Listen up. If it seems to you that you've got bags of time to start thinking about your goals for the 2008, think again. At least Eric Edmeades wouldn't let you get away with that kind of thinking. He's all for getting started right now and right away. I know because I've just been attending today a one day training with him where he's been sharing his best guide for making the coming year your best ever.
Eric is now an international speaker in such areas as wealth, communication, business building and team building. Today he's been looking at creating clear goals that have a practical follow- up element, turning those deep desires we all have to create a better life experience for ourselves into attainable goals. It was one inspirational day.
For Eric dedicated planning is one of the keys to success. How many of us can get our focus around this at this time of the year? Well, a hell of a lot of people today by the look of it. It seems too many of us are sick of more of the same and we want to make a difference in our lives. And we want to do it now. But how to do it?
Eric said "I planned holidays and adventures, I planned charity and contribution, I planned for learning and I planned for success." He must have done something right for by all accounts he's doing pretty well in the world. Is it for us mere mortals? You betcha! If you don't know where you're going, how on earth will you know when you get there?
People with goals succeed because they know where they are going. - Earl Nightingale
What it takes is smart planning.
You miss 100% of the shots you do not take. - Wayne Gretsky
So let me offer one or two tips from the day that anyone can use.
1. Be aware of limiting beliefs when creating your goals. These are things like "I can't possibly aim that high.", "Its too much to shoot that far." Dream big goals - why not? Just be aware of that little voice inside that's getting back at you. If you try to set massive goals but know you screw up with your promises to yourself or you like a long lie-in in the mornings, that little voice is going to tell you no, you won't be able to reach them. How do you change that? What if you could find a more productive way to interrupt the negative thought patterns you have? He had us doing an NLP pattern interrupt exercise within small groups. Thats more involving to describe here but this next thing is well within all our capacity to do.
Create a Pattern Interrupt card. Use your computer to create a little card like a drivers licence with your picture on it. Create your own mission statement. Have 5-6 goals you want to achieve for the year. Laminate it. Stick it in your wallet. Now every time you are tempted to break your goal (e.g. you reach for that packet of biscuits you said you would never touch again), you bring out the card and read it. You may find you carry on eating the biscuits anyway but you still look at the card, still reminding your conscious mind and your subconscious what it is you are aiming for. Eventually the message will most likely get through.
Here's an exercise from the day. How about writing down what would be your perfect day if you could create it. But First! Consider, what would a messed-up day look like? Negative thinking, hitting the snooze button once again, procrastinating, drinking, smoking too much, having arguements with others, watching the news, being in a bad mood or others being so towards you. The list goes on. Now you'll know what you don't want. That's the stuff you're chucking out
Then come the real fun bit. This bit starts to give you clues about what you might want to be aiming for in your life. Describe your perfect day. Notice if it contains positive attitudes, spiritual enhancement, exercise, being in control of what you do, telling others you love them, keeping your word, doing something for someone else, play, fun, expressing gratitude, balancing work and play, dreaming and doing, drinking more water. What? What? Couldn't you just get totally blown away writing such a day?
2. Consider what happens when you give your word but don't follow through. Not to yourself or to other people. This bit's important because you're going to have to not only say you're going to take some action, but actually do them. Your currency to yourself or others have limited value if you don't.
I've a friend who I just say 'yea, yea' to now without the least conviction because repeatedly, she's failed to follow through with me and promises have been broken. After a while not only do others stop believing in you, but you don't even believe in yourself either. What does that do to your self esteem? How far down the road to success will you travel? Don't promise you will do something unless you know you will get things done. Shades of New year's resolutions here. And its far harder to keep those promises to yourself, isn't it?Who's going to check up on you? So during the day there was a lot of earnest promising both to ourselves and to our 'mastermind' groups about the steps towards achieving our goals we said we would take.
Wait. There's more. But I'm saving that for tomorrow.
Blessings for today
1. I had a wonderful and totally free opportunity today to revisit where I want to get to in my life in the next year. And I felt totally free to dream big and plan small practical steps. I'm excited by the future and totally committed to getting there. I am grateful to Triumphant Events and to Eric Edmeades for making this day possible that I and others may grow.
2. I am grateful to the people I met and connected with and especially with Naz and Christianna. Great company and conversations. And if at times I felt a little lost, it was good to have them near me and to to share our experiences.
3. One of the terrific things about living in London - so many wonderful experiences and opportunities to enhance my life right here on my doorstep. I feel lucky and appreciate them hugely.
Personal Development and Success
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