Setting and Achieving Goals – Write it down!
The adage ‘Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die’ is very relatable to people’s quest for success. There is no man or woman in the world who does not want to succeed in whatever they do, but only a few are ready to put in what it takes.
For over a century now, successful people have been sharing their secrets in the form of books, tapes, videos, and seminars, and one thing which is common to them all is the setting of a goal. We won’t find a person who became successful by accident. Everyone who’s achieved something substantial in his life would have set a goal, and that goal motivates us during tough times.
Another thing which all experts unanimously agree is that verbal goals are of not much use. A real goal will have to written down, and it has to be SMART
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic, and
T – Time Bound
Unless a goal is written down with these parameters – including a date by when the goal will become a reality – and stuck at a prominent place, there is very little chance of seeing it translate into reality. Whether it is Napoleon Hill or Robert Schuller, Norman Vincent Peale or Shiv Khera, they all agree that an unwritten goal has very little chance of being realized. Look up the internet or head down to your local bookstore and you’ll see tons of examples of people who attribute their success to written goals.
It is quite simple really. When we write something down, we endorse it in our handwriting. That is an added level of commitment. Then we put it up at a prominent place at home or the office, and each time we see it, we reinforce that commitment we made to ourselves of achieving it.
Enough reasons to get a pen and paper out?
Like Yogi Berra famously quoted, ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there’!
Life is Short. DREAM BIG!
