Don’t Set Goals, Set Priorities Instead!

Setting goals is overrated!
Yes, you do need to know what you want, and where you need to go.  Not having an outcome goal is a plan to fail.  However, I find the majority of the people I train, and probably most of my readers, are focused on a goal over which they have no control. Rather than an uncontrollable endpoint, I think an outcome goal should be a guide to help you set priorities and adapt necessary habits that, when practiced over a certain period of time, will provide the result that you want.

Learning to apply the skills that you already possess and use to advantage in other areas of your life is key to figuring out how to set yourself up for success. Think about how you got to where you are today in your career, your family life, your personal accomplishments and everything else. Did you get there all at once? No. Did you have to plan and work to achieve your goals in those areas? Of course.  Everything you do requires you to apply your skills to create a winning recipe to achieve the result you intend to have.

The Winning Recipe
Before committing to anything in life there are factors that need to be taken into consideration.  We visualize what we want and how to get there, evaluate the pros and cons, and then decide to either discard or go forth with our vision.

I believe that a successful goal planning process should begin with you defining your life; understanding and accepting where you currently stand before attempting to reach new heights.

Considering the following elements will help you create your own winning recipe for goal planning and achievement:

Integrity & Values
What defines you as an individual? Who are you? What do you believe in and why? What do you stand for and why?  What example are you setting for your children? What legacy do you want to leave behind when you’re gone?  These are some of the basic questions that you should have answers for to enhance your clarity and vision of yourself.  Without these answers, life is passing you buy without you being in control.

Most people set goals based on what they want, but not necessarily on what they believe. When you go against what you stand for and what you currently believe in, then you create a failing environment where nothing works for you!  For example, if you’ve never cared about what you’ve eaten and you’ve consumed toxic foods over the years (man made foods such as bread, pasta, soft drinks, processed juices, etc.) and now you want to lose weight, how long will you stick to your new ‘clean’ eating diet?  Not long, because it’s something you don’t really believe in, but are simply willing to do just for the time being.  You see my point?


Priorities
Priorities need to be set in place based on what your integrity is and the values that lead your life.  Otherwise a priority will become a chore, or something that you may do for the wrong reasons and not enjoy.  Priorities are a blueprint that will guide you in the real world and help you to identify your integrity and values to the universe.  Priorities will also allow you to gain more control over your life by providing an opportunity to practice those habits that will ultimately complete you.

Habits
Adapting habits that support your values will also support the very same outcome goals that you have set out for yourself.  Your goals, values, and habits that you practice, need to be in sync with your overall belief system. If they’re not, then you will not enjoy the process and you will fail.

Choice
You are blessed with the power of choice, and you can make a decision to do as you please.  Once you have a clear vision, you’ll know what habits you need to practice, and can choose to do so on daily basis.  Nobody else will do it for you; it’s up to you to evolve and blossom.

Conclusion
Know who you are before you begin to even think of change. Have a clear vision of where you want to be and why. Develop a blueprint you can use to decide on which habits you need to adapt in order to get to your destination.

When the right thing is done the right way for the right period of time, positive change will come.