether personal or professional.
Steps
to effective goal setting
Identify
your goal by writing it down
Set a deadline for the achievement.
Put a date on it.
List the obstacles to overcome in accomplishing your
goal.
Identify the people and groups you need to work with
to reach your goal.
List the skills and knowledge required to reach your
goal.
What
do you need to know? Develop a plan of action to reach
your goal.
Write down the benefits of achieving your goal. ("What
is in it for me?")
Re-Evaluate
your goals
On a periodic basis, it is important to re-evaluate your
goals to make certain that they are in alignment with
what you truly value and want out of life. Remember, goal-setting
is a life-long process. Once you have completed one goal,
be sure to replace it with something else. This way you
will always reap the benefits that goal-setting provides.
Goal
Setting supplies & Training
The best source I have found for making goal setting and
reaching for those goals on a daily basis is Franklin
Covey. They have training courses available on video,
written and public workshops all over the US. They also
provide all the tools to manage your time, projects and
all the little things that make life, personal and business,
go smoother. It doesn't matter whether you are using a
regular computer, palm handhelds, or paper they have tools
and supplies to accommodate your management needs. Find
them at Franklin Covey.
Choose
your business
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