Does Your Goal Enhance Your Overall Quality of Life?
August 13, 2010
So many people struggle with the issue of time management.
“There’s so much to do!” “It takes so long!” “So many little things!”
What many of these people don’t realize is that they are spending a lot of time on activities that are of little or no value to them. In this case, the problem isn’t with their time, it’s with their choice of activities.
If you were to ask a time-troubled individual, “How many of these tasks are part of one of your goal plans?” chances are good you would get a blank stare.
It’s easy to fill up your time. It’s a little more challenging to fill it up with value-rich activities.
In a recent discussion with a client about her time management issues, I told her this:
“Technically, there is no such thing as time management. Time cannot be managed. It cannot be saved, and you most certainly can’t ‘make’ time. You can only spend it as it comes in.
“It’s important that you learn how to ’spend’ it wisely. Don’t waste time on activities that don’t have any value to you. Learn to say ‘no’. Set goals that help you use your time effectively, and that enhance your quality of life. Always be moving forward.”
Goal Setting ? The Importance of Stern Resolve!
July 21, 2010
“Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page…on the first of January let every may straighten himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past.”
- Henry Ward
How often do you see people who have succumbed to their current, sometimes ill-perceived, circumstances?
In extreme cases perhaps these people drink too much or take some other “home remedy” to self-medicate their feelings of inadequacy and/or hopelessness.
On a more conservative level, they may simply complain about being treated unfairly and/or feel deserving of something they think they’ve either earned or are entitled to.
When setting goals for future success, it’s imperative that you begin the process with a clear healthy mindset. One that empowers you with the realization that you, and you alone, possess the ultimate tool to improve your situation - Freedom of Choice is this tool.
No doubt you’ve heard others speak about the power of choice. The fact remains that in virtually all scenarios, each of us has the personal freedom to choose how we will respond to any given situation.
Goal-Mapping
June 27, 2010
Goal-mapping is like a treasure hunt, you must first start out by knowing what you are looking for. Be very specific on what you want without limiting yourself. The next step is charting out what course of action you must take to get what you want. I encourage women to map out a treasure hunt on what they want in life, and to use that chart to reach their goals. That is exactly what I did to get my Ph.D. degree. I knew that I wanted to get my degree in psychology, and to write a book. My goal was to use my dissertation as a self-help book, and with the successful completion of my dissertation I could be awarded my degree. I enrolled in the Ph.D. program and completed all my core courses.
Perfection the Un-Live-Able Goal
June 6, 2010
When we have a thought or idea that we want to do or get across, we have to communicate to other people. Many do not get past this stage of wanting to, for they decide that they will wait until everything is perfect before they tell anyone or do anything.
I have heard people say that they’ll start when they have more money, time, learn more, practice more, when the kids are older, etc, etc, etc. The challenge with this is there is no perfect time. The best time to get started is now. Yes, you may need to be selective at first with whom you talk to as there are negative people out there who may try to stop you or shut you down. Yet, I have found that most people shut themselves down by their fears and need to have everything just so.
I was talking to this lady who wanted to go on a job interview. She had spoken to her sister about the interview. Her sister replied, “make sure you do the interview perfect, because in this city people know each other and if you blow it, you can kiss your career goodbye”. WOW, no pressure there. Going into an interview with that in your mind is a good way to blow it. You will probably be terrified, which can cause the mistakes you are trying to prevent.
Ask yourself, So what?
May 14, 2010
Neil Armstrong made his first moon walk on July 20, 1969, two months before I entered college. I remember that many Americans were euphoric about this accomplishment. There were songs written, celebrations, ticker tape parades, and coins depicting an eagle landing on the moon.
Yet what really stands out in my memory was a poster on a classmate’s dorm-room wall. It looked like the front page of a newspaper’s special edition. The large photo dominating the upper half of the page showed Armstrong in his space suit, visor down, planting the U.S. flag into lunar soil. The banner headline screamed, “So what?”
I think the "So what?” poster was questioning whether the billions poured into the space program were justifiable while people in the U.S. and around the world were still suffering from hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and poor health care. Stewardship was the issue the poster was raising.
Most would agree the space program has been well worth its expense. The many spin-offs are not the only benefit. This great achievement forever transformed our assumptions of what is possible.
New Years Resolutions? Dont Be So Hard On Yourself
April 21, 2010
Have you set resolutions for yourself to accomplish in 2005? Maybe you want to get more exercise, eat healthier, or spend more time with your family. If you’re in business for yourself, maybe you are thinking about hiring a bookkeeper, working fewer hours, or beefing up your marketing plan. All of those things are very good goals, but how do you really feel about them? If you’re like me, you probably think that you need resolutions, and furthermore, you have to accomplish all of them in order to be successful. How can we not feel that way when the media is chirping away about making and keeping our new year’s resolutions?
Well, maybe you should go a little easier on yourself. What about trying just one new thing to improve your life in some small way? This can either be something personal or professional. The important thing to remember is that this “thing,” whatever it is, should be important to you, and bring value to your life in some way. Even if it’s just taking 20 minutes at the end of each day to kick back, close your eyes and do absolutely nothing; if that will improve your peace-of-mind or help you to relax, that’s great — mission accomplished!
The Influence of People Who Surround You
March 30, 2010
It is known that the human body sends out vibrations: some are positive, while others are negative. We have orbits formed by people who surround us and with whom we associate closely throughout our entire lives. In my book "The Art & Craft of Success: 10 Steps" by Ostaro, I expand fully on the impact people have upon us.
Through observation and experience we will notice that the association of a certain person or persons will help us finish a project successfully. It is not just a matter of know-how or funding what makes a venture a success. It is more than that. When a person constantly exercises a positive (harmonious) influence upon another human being, it has a great influence on the brain that gives rise to a clearer judgment of a situation or a better solution to a lingering problem. These processes go on quite unnoticed by people ? but they do work. In case of a negative person in our orbit, the result of a contradictory or negative vibration could lead to a bad judgment of a situation or problem, poor solutions and utter failure of the project.
Goal Believing is the First Step to Goal Achieving
March 7, 2010
We’ve just gone from "the Holiday Season" to the "Goal Setting Season." Each year, about the time we turn our calendars to a New Year, we hear a lot about goal setting (even though it is sometimes disguised as information about making your New Year’s Resolutions). While the research and polls show that most people don’t set goals, most everyone thinks about it at this time of the year.
It is a funny thing. People will say, "You really need goals." But when you ask them what theirs are, they sheepishly reply, "I don’t have them, but everyone really should."
There are many reasons why people don’t set goals. Some of the biggest reasons are:
? People don’t know how
? People have set them in the past but didn’t reach them
? People are afraid of failure
Of course setting goals is just an exercise that we know helps us achieve goals. So, while we all want to achieve goals, many of us don’t even set them.
The Real Objective
Know What You Want Out Of Life
February 13, 2010
At this point in time you have an opportunity to really analyze your life. Where you are right now and where you want to be in the future. Now is your chance to take a close look at what you would really like to do with your life. Perhaps you have never dared to choose a path based on your true desires, you have purely gone with the flow. This is now your chance.
Before you know how you are going to achieve your goals, you have to know what those goals are. You have to have specific goals. It’s no good saying I am going to be rich, you have to define "rich" in a monetary term.
I will earn $250,000 per year. I will earn $500,000 per year. When I retire I will be worth $1m.
The same goes if your goal is to run your own business. What business?
I want a new sports car. What make, model and colour will this sports car be?
You have to be specific. If you are not specific you haven’t got a clear goal.
Do You Think You Could You Have Achieved More?
January 22, 2010
If you are anything like me, the end of the year might just leave you a little disappointed that you could have achieved more but didn’t.
With 2005 already on us when we look forward with great hope and enthusiasm, we must also prepare for the end of the year when we can look back with lot of satisfaction.
A year has begun with many new plans, resolutions and goals. All these resolutions are made and implemented with a tremendous resolve. But these resolutions slowly vanish in the rush of the daily routines and pressures.
Here is a three step formula I have devised to achieve all that I set out to do.
Set goals
As they say, if we don’t know where we are going how would we get there. We have many intentions but no specific goals. The best way to convert all the good intentions to goals is to put them in writing. I know it is easier said than done. Where to start? How to write them out? What to add and what to leave out? It is always a lot of work to create all those pages of goals.
