Should you write down your goals?
Recently, a friend asked me how I had lived such an Unstoppable Life. He remarked that I seem to achieve all I set out to accomplish. While flattered, I still have goals on my list that are yet unachieved and I’m working on them. But the conversation got me thinking. How have I achieved my Unstoppable Life to this point? How have I made my dreams come true? I believe that turning my dreams into goals has helped propel me to where I am today and where I’m going.
Yes, goals. Remember those? Remember goal-setting exercises? Who hasn’t heard that writing down your goals is a key to their achievement? I still have the piece of paper on which I wrote my goals in 1991, a decade before departing on my sailing journey around the world. On that piece of paper, it says in the “10 years from now” category, “Own a 50-foot boat and cruise the South Pacific.” I’m here to tell you that writing down your goals works.
Emerson said, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” He was referring to the subconscious reinforcement that happens when you decide you want to achieve one of your goals. So tell yourself—and write it down!
For now, let’s start with just one simple exercise. Across the top of your paper, make three columns: Finance, Personal Development, and Career. Then down the side of the paper, make four rows: 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years. Now take a few minutes to quickly fill in the boxes you’ve created. When you’re done, put the paper on your desk and massage it, change it, edit it, or keep it the same, and do this for three days. After three days, review your goals one more time and then put the paper away for a month. Be sure to put a reminder on your calendar to re-visit your goals after a month goes by. And then re-visit them again in another month. You will be amazed at the results. You can then adjust how often you go through this same practice.
I’d love to hear from you as you progress and am glad to interact with you, my readers!
Happy goal-setting!
