Goal Setting With Intention

“People who fail to start working on their goals, start to fail themselves” – NsosoSpeaks
We are approaching a last third of the year and the chit-chat about the year coming to an end has started or the year is finished. The people that haven’t achieved the goals they’ve set at the beginning of the year, seem shaken while others mention a thing or two which have been a highlight for the year. In both groups, I have discovered another group which takes the bamboo tree strategy, building themselves and they feel the change but they have nothing to show for it, just like a bamboo tree grows underground for years without anybody noticing. This group of people are working on developing themselves just like a bamboo, by the time it comes above ground nothing will stop it. Those people know themselves. If you are not in this group do not despair – we still have four months to do our best to rise above.
First, let ask ourselves – why do we seem to fail to achieve our goals? Reasons may differ and some can just be excuses if you are being honest with yourself. Whether you have an good reason or a better excuse, the truth remains that goals are not being achieved. Losing focus on goals is mainly caused by losing interest and not seeing value in the goals you have set. The reason that answers your why you started in the first place, your intention, is being seen through jaundice eyes or forgotten.
I have observed these mistakes below:-
  1. We set too many goals and we start working on them all at the same time. This causes chaos due to lack of focus.
  2. Goals that we set have no timeline. This leads to pushing your goals to the next day, which matriculates to the next week, the next month before you know it we are chit-chatting about the year ending. You can relate.
  3. Our set goals are written in the ether. Instead of writing goals down on a journal or goal card, we decide to keep them in our heads. Goals written and visible to us everyday keep the idea fresh in our minds and easier to follow on and work on.
The effective ideas below to help you achieve your goals – if followed and taken seriously.
  1. Prioritise your goals – write your top three goals on a notepad and make sure you see them everyday.
  2. Start working on the most important goal – One goal at a time until you finish it and move to the next import goal. Bear in mind that setting a time for that goal is necessary.
  3. Review your goal progress – Checking-in is absolutely necessary for progression so you know how fast or slow you are getting to achieve your goal. Pace differs from goal to goal, it is important to know that so you don’t get pressure and be discouraged. Putting a timeline helps to keep goals in check.

Following these ideas will change the way you do things in your life or career. Change is never easy but those willing will always be ready for any challenge and intentions are aligned with their end goal. Let me tell you what happens when you start making changes in your life. Procrastination will be your best friend and fear your sidekick to convince you what you are losing or tell you how not ready you are. The trust is that any changes will bring friends and enemies. Like the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. There is no doubt in my mind that PROCRASTINATION and FEAR are everybody’s enemies, so bring them closer to you. Procrastination is a reminder for me of what my intentions are and that I have set a big goal, even if she says I can do it tomorrow, I know I have to do it NOW. Fear tells me that I am not ready and usually my response is, “you are not ready.” and I keep going. Without these two in my journey I would feel lost or dead.

Finally, make sure that your goals are readily visible to see the first thing when you wake up and the last thing that you see when you go to bed. Your intention must be as clear as day to guide your actions all the way to achievement of your goals. Reminds of a saying that goes, “Your actions speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you are saying.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. Align your actions with your speech and what is written down as your goals.

In three month from now, you will be on a different level and it all depends your actions, you have a big decision to make.

Written by Mduduzi Mthanti – NsosoSpeaks.

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