So you have probably heard before that setting goals is a good way to achieve what you want in life. Yet how many times have you tried this and found that you did not actually achieve the goal you were aiming for, or perhaps sometimes it worked for you and at other times it didn’t. Why does this happen? And what is the secret to ensuring that you DO achieve all your goals? Let’s find out !!
Step 1. Know your outcome.
“If you don’t know where you are going, you wont know when you get there”
You need to become very clear on the specific outcome you desire. Don’t use negative language such as “I don’t want to be overweight” or intangible outcomes such as “I want to look better.” You NEED to be very specific with your goal outcome. It must be measurable and contain a timeframe. Your goal should be stated in the positive, i.e. “on the 31th March 2012, I will weigh 60KG.”
Step 2. Create Alignment
In order to attract the right circumstances and ensure that your goal is congruent with your life, you must ensure that you have alignment across several key factors. As an individual you have your own unique set of values, beliefs and self identity. The most effective way to achieve any goal is to ensure that your chosen goal is in alignment with your current beliefs, values and identity. If there is a misalignment and you are very serious about achieving your goal, then you will make the necessary adjustments to these beliefs or values . Yes, beliefs, identity and values are not fixed, they are there to be used by you to live the life you desire. They can change whenever you choose them to. Lets examine this a bit further. If your goal is to weigh 60KG by a given date 12 weeks from now, yet you believe that it takes at least 6 months to lose that much weight, then you have a misalignment. In this instance you need to change this limiting belief. One simple approach is to seek out lots of evidence where people have lost weight healthily within this timeframe, research all you can on what foods they eat, what exercise they undertake and get very clear on how this is achievable. Faced with overwhelming positive evidence you can then reassess your old belief. There are many other more advanced techniques for making rapid changes in your beliefs to enable positive outcomes and with the assistance of an NLP practitioner these changes can often be made within minutes. Alignment of your energy is also key, you need to clearly experience, with all your senses how you will feel when you achieve your goal, what does it look and feel like and what emotions do you carry with you in this state. This enhanced emotional state is the basis for you commencing the change. Use this energy to propel you towards your goal. You should adopt an emotional and physiological state of excellence, a state that you desire and is representative of you having already achieved your goal. By aligning your Goals with your Self identity, your values, your beliefs, thoughts and actions, you are ensuring that all parts are functioning to support the attainment of your goal. It is like a team of rowers all in a long rowboat. In order to get where they are going efficiently, they must all row in the same direction, in harmony and unison.
Step 3. Take Action
The final step in this three part Goal achievement is to take action. Contrary to what you may have heard in some areas, wishing for something alone will not ensure your outcome. Action is what brings thoughts, emotions and beliefs into reality. Now if you have followed the first two steps thoroughly, you will find that your actions become exciting, enjoyable and full of energy. You will enthusiastically strive towards actions that are aligned with your joy and your goal. Ideally, you will continue to evaluate your actions to ensure they are aligned and congruent with your stated goal and where necessary have enough behavioral flexibility to make small adjustments as required to continually ensure that your actions are heading you in the right direction. Each day and in numerous ways you are presented with choices, as you make these choices , ask yourself if the choice is aligned with your goal and your self perception. Does making this choice bring me closer or further from who I am and my chosen goal? Take consistent and constant action in the right direction, follow those actions that align with your energy and that are within your ability to act on at that very moment.
So there you have the three steps to achieving your Goal
1. Know your Outcome
2. Create Alignment
3. Take Action
Use your emotion to create energy, and your energy to create motion. E-MOTION – Energy in Motion
Achieve your goals free you from stress or anxiety and have a life full of happiness, health, and abundance
John Merritt – Master Practitioner NLP