Setting Goals vs Changing Goals

For those of us who have spent time reading / learning / studying / absorbing personal development strategies, one of the foundational requirements is goal setting. We’ve all heard it… Have you got your goals written down? Do you look at them at least daily? Are they the first and last thing you read each day? etc. etc.

Now the question I pose to you is – How many of those goals have you achieved in a reasonable time?

For some of us, there are goals on our list that have been there or years. Why are they still on the list? Why have they not been achieved yet? What is going to happen over the coming months that is different from the past that will make sure they will be achieved?

I have been listening to some new podcasts and reading some authors I have not read before, and for me there has been a thought or a question asked of the listener/reader that is new to me. Not new in the way I’ve never heard it before, but new in the way that it is something I am really hearing at the moment. The question is… Does this goal deserve to be on your list?

If there are short term goals that have been on your list for a long time, get rid of them! There is a reason they have not been attained yet – whether it is drive and passion, or it is an achievement that would be nice, but not imperative, of your focus is on other things at this time and deserves your attention. They can always come back on later when the time is right, but for now – scratch them out.

A powerfully detrimental effect of having old goals hanging around is that it appears you aren’t achieving as much as you could – you still have these goals on the list… you are failing because the list is not changing, is not fluid and being updated with new goals after achieving the old.

Removing goals that are monthly or quarterly achievements, but have been on your list for more than double that time should go. They are spreading your focus, they are providing clutter and greyness rather than clarity and black and white. Remove the ‘hanger on’ goals from your list, and I think you might be surprised how much more you will achieve.

Live with purpose… and Live Your Ultimate Life.