Goals.

When we set goals we develop direction, we develop focused and channelled energy and we accomplish more in a short time than we could accomplish in years.

Why, then do so few people set goals? The first conclusion is that the majority of people don't understand the importance of goals. The second reason people don't set goals is because they don't know how. The third reason is the fear of rejection - they have found that every time they do set a goal, somebody tells them they can't achieve it. The fourth reason people don't set goals is that they are afraid they may fail.

People do not understand the importance of failure in achievement. We have to be willing to risk failure. There is no way we can realise our full potential unless we have failed so many times that eventually we learn the lessons necessary for us to go on to our great achievements.

The only thing in life that is inevitable is change. Most of us are uneasy about change because we're afraid that as a result of change we're going to be worse off than we were before. Goals enable us to control the direction of change in our lives.

Every human being has average talents and abilities, but every single one of us has the ability to achieve excellence or make an outstanding accomplishment in at least one specific area. It is impossible to fully like and value ourselves unless we know there is at least one thing in the world that we are good at. One of our goals has to be to discover where we can develop excellence. You can determine your potential area of excellence by looking at what interests you, at the sort of thing that you would do if you were not being paid for it.

According to the "acres of diamonds" principle, everything we could ever hope for is probably very close at hand; we have the talents and abilities and education and backgrounds to realise our ambitions right in our own communities. 

Each of us has to have a balance of goals for a balanced life. Goals can be broken down into the following major categories; (1) family and personal goals - these include the things we want to accomplish for our loved ones and for our own pleasure; (2) Business and career goals - we must have these goals if we're going to be successful financially; and (3) self-improvement goals - winning human beings are always working toward a series of self improvement and self development goals.

Self Assessment

For the time being, ask yourself the following questions, which are taken from Brian Tracey's "Psychology of Achievement"

1. Does criticism prevent me from setting goals?

2. What would I do if I won a million pounds in the Lottery tomorrow?

3. What have I done in life that gave me satisfaction and a feeling of 
importance?

4. What would I attempt if I were guaranteed success?

5. Does fear of failure prevent me from taking risks?

6. What is my area of excellence, in which my greatest interests and 
abilities l ie?

THE FILM OF LIFE

The last section discussed making goals and planning your destiny. There's a saying that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. No matter how much is written about helping a situation regarding stress, it always seems to be out of some people's grasp. If you have been following the two previous articles, you should now have a chart drawn up. This is called charting your progress. Try to spend some time doing this, preferably on your own or even on the bus or train coming into work. It only takes a few minutes every day and this will be the most valuable time you have ever spent, for now you'll have direction and purpose. It also helps to find yourself and ultimately the purpose of being here, for you and I must fulfil our destiny no matter what it is. But first you have got to find it.

Stress Remover

Finding your purpose in life is the ultimate stress remover because for the first time you are no longer operating from fear, insecurity or loneliness - you are operating from you. You have to understand that you do not have to leave your present situation to find your purpose. All you have to do is simply apply yourself completely to doing your job 100 per cent, whatever that job is - whether you are a Secretary, Executive, Cleaner, Road sweeper etc. If you do what you are doing 100 per cent, life will bring about change for the better in its own way.

It may not seem that way at the moment, but can you honestly say that you are completely doing your job? I doubt it. People often say they hate their jobs, but how would they know when they have been too busy hating it? Why not start off tomorrow or even today, and make a commitment to doing whatever it may be, better. This includes your present job, your relationships etc. There is nothing that this attitude can not be used on - so start now! Don't say you will try because that is another way of saying I can't do it - just simply do it.

Let us take stress further and examine how we can overcome it without effort. The harder we try the more difficult it becomes, for the law of reverse effort comes in. So one of the secrets is don't try too hard, so no effort.

The Film

One simple exercise to do is simply close your eyes and in your mind re-live the whole day. When you finish, you may realise that your whole life is like watching a film on a big screen - the only difference is that you are in it, and you are the main attraction, or the main character. Now this can be a stressful film, or a happy one, or a violent one etc. You simply choose. If you could imagine slipping a cassette into your head and that tape is your life, ask yourself if you think you would be happy with it or not. If, for example, you have tension, anxiety etc - you have the ability to change it, for whatever you are thinking now will be projected into life. For some of us that could be a nightmare. The more negative your thoughts, the more negative the people and situations will be that attract themselves to you.

To simply point this out to you, just do this simple exercise. Sit back, close your eyes, and imagine as clearly as possible that you are holding a lemon in your hand. See how yellow it is, nearly feel it in your hand, simply peel it and bite into it and feel the juice in your mouth - then simply swallow it. Now if you are doing this properly, you will feel the bitterness and sourness in your mouth. Try this a few times and then you will understand how easily your thoughts can influence your mind and body. So, only put in what you want to happen and simply change the film! This is the charting of your progress in action, planning etc., because whatever film you have in at the moment that's your life. If for example you worry a lot, then simply worry about something you want to happen as opposed to something you don't. It's that simple.

New Life

At night time lie in your chair or bed and start to visualise your new film - your new life. Plan this new adventure in your mind and practice it every day until it gets so clear that you can feel yourself in it. Don't fight it, just enjoy making your new plans and remember that nothing externally will solve the problem. The more connection you have with your true self - the real you - the less stress you will have, because when your mind is clear, stress, worry, fear, anxiety and loneliness and unhappiness cannot live there. Now simply practice these exercises and in the next section we will go into relaxation and visualisation.

ARE YOU ALIVE OR A MEMBER OF THE LIVING DEAD?

Previously we have discussed that to remove stress, first, know what you want, second, plan your programme, and third have your goal clear.

Planning Your Escape

While the title may sound strange, you will see, as we go into this further, that its not. It's all about conditioning. Conditioning can start at any age. If you are told that you are no good as a person, or that you are terrible at sport, or you're not attractive etc, you may believe it. In believing it you may come to the end of a wonderful adventure in life. You might find yourself, becoming negative and constantly saying, I can't, I won't, I will not, It won't work out, I'm shy, I'm not attractive, I'm not good enough. I'm not very lucky etc. At that point, from this negative state, you may find yourself becoming a part of the Living Dead, as I call them. Or you could say "dead at 20, buried at 80".

For a lot of people, in their minds, they are actually dead. They have no goals, no ambitions and life is just all over. From this negative state, as we have said before, you may find yourself getting "any old job", or any relationship that offers security, only to find that eventually it brings total insecurity. Example: you may be conditioned to get a "good pensionable job". When you get this, the next step may be a relationship, possibly leading to marriage. Then of course the house, car and children, all to make you feel more secure. Then you find that when you have all this, you become stressful - afraid that you're going to lose it all. Fear sets in. Now, fear, insecurity and loneliness is just simply being out of touch with yourself, because when you touch upon your real self - which has no knowledge of these problems - it is simply lying dormant, waiting for you to take the handbrake off your life and get moving. Realise that the purpose of life is simply to live life with abundance. Why can't you have success and everything that goes with it? Success doesn't always have to be for the other people.

Achievement

It may be that you have been conditioned to believe something all your life, and now its time to change the mental film which you project every minute of the day. This film is your life. Are you happy with your level of achievement at present? If not change it. How to change it is simple, this approach will help you to remove stress and have a full and rewarding life. It could be magic. For some people, unless its complicated it won't work. The magic is simply this, just do what you are doing 100% and let life take care of the rest. It sounds like a song but that's how easy it is to improve your life. Ask yourself if you are doing anything 100% - your job, your relationship, sport, whatever. If not, then you won't be able to move on, because you will take your mess with you where ever you go. If you think I'm exaggerating just go into any shop and try to get served by anyone who is doing their job 100%. If you find the place, please let me know! For example, when you go for a tea break in the morning, just watch out for what I'm saying. Especially in the food business, if you are going for a sandwich or a meal, if it's prepared with care and if you are greeted by someone who is friendly, you will feel very well after your meal. But the opposite takes place if you are greeted by someone who is always miserable, hates doing their job, hates, for example wiping the table down and generally being grumpy - the typical "I hate my job" attitude. How can they hate what they have never done, when they have been too busy hating it?

If you read about all successful people, as I have, in sports, business, philosophy or whatever, they all love what they were doing. If you are working at this moment how about loving what you are doing? If its a shop you are in, or a business, a secretary or whatever, you'll find your company will grow or your shop will grow and so you will. Its that simple, as a person you will grow.

Your Dream Come True

Moving to part two of this article, we are going to discuss visualisation. How visualisation influences your subconscious mind. It accepts whatever you programme into it, or you fed it. So lets first of all change the film. Worrying about something you want to happen instead of something you don't. Decide what you want. Now this is probably the most important thing of all, write down something you want to happen or come about. It could be a job, a car, a house or relationship - whatever. Write it down clearly. 

For example if its a new car, see every detail -the colour, the make, the wheels, the stereo, or even better get a picture of the car and put it over your bed. Let your mind expect that this is what you want 100%, more than anything else. You have to take it seriously - just don't do it for fun, and don't tell your friends, not because they may think you are nuts, but their negative thoughts can blow you out completely. Just work on it yourself and just remember that all things start out as thoughts. So just lie on your bed, or even in the park, or sitting in your car and visualise for ten minutes what ever you want to happen. Just close your eyes and project your mental dream on your screen - your goal. I can honestly say it works 100%, for everything I'm involved in has been planned in my mind for years, even down to the car I have or the house which I live in. Life has brought these things about, but you have to plan and project and programme your subconscious mind. I myself have started on one of these which may take years to come about, but I know it will happen. Just do this simple exercise and leave the worrying to your subconscious, or your friends.


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