Financial Freedom - Set Clear Goals
A life without goals is an aimless life. Much like a football match without goalposts.
How do you know where you are heading? How do you know when you have arrived?
You need to set a clear, measurable achievable goals with timelines. We stumble when we set over ambitious goals. Obviously we have set ourselves up for failure. And when we fail, we conclude that setting goals are meaningless. We give up, and return to aimless living.
One Step at a Time
A goal is not the same thing as wishful thinking. A couch potato decides to run 5miles tomorrow morning before sunset has failed before lacing up his running shoes. Success inspires greater effort. It is better to set tiny achievable goal and progressively raise the bar, than attempt to climb Mount Everest at first attempt.
However, it is not a crime to fall short of our goals. The correct response to falling short would be to simply lower the bar until you scale through. Then raise in slightly, and aim higher; one step at a time. It is very tempting when you have fallen way behind to attempt to make up for lost time, and raise the bar sky high. Start from where you are, and take it from there.
Your goals have to be clear, concise, finite and realizable. For this site, Financial Freedom Inspiration, I have decided to give myself a Christmas present; this site will be ranked in Alexa's top 100,000 by December 25, 2004. It is almost there. I know the date I intend to say goodbye to 9-to-5 avenue, almost to the hour. Of course I am keeping it to my chest, so that my boss does not stumble on this, and fire me, before I fire him. I know what income level I have determined as my exit parameter.
After you have produced your clear, concise, measurable, attainable etc goal, a veritable work of art. You don't just frame it, hang it on the wall, and admire it you. You back it up with an action plan, to actualize it. Action plans that will find its way into your daily, weekly and monthly to do list. You are in business?
To Swallow an Elephant
The easiest Way to swallow an elephant is to chop it into bite size pieces, then chew and swallow it one piece at a time, and taking it one day at a time. If you keep at it, before long, the pile is gone! The easiest way to achieve great thing is to start small, and keep at it. If you attempt one great leap, well your guest is as good as mine. It begins with setting a realistic goal.
What happens if you set a goal and all the works, and find out midstream that you are not going to meet the target, after giving your best? Simply lower the bar. You are not competing with the Joneses. There is no medal awarded for meeting inflated goals. Admit that you missed it, scale down, and breast the tape in style.
As you become comfortable with one level, you can raise the stakes slightly higher. Before you know it, you have reached and exceeded your original goal.
Guideposts