Coach Virtual Assistant Blog - View from The Edge

You’ve probably heard more about setting goals recently than you ever wanted to know and none of it has helped you to achieve one single ounce of success. Well, dear, you’re setting the wrong goals. When you start setting the right goals “Success Guided Goals” you’ll start achieving your version of success. So, let me show you how it’s done.

Do you have any idea where you want to go? That’s the first step to setting goals that get you where you want to go. You have to know where you want to go. Get a piece of paper and write down your destination. Simply answer the question: what do you want to achieve?

2. Put a plan on paper.

That’s right ON PAPER. Not on the computer, not in your head, but hand written on paper. Use some lines, squigglies, and circles or boxes to define your plan and get it all out on paper. Now, commit that plan to the computer and write it out in outline form. Step 1, Step 2, you get the picture.

3. Write it into your schedule.

Until you actually schedule time to achieve your goals they’re simply dreams built on the clouds of time. Put it in your schedule. Chunk out a block of time every day to work toward your goals. Whether it’s ten minutes or four hours, block it out and use that time for working toward your goals.

4. Take action.

Yes, I mean take action. If your goal is to write 30 articles marketing your product this month. On day one, WRITE AN ARTICLE! (Oh, excuse me, I didn’t mean to scream at you.) Write an article. I mean, actually get out the dictionary learn to spell those words, and WRITE it. Publish it before you stop. Don’t just write it today, revise it, edit it, and publish it.

5. Celebrate your success.

From the first moment, up there at step #1, you’ve been successful. Celebrate your success. No, sweetheart, you can’t spend the money you’re GOING to make, until it’s in the bank, but you CAN celebrate the fact that you’re a successful individual, achieving your goals.

Are you ready to achieve the goals you’ve been dreaming of?

On the shores of Lake Titicaca lies the town of Copacabana, Bolivia. The town is home to many exciting sites, one of which is a 16th century colonial church. Outside the church on Sundays people come with their cars to have them blessed, presumably to keep them running for another week. My van could use some kind of blessing right now, or perhaps an exorcism. Another neat feature outside the gates of the church is a table of objects for sale. When I first walked by I assumed it was just another vendor selling their wares but upon closer inspection I noticed there were no llama hats or colorful purses but rather a table full of toys. There were cars, and little houses, stacks of play money and condominium doll houses. I found out later that these were not toys for the kids but in fact serious items for the adults. What lay before me was a powerful principle in the world of goal setting.

When people make a pilgrimage to Copacabana, they go to the church and purchase one of these trinkets from the table outside, like a car. Then they wait for the church service to end and the priest will come outside and bless the item they are holding in their hand. With this blessing people return home with desired object in hand. You can buy mini cars, stacks of money, university degrees, houses, large condos, friends, even little men with backpacks full of all the things one would want in life. Apparently there was a French woman who bought one of the stacks of cash to bring home as a souvenir but got arrested in Miami when she went through customs. It took two weeks of intervening by the French Embassy to get her out of jail.

You may not be going to Copacabana anytime soon but you there is a powerful principle at work here. Having an object that physically represents your goal is one way to up the chances of you actually attaining it. Pictures, or miniature representations of your goals help you in the following ways:

1. Focus - Constantly having your goal in front of you helps you say no to the distractions, which will derail your progress. Most of us do not reach our goals because we cannot stay focused. Having a constant reminder in front of you ups your odds.

2. Motivation - When we lose motivation to pursue our goals we quickly get off track. A physical representation helps us keep the image before us and gives us strength to say no to distractions that may compromise our efforts. The image helps us stay motivated to pursue our goal.

3. Eye Opener - Having your goal in front of you creates a state of alertness to anything related to your goal. This enables your Reticular Activating System (your brain’s filter) to let in any messages related to your goal. By having more access to these stimuli you will now begin to notice more and more opportunities related to your goal. If you are planning a trip to Hawaii and you constantly have a visual representation in front of you, you will automatically pick up on any cues related to Hawaii. You may overhear a coworker talk about their recent trip to paradise, which prompts you to ask them about accommodation options. It might turn out that they own a condo, which they would be happy to rent to you for half the price of any hotel. You may think how lucky you are, but it really is a case of your brain pricking up on relevant cues because you had kept your goal of Hawaii in front of you.

Physical representations of your goals can take various forms:

• A dream board - A photo collage of the things representing your goals

• Miniature versions of your goal

• Screen savers or photos on your desktop of your goal.

• Warning sticker on your credit card - this is helpful if your goal requires you to save money.

• Writing on your mirror with washable felt a list of your goals

There are many more possibilities, what is important is that you have some way to remind yourself of your final destination and that you put it in a place where you will see it often. Even the process alone of creating your physical representation can be motivating. Have fun, be creative with your goals and find a way to visualize those dreams.

This article begins with an edited copy of an article I read in the Herald-Sun newspaper, December 29, 2007, Melbourne, Australia by journalists KATE UEBERGANG and MEGAN MCNAUGHT.

Following the newspaper article I have included tips on how to start the SMART plan for achieving those New Years’ resolutions.

We conclude this article with a surprise bonus technique, Letter from the Future.

You will need to read through the whole article to appreciate the benefits of Letter from the Future but I do promise the technique is worth a try.

Fat Chance

This is the time of year we decide to remake ourselves anew.

But are we just setting ourselves up for failure?

Whether it’s a determination to lose weight, a pledge to quit smoking or a vow to master a new language and learn to play the piano, New Year’s resolutions are often set in a blaze of inspiration and determination.

So why are they often abandoned by the second week of January?

And why do we make the same old resolutions 12 months later?

A new year is a logical time to reassess goals and dreams for the future, but experts say if you want to achieve real change you need to do more than just wish for it.

The Trick in Goal Setting

“The trick in goal setting is that most people confuse goals with desired outcomes,” says psychologist Prof Bob Montgomery.

“You might wish to lose some weight, and people think that’s goal setting.”

“But that is good intentions or wishful thinking.”

“Goal setting is actually laying out a plan for actions you can take to lead to a desired outcome.”

“One way people fail is they set goals that ore outside their control. If you set a goal it has to be one that you yourself are responsible for.”

“And you have to set a goal that has a chance of success.”

“If you set unachievable goals you will fail.”

Try a Life-Long Resolution

Clinical hypnotherapist Mark Stephens has more than 25 years’ experience in helping people achieve their personal aims.

Stephens says, “Over the next few days our resolutions are going to be, ‘get fit’, ‘lose weight’, ‘get healthy’ and ’stop smoking’”.

“People say they’re going to set a New Year’s resolution, but the problem is the New Year only lasts for a day or so.”

“It needs to be a whole-year resolution or a life-long resolution.”

“Already that mindset increases your chance of success.”

So it’s very apparent if we want to do more than just dream and wish for significant changes in our lives during 2008 and beyond we need to start the S.M.A.R.T. plan.

If you are already familiar with the SMART way to achieve your goals then the rest of this article might serve as a timely reminder of how effective the method really is. If you do not yet know how simple the S.M.A.R.T. system works then read on.

Goals must be SMART

To set and achieve clearly defined goals they must be SMART goals.

· S specific - vague goals lead to vague, half-hearted attempts to achieve them.

· M measurable - we need to be ableto evaluate and quantify our progress.

· A attractive - if we don’t really want it, we won’t really go for it.

· R realistic - we must be capable of achieving the goal.

· T time-framed - we need to have an appropriate time frame for a result.

A simple example of a SMART plan for success is when Cassandra set herself a goal to lose some weight. Here’s what Cassandra did -

S - I plan to lose weight in time for my birthday party.

M - I will lose 5 kg’s to reach my target weight.

A - When I reach my weight goal I will fit into my new outfit in time for the party.

R - Not sure if I can make it within two months but I will try.

T - I will complete my goal by the target date of February 6, 2008.

Maintaining motivation

A key to maintaining your motivation is to see that you are moving in the direction you want to go and that you are gaining the benefit of your efforts.

To do this you need to be able to measure your success. If your actions bring you closer to your goal, if you can see that what you are doing really works, then your motivation will increase.

If you also understand that change of any kind is difficult and that in any change process you will not feel motivated all the time, you will be able to work with the degree of motivation you feel you have on any given day or moment.

I have a surprise bonus to this article I promised earlier. This technique will help with your motivation in many ways.

Letter from the Future

At first this may seem like a strange, even uncomfortable technique. In fact, although incredibly simple to do it is an unbelievably powerful tool to have in your goal setting tool bag of tricks.

If there’s only one thing you do for yourself in 2008 for self-improvement then do this!

Many people including a senior leadership team of the Royal Australian Air Force, test pilots, captains of industry, school teachers, builders, construction workers, accountants and I have used this tool with success.

I can attribute this one exercise and the rest of the material from the book, ‘Coach Yourself - make real changes in your life’ by Anthony Grant and Jane Greene (Pearson Education Limited) as helping me get back on track after a time of personal turmoil.

The Procedure

Grab a large piece of writing paper and put at the top of the page the date December 31, 2008. Yes - twelve months from now.

Now imagine the year 2008 has been and gone almost and has gone really well for you.

Things have turned out just the way you dreamed of. You have kept all your New Years’ resolutions and have achieved all other goals you set for yourself during the year.

You are now going to write from the future telling someone just how good it feels to have achieved so much during 2008. And the person you are writing to is YOU!

That’s right - imagine while writing your letter to yourself just how your life fees if you were totally satisfied and fulfilled with what you hope to achieve in the next twelve months.

Writing the Letter from the Future allows you to think more clearly about aspects of your life and to identify clearly all the things that are most important to you right now.

Engage Your Emotions

As the experts have told us, just having a vision or dream of a happy future is not enough to get us there. You could sit down and think about what it is you want to achieve and imagine yourself living the dream. But writing the letter helps to engage your emotions.

It seems this is where the power of the letter lies. Writing it down allows you to reach deep into your self and draw from inner motivators. It is the ideal combination of thought and action with the least amount of energy!

The letter is for you and no one else except if you choose to share your letter with another.

In the letter you can explore any aspect of your life, current or future. You need never show it to anyone.

The closer to your deepest feelings you can get the more useful you will find the Letter from the Future exercise to be.

Just for Procrastinators

But personal experience tells me (and I was number one at procrastination) that some of you will not take the time to complete this simple technique.

That’s ok. I’ve got something for you and it should take no more than a few minutes to complete.

Try right now to complete this sentence:

‘If everything in my life had gone as well as it could have, by now I’d be . . . ‘

Then ask yourself:

‘Which part of my life is not being fulfilled that I think would be fulfilled if I had achieved this? What can I do about it now?’

Now do something!

This item is for educational purposes only. In no sense is the information contained here meant to replace qualified medical, professional, legal, financial or psychological advice. Consult a qualified medical practitioner or psychologist in cases of illness, pregnancy, distress or doubt.

Are resolutions an utter waste of time or is there something magical about setting the mind on a specific yearlong goal?The end of the year, or the beginning of a new one can have a triggering affect for many people. Some take the time to reflect and anguish over missed opportunities. Others celebrate over newfound success. Whichever category you fell into last year, there is hope for you to turn failure and despair into success and celebration. Follow these 4 strategies for making your resolutions into your reality.

1. Get clear: Clarity is power. The key to turning resolutions into reality begins with getting a clear picture of the goal you desire. That goal must be crystal clear, ever present and attractive. Your mind is designed to bring into reality that which you deeply desire. However, in order to do that you must be able to transform those desires into a clear vivid picture. Nothing happens unless it first happens in the mind.

2. Maintain your focus: It is not enough to just get a clear picture of your goal once or twice and then move on to other things. In order to activate this law of mind you must maintain your focus for an extended period of time. Almost to a point of obsession. Eventually your mind will pick up and internalize your goal. At that point you will be led to success. Things will begin to fall into place. People who’s assistance you need will begin to appear in your life. Ideas will spring into your mind and things will begin to happen that will seem almost magical. However these actions only occur once the goal is internalized. Internalization only happens by consistently maintaining the goal within the focus of your mind.

3. Trust: Many take this formula and simply don’t believe it is in fact true. Yes they try these four steps, half-heartedly, but deep inside they don’t believe they are capable of success. So when the mind begins to try to direct them, they doubt. They stall. They give up. In order for this mental guidance to work, you need to follow the two steps above, and then have enough faith to follow through on the inspirations and opportunities that will come your way. In short, you need to trust. If you are afraid to make errors or mistakes, get over it. You are going to make them anyway. Have fun making mistakes. Mistakes provide the best lessons in life. In addition, if you try something and it doesn’t work, guess what, now you know what doesn’t work. Now you are better than before. When it comes to taking risk, always remember the old basketball adage, “You miss every shot you don’t take.”

4. Create a support team: This final step is highly recommended. In reality, you can’t make any resolution into a reality without the support, help or assistance of others. Yet by intelligently employing others you can manifest your desires much quicker. A good idea is to create an association with someone who is committed to a goal similar to yours. In fact, the more people you can put together that share the same goals the better the flow of ideas will be between the group. This can propel the attainment of success a thousand fold. Find people that share your desires and create a mastermind alliance with them.

The beginning of a New Year can be an exciting time for setting goals and creating a vision of the future that is inspiring. However to turn resolutions into reality takes focus and commitment. Use the four steps reviewed here to manifest your desires. Dare to dream bigger and act as if anything you desire can be yours. Then make it happen.

Are you ready to make 2008 an excellent year? I’ve been searching the net for articles to help you achieve your goals for this year. This month I will be sharing some of the more interesting articles here, so check back often.

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You already know the laws of attraction can bring in your desires. When you are expanding your universal energy to attract more of your desires, it is important to live in the law in all your waking moments. You can learn to practice living using the laws 24/7. To shift to invite more into your life you need to shift one thought at a time.Here are five ways that occur in our daily lives that you can use to help towards living a full attraction day and bring in more of your desires:

1. When looking for a parking spot. See your desired spot being available for you. Feel it empty and waiting for you. It is waiting for you to drive right in.

2. Before going shopping for what you want, even if its shampoo, see it on sale. Listen to your body as to where you can find it on sale. Feel it in your hand. See yourself reaching for it off the shelf. Use this method whether it is something small you desire in a store, or to purchase the car or house of your desires, even use it for an item you desire that could be purchased on the Internet.

3. When reviewing your to-do list. See yourself checking off everything. See you completing every task with ease, passion, a delightful child-like giddiness. Feel yourself leaving your desk with everything completed and how you want it completed.

4. Being a tightwad can give you exactly what you practice. It stops attraction. That doesn’t mean you spend ridiculously. There is a balance. This begins with a belief change. The new belief you want to change to is: “The more I spend, the more I make.”

5. Feel the energy about receiving what you desire as gifts. Gifts people want to give you because they love what you are doing, as a thank you for what you have given to someone else.

Weren’t these easy thoughts. Now its time to implement them. Begin by working on one a day. Monday work on #1 and then continue it for the week. Tuesday pick up #2 and add it to #1. Wednesday add in #3 and add it to #2 and #1. And continue. Write each one on an index card. Place them in the place that is going to give you a reminder at the moment you need them.

For example: #1 place the index card in all your cars. #2 place the card on your refrigerator or where you write down your shopping list. Begin practicing this in your kitchen even before you get to the store. #3 place by where you to-do list exists. #4 needs a mantra card. #5 cut out presents from a magazine and paste on a card.