Goal Setting Activities

Career goal setting. Just the thought of those words may make some of you cringe.But it’s time to step up to the plate and really get into the career game.

If you could change your job situation tomorrow, would you do it? If you said yes you are among the thousands of folks who are unhappy or unfilled in their jobs. Maybe you no longer find satisfaction in your career? You may be looking for a job that better reflects your passions and interests and some of you could be just getting into the job force. Stop fighting it,career goal setting is your answer to figuring out all your career headaches.

The fact of the matter is, if you want to uncover a career that is fulfilling you will need do some introspection.As you do this you’ve got to forget about all social pressures and be open to all possibilities; no matter how far they may be from your current position. And of course write it all down!

One of the first steps in the career goal setting process is to determine exactly what it is that youwant from your career. Remember, the career goal setting process is a journey and having a well thought out plan or map to guide you is crucial.But before you lay down your plan you must first do some research, and in this case the research topic is you. This will involve some soul searching to figure out if you are even in the rightfield or that the career path you are considering is best suited to your interests and strengths.

Here are a couple things to ponder about: If you could do anything what would you do?What moments in your life bring you the most joy? Be attune to various issues or topicsthat you are passionate about. In this state of introspection, let your mind and imaginationrun free. Don’t sensor yourself and don’t discredit or do away with career possibilities that seemsilly or out of the ordinary. Discovering true happiness and satisfaction in your career may takesome time, so be patient and be open to taking different paths to get you to your goal.

Effective goal setting involves knowing exactly where you want to go and why. And whileit is important for you to take inventory of all your interests and skills; you must also pay closeattention passion.

Passion plays an important role in maintaining fulfillment in all aspects of your life includingyour career. As you think about your future career situation, take your current skills as wellas your passions into consideration when making a decision. That way you will have a larger selection ofcareer fields to choose from. If you only consider your skills you end up limiting your options.

Once you’ve focused on your passion, take some time to review your strengths and weaknesses. Literallywrite them all down (even the things your mom says you’re good at!) If applicable, assess the skillsyou currently utilize in your job. Friends and colleagues may also offer some interesting insights.Once you’ve done this self-assessment you will have a more clear and vivid picture of what you as an individual has to offer.

For some of you, a self-assessment may reveal that you do not have the skills and qualifications necessary topursue the career goals that you are passionate about. As part of the career goal setting processyou may now need to develop a plan that will allow you to acquire this qualification. You may want to explore a number of avenues. These may include, but are not limited to: On the job training from your current employer, communityorganizations in your town that may offer cost effective programs and courses, or volunteering as a way to gain some new skills or know how.

Career goal setting will give you a greater sense of direction and motivation. Having a clear plan or map is the key tocareer success, but you must be willing to carry out a self assessment to have a better understanding of exactly what gives you a sense of fulfillment. Just like any road map you have got to keep it close and be prepared to revisit itas you continue along your journey.

Spending time in Thailand which is 97% Bhudhist and getting used to walking at a slower pace due to the heat, I am reflecting on the ideas of goal setting.

When you are feeling pressured, stop that feeling of wanting to rip yours or someone else’s hair out with these 5 tips for peaceful goal setting and life success.

These tips help with laid back peaceful yet efficient and mature goal setting.

1. Become mindful of your emotional experiences of frustration and overwhelm and pause to recognize, acknowledge, and accept that at present it is a part of you, and that it is ok.

It is not wimpish to acknowledge our pains. It is in fact a much more mature way to live. If something is troubling you. It can be emotionally released by pausing and acknowledging that it exists at this time. Breathe into it, and when you feel ready, carry on with your day.

Might you be able to apply this to any hurdles to goal setting and life success right now, or will you do it when something comes up later?

2. See if you can mentally identify the top one or two major things that are causing you 80% of the current negative feelings that may be hindering your goal setting and life success.

If you can’t think of them, then spend some time alone writing down whatever ‘problems’ you can think of until you hit on the aha’s of greater concern.

Do you know what are the biggest emotional dramas revolving around your life at present?

3. Write down all of the little and medium and large responsibilities, tasks, projects, time-stealers, etc that you possibly can think of that are relevant to your goal setting and life success for your life in the short term.

By capturing it all on paper you might be surprised at just how much more satisfied and under control you feel. Even if there is an absolute ton of items to note down, it is much less taxing on the brain to be able to see it clearly rather than constantly be wondering if you have missed or forgotten anything.

How complete is your life of ‘things to do’. Does it scrape you through the day with minimal abrasions, or is it a rock solid comprehensive status of your affairs?

4. Reward yourself in some way for your efforts and small success’s in goal setting and life success.

I used to have a problem with doing this as I felt it was an indulgence given that there really REALLY was so so SO much to be getting on with.

However I have learned that the mind actually needs to be ‘tricked’ into efficient performance and stamina, and giving yourself rewards actually programs your deeper mind to stay on top of things more.

You might dedicate 30 minutes to a relaxing bath. Or a few pages of that novel that has been collecting dust on your bed side table until now. Self-rewards can sometimes seem childish, but it is the deeper part of our mind that functions in that way, so accept and utilize it for your benefit.

5. Prioritize goal setting and life success in a way that accepts the facts of finite time.

That is, you have 24 hours in a day. Better it is to do a good job on one major project dedicating 2 hours to it, than to attempt work on multiple projects which dilutes your effectiveness for any one.

Stay mindful that good learning, good writing, good work of any kind, requires a certain amount of time. Where do you need to invest a good quality block of time on one of your projects over the next day or two?

In order to succeed with long term goal setting, then you need to be aware of the most common mistakes and pitfalls that can ruin your best-laid plans. Check your goals, and see where you may have hit a roadblock.

1 Sticky Goals:
It’s easy to get plugged into a goal, and even though it’s not working, you hang on to it out of sheer habit or willfulness. That sets you up for procrastination and frustration. Rethink the goal by concentrating on the big picture – the direction you want your life to go – instead of the specific way to get there. Maybe the goal to own your own business is about wanting to spend more time with your kids, instead of more money. Maybe the goal to write a bestseller is really about wanting recognition for your talents, not fame. Focus on the feelings that you are after instead of the one-and-only way to get it.

2. Floating Goals:
These goals are floating around in your head, usually masquerading as a wish list. Writing down goals (and strategies and actions) takes them out of the *wishing* category and gives them roots to grow. It’s no longer just a pipe dream in your head. Now you can simply filter all decisions (big and small) through your goals — does it contribute to my goal, or detract from it? Example: You have a goal to write a best selling romance novel, with a strategy of writing one chapter each week for 36 weeks, and your action is to spend 1 hour per day towards each chapter. If you don’t schedule – AND PROTECT – that 1 hour each day, it’s more than likely that you’ll get to the end of each week wondering why you didn’t get more done.

3. Contradictory Goals:
This is a common mistake in goal setting–two or more goals with opposing results. Marriage counselors see it a lot in people who want the benefits of being married without giving up the single lifestyle. Or maybe you have a goal to spend more time with your family, but you have a job you want to do well at that requires a lot of face-time. Contradictory goals will frustrate you to no end, because you’ve given yourself an impossible task. Evaluate your goals in light of their relationship to each other.

4. False Goals:
These are goals that involve chasing money, approval of others, etc. If you want to become a doctor just to win the approval of someone in your life, that’s a false goal. Or if you want to become a doctor just because of the money you’ll earn, that too is a False Goal. You’ll find yourself constantly looking for external motivation to keep you moving forward. Or you’ll find that no matter what you say your goal is, you just can’t move forward on it. It may be that it’s not an expression of the authentic you. Find the courage to tell the truth about what you really want in your life.

5. Blind Goals:
No matter how nicely laid out the goals, strategies, and actions are, if you don’t SEE them and review them, and let them become part of who and what you are and do, on a daily basis, you’ll lose track of them. The job, the errands, the latest TV show, worrying about money, worrying about kids, worrying about the economy will all crowd out your time, thoughts, and energy. They may remain in the back of your mind, but you won’t gear your life towards them. Instead, write them out, blow them up to poster size, put a sticky on the ‘fridge, frame them for your office – anything, and anywhere that you’ll see them regularly.

Check your goals for these pitfalls, make a few adjustments, and you’ll be back on the success road sooner than you think.

Goal setting is not only about the goals but also about what the person expects to get from these goals, the road he or she imagines on their way to these desired goals, and the force in which they imagine getting there.
Expectations are not only important, they are critical for one to achieve the goals he set out for himself, the can be the driving force behind a person with clear and set goals and, on the other hand, may turn out to be the discouraging and breaking elements behind the same person.
The first thing to remember that in goal setting the goals as are the expectations are yours, you will need to ask yourself the basic questions, what is it that you expect to get from a more balanced life? Is it more free time? closer relationship with your spouse, partner or significant other? more time to pursue an advanced degree? Maybe you want to take some hobby or learn something new? Any or all of these things are great goals, but your expectation to achieve balance must take into consideration that some of these goals will take more time away from your family. Its pretty simple when you think of it, investing some time in one thing will ultimately take up time from another. The basic thing you have to do is to be very clear about your goals and about your expectations. What does balance mean for you? Is it more time for yourself? Do you dream of more time for your family? Don’t make a promise to get more work/life balance and then squander that balance with poor planning. This kind of approach will leave you in a worst condition than what you have started at.
Keeping expectations realistic is an important thing, do not let your own ambition and expectation create a barrier for you in the future, be very cleat about what do you expect to achieve and how will this balance change your life. Ask yourself if your expectations are realistic for the planned timeframe and actions you want to take or are you dreams too large, sometimes we can create a perfect picture in our mind that is unreachable in the time frame we set, it is better for you to have realistic targets you can reach. Once you have your own expectations under control, you’ll need to look to your employer and your family and friends to be sure that you understand and can meet their expectations. If you have your own family you will need to listen to what they want too. It is all well and good that you expect to regain some balance in your life but if you need to fill in a huge hour quota at work you will have great difficulties to achieve your goals, it is always best to realistically examine the situation, and if need be, talk to your employer and ask to change your working patterns to allow you with more space for balanced life.
Try and make sure that the people around you know and understand your reasons for better balanced life and ask for their support and encouragement, this can include you wife, children, parents, and even your boss. Once you get the plan right, you can move forward more quickly and succeed in you better work life balance.

Wow. I remember when I first started writing. I wish I’d known then what I know now! But don’t worry – I’m going to tell you what I know now, so you can have a super fast and successful start to your writing career.

I did ok in those early days – a few letters got published in some big magazines, I got the odd article accepted here and there in some low profile magazines, and one or two short stories received publication and a few complimentary copies.

But as I say, I wish I’d known then what I know now. I was doing ok, but I was aimless. I had no real direction to go in. If I felt particularly inspired, I might write a couple of articles in one day; I remember once writing three in a single day and getting every single one published. But then I’d bask in the glory of my success for weeks… and it was ages before I summoned the muse to write again.

This is a real stumbling block for the newbie writer. If you have real ambitions as a writer – if you want to get published (and paid for), and you have a list of magazines tucked safely under your pillow that you dream about getting published in someday… you need a plan. You need a goal.

This is something I never realised until a few years ago. You can be the most talented writer out there; you can be the next John Grisham, the next JK Rowling, or the next Stephen King… but it doesn’t matter a jot if you don’t have a plan for how you’re going to get there.

Goal setting can make the difference between doing okay, and getting a few pieces published here and there, or making a successful, full time career as a writer. Even if you only want to keep your writing in hobby status, setting goals for yourself can mean that hobby brings in several hundred pounds a month extra, and puts your name in several well known magazines every month.

So how do you go about setting goals?

Well the first and most important thing you need to do is to be honest with yourself. Grab a notepad and pen, and settle down in a comfy chair where you won’t be disturbed. Ask yourself what you’d really like to achieve with your writing. Be honest – don’t neglect to write something down because you don’t think you could ever do it, or it’s too hard, or you don’t think you’re good enough. This is like the ‘what would you do if you won the lottery?’ question – go all out and dream!

Would you like to write a book? Get a short story in a world famous magazine? What’s the one thing you’ve always wanted to achieve with your writing?

Let’s say you want to write and publish your own book. That’s a big goal. But you can do it – if you go about it in the right way. That’s where goal setting comes in. But you need to know how to do it properly – and for maximum effect.

First of all, write your goal down on a Post-It note. But don’t write it as if it’s something you want – write it as if it’s already happened. So you’d write something like this:

“I am a successful published author, and I make £1000 every month selling copies of my book online and in bookstores.”

This might sound a little strange, but it really works! The key is to write your goal down as if you have already achieved it, and then stick the Post-It note where you will see it often – ideally right by your computer screen. By doing this, you will impress the message upon your subconscious, which will get to work for you and start making your dream come true.

Sounds even stranger now, I’ll bet! Well, the subconscious is an amazing thing, but you don’t really need to understand a great deal about it for this method to work. The simple reason it does work is this – the subconscious cannot tell the difference between what is real and what you tell it is real. Whatever messages you bury into your subconscious, it will make them come true.

Think about it. Have you ever noticed how people who are down on their luck are convinced it’s because they’re naturally unlucky? And then something bad happens to prove it? And that convinces them even more… and so on, in an ever downward spiral?

And think about someone you’ve met who always seems to be doing well? They’re always optimistic, always looking for the best in every situation… and they always seem to be ‘getting lucky’?

Both these types of people have ultimately created their own surroundings. The person who expects to succeed does exactly that – because they work towards that goal, and their subconscious drives them there. The unlucky person expects to be unlucky because that’s what always seems to happen to them – so that’s what their subconscious ‘mirrors’ back to them.

So get your subconscious working for you, and think about what you would really like to achieve as a writer. I have used this technique for some time now, and I can tell you it’s amazing what starts to happen when you trust your subconscious and stick that little Post-It note where you can see it!

A while back, I set a goal to get some e-books published. I wanted to be earning £1000 a month by writing and selling articles and e-books, so I stuck my note on my computer monitor, and I found myself looking at it probably twenty or thirty times a day.

Within a couple of weeks of doing that, my first book was on sale with an online publisher, and I had an agreement with a second publisher to write another one for them. In the same short space of time, I found a website on which I could display and sell my articles (check it out at www.constant-content.com/?aref=5038 – I thoroughly recommend it), and sold a couple within five days of each other. It felt like I’d just ‘got lucky’ and stumbled across all this information… but I know it’s because my subconscious knew what it needed to do, and went for it like a heat seeking missile!

And all thanks to that Post-It note!

So you can see what’s possible. Think about what you’d really like to achieve, and set yourself some goals today. If you follow the technique above, I promise you you’ll be celebrating in no time!

Go to it – and enjoy the journey.

Goal setting could ensue in the early part of life, before entering the professional world; or it might be sometime later in life, when you are thinking about a career change. It’s importance increases from the fact that it will support your livelihood, and it will be something that you will be involved with every day in your life.
Setting A Goal
There are various things that count when you want to set a career goal. The career you choose should be one that you love. If you enjoy your work, it will not seem like work at all. If you love your work, and think that what you are doing is important, it will not only give you tremendous satisfaction, but it will also improve your productivity, and help you progress on your career path. You should know what you desire in life, and once that is known you need to tirelessly and dedicatedly follow the chosen path.
Often, we are not too sure what we want to achieve. But, choosing a career with the kind of work you love doing will definitely help you in the long run. Your chosen career should be such that it brings out your talents, and that those are put to creative use. After working in a different field for some time, I moved into writing. This was something I had always enjoyed doing (but frankly, never thought of as a profession). However, now my work is more like a pleasure and I am enjoying every moment of it.
Though I got into writing quite by chance, and I was lucky enough to “accidentally” get into the field that I loved, this will not necessarily be the case with everyone. That is why it is important at the beginning that you chose a career doing something that you actually like doing.
The Money
For most of the people dissatisfied with their profession, the most common factor is money. You should evaluate the kind of money you will be able to make in your chosen profession. Can it take care of your long-term needs? Is it because of money (or the lack thereof) that you are thinking about changing your profession?
Though loving and enjoying your work is important, for practical purposes, money also needs to be considered. You should strive to strike a balance between your love for a particular job and the money you can make. Everybody has different priorities, and it is you, who will need to decide and set your priorities. It is a universally accepted fact that some professions pay more than others. But the general trend is that if the economy is strong, all professions do well, and people, in general earn good money. However, bad times affect different people and different professions in different ways.
Thus, it is evident that you pay good attention to setting your career goals, it definitely helps in the long run. Goal setting should be done with a clear mind, great determination and focus.

Everyone wants to write a book. At least that’s what they tell me when I introduce myself as a book writing coach. Yet, rarely do they follow through to write a book. It is just a magical dream, thought, or idea because there are hundreds of reasons why they can’t do it. We know the reasons: no time; busy; don’t know how; it’s a giant step; my family needs me, and so on.
In our personal and business lives we know how important it is to set goals to achieve our dreams. When we want to write a book we have to use the same goal setting principles. If you want to become an author, a successful writer, you are more apt to succeed if you have a plan.
Author and motivational speaker, Brian Tracy, tells us that, “Every single life only becomes great when the individual sets upon a goal or goals which they really believe in, which they can really commit themselves to, which they can put their whole heart and soul into.”
This is the key: First believe, then commit, and finally put your whole heart and soul into it. Are you ready to begin? Do you have the passion? If you answered, “Yes,” then you can write a book! Let’s get started by using some goal setting techniques to get you going.
Here are the 7.5 goal setting tips you can use to help you write a book:
1. The Dream
Identify your book idea. This is your expert topic that you know so well. This is your dream. Tell yourself right now, “I am writing a book about (name the topic).”
2. Clear Picture
Can you visualize the content of your book? Start writing down the chapter topic ideas. Don’t worry about the order, just write them down. Keep on writing down your ideas so that you get the “big picture.” Your dream should be much clearer to you now.
3. The Plan
Take your book idea and your chapter topics and put them in an order that makes sense to you. Add anything else to your outline that can help make your book a reality. Can you visualize your book now? Is it becoming real to you?
4. Set Dates
Get your appointment book out and start reserving some time each week to write your great book. Even if it’s only 20 minutes to start, write it down and reserve the time. You could write a chapter a week if you set aside 60 minutes. In order for this to work you must have developed your Plan in number 2. The more prepared you are the easier it will be to write your book.
5. Plan of Action
It helps to have a plan of action for everything you need to do to write a book. In addition to number 2 The Plan, you need to identify the other tasks that need to be done such as research, phone calling, people you need such as editors, coaches, publishing info, etc. Get a good book, or search the Internet, for a list of the things you need to do to write your book.
6. Get a Mentor or Buddy
Find a like-minded friend to help keep you on target. Give him or her your PLAN and ask them to remind you of your committed dates. Have them encourage you while writing. Ask them to hold you accountable to your scheduled dates. Better yet, find a mentor or writing coach that can guide and direct you during your book-writing journey.
7. Take Action
Only YOU can complete your goal to write a book. You have to go through all the obstacles in your life to finish the book such as writer’s block, need more information, conflict for your time from family and business, etc. No one can write your book unless you hire a ghostwriter. Even then you must allow time to share your ideas, concepts, and chapter ideas with him or her. Only you can make your dream come true. Only you know how important your book is to your clients. You know it will give them solutions to their problems. You know it will give you the credibility you deserve.
7.5. Stay Up-to-Date
I added a half step to remind you that you need to stay up-to-date on your writing skills and knowledge. Get some good reference books on how to write a book proposal, how to find a literary agent, how to self-publish (if that’s your choice), and other materials you need to write a book. Attend a writer’s retreat that fits your writing category, meet authors and ask questions, and anything else that can keep you committed to writing your great book.
You now have 7.5 ways to set writing goals to accomplish your dream to write a book. Can you see now that writing a book deserves the same type of attention needed to accomplish any goal? Now, go back to Step 1 and take a baby step and tell five friends that, “I am writing a book about (your idea).” Now you are committed.
Copyright 2008, Joan Clout-Kruse. All rights reserved.

Whether it works or not, whether you believe or not is irrelevant. Their was one study that all the famous self help gurus would recite about a study in 1953 at Yale. The story goes like this: In 1953, researchers surveyed the graduating seniors at Yale to find out how many had specific goals, written down, for their future. 3% was the response. The same researchers went back twenty years later, polled the surviving members of the class and found that: the 3% that had set goals, and written them down, had accumulated more wealth then the other 97% combined!
Some claim this story as the truth, and some claim it to be made up, a myth created by the gurus to show unbiased proof that it does work. True or false, if you talk to successful people in their industry, you will probably find some had set goals, and some did not.
The one true thing about setting a goal, and writing it down is this: It sets your mind and body down the right path to accomplish the said goal. It’s easier to develop an action plan, when you know where you want to end up. Just like going on a trip to somewhere that you have never been before. If you just get in your car and start driving and hope you’ll arrive at your destination, well you may make it or not, but a destination that would take 8 hours to get to, may end up taking you 15 or 20 hours. Same goes for your plan to succeed in your chosen business. Why take twice as long if you don’t have to?
Once you have an end goal set, just work backwards to get your monthly or weekly goals or actions that you will have to take to reach it. If you set a yearly goal of $100,000 in sales, and you sell ABC Widget for $50 each, then work back to find your monthly, weekly, daily and even hourly actions that you will need to take in order to reach $100,000 in sales. $8333 per month, $1923.00/week, $274.00/day, $34.00/hour. Now if you’ve never made $100,000 before, it may seem a little daunting, but if you work back and see that you only have to average $34/hour, not even 1 ABC Widget per hour, then your mind is more easily convinced, and proceeds on the path to achievement. What the mind can conceive, it can achieve!
Although there may not be any hard proof, such as the Yale study of 1953, setting goals, and writing them down, will help you accomplish almost anything you want. Having a plan and doing the daily actions on a consistant basis, will lead you to success, in whatever end goal you are setting.