What Are Your Goals For 2014?

When we go to use the GPS in our automobile or on our phone, what is the first thing it asks of us?  Why, our destination, of course!  How can it get us anywhere if we don’t know specifically where we intend to go?

How many people are there, or do you suppose there are, who take the same position toward life?  Assume we take two ships.  One has no crew, no destination, no guidance.  Just suppose we start the engines, point it in the right direction, and let it go.  What are the chances it will get to where it started out to get?  Silly question, right?  If it gets out of the harbor at all, it will probably end up crashing on a deserted island. Now let’s take the second ship, only let’s add a captain and a crew who know exactly where it’s going.   The entire voyage has been carefully mapped out and planned.  9,999 times out of 10,000 the second ship will reach where it was intended to go.

Wise mentors over the years have taught me to regularly set and evaluate specific, worthwhile goals.  What a better time to do that than the winding down period of the year?  I have learned to set goals in seven different areas of life (in no particular order).  Here are some examples:

SPIRITUAL – Perhaps you want to get involved with a church group, start reading the Bible, or anything else deemed spiritual.

PHYSICAL – Maybe you’re looking to drop a specific amount of weight, run a marathon, or work on those six pack abs!

MENTAL – Are there any books that you’ve been wanting to read, languages you’ve wanted to learn, or specific subjects that interest you?

CAREER – Looking for a raise or a new position, maybe starting a new business?

FINANCIAL – Shooting for a specific amount of money, developing or changing your savings and investment strategies.

 FAMILY – Planning a family reunion, taking that family vacation you’ve been putting off, taking your sweetheart on a weekly date night!

 SOCIAL – Getting involved with civic groups, volunteer work, etc.

These are just a few suggestions, but you get the idea.  Each goal should have a few qualities:

  1. It has to be SPECIFIC.  Saying “I want to lose weight,” vs. “I want to lose 5 kgs.”
  2. It has to be MEASURABLE.  “I’m going to start reading more,” vs. “I am going to read 15 pages per day on personal finance.”
  3. It has to have a DEADLINE. “I want to get out of debt,” vs. “I am going to eliminate Starbucks so that I can apply that extra $40 per month to pay off this credit card bill by March 1st, 2014.”

While it’s good to set goals in each of these seven areas, you will want to pick the top two or three, rather than scattering your focus and trying to achieve too much all at once.  Remember the old Chinese proverb: “He who chases two rabbits catches none.”

As an added motivation, it doesn’t hurt to find and cut out actual pictures of what you are working toward to put up on your mirror or somewhere you will see them daily.  Once you start checking them off the list, go to the next one.  Here’s to the best 2014 that you could possibly imagine!

 

HELP A FRIEND TODAY WITH THEIR GOALS!!