Four Steps To Goal Setting
And Achieving

Plan, prepare and execute to achieve your dreams.

What are goals? How to use goal setting to succeed in life? How to influence the subconscious mind to achieve all that you want? Whatever be your dreams, follow the process given here to achieve them.

Influencing the subconscious mind to achieve goals is the secret to success. We all do it, almost on a daily basis, without realising it. If you are unaware of the process, then consider the following.

As an example, if you are in a job situation and you have to be in the office by 9.30 a.m., then unconsciously you have set up "being in the office by 9.30 a.m." as your goal and all your planning from the night before is done so that you realise it.

If you require 8 hours of sleep, then you are in bed by 11 o'clock, you get up at 7 o'clock, brushing, bathing, toilet, etc. are over by 8 o'clock, breakfast and paper reading are completed by 8.30, dress and leave the house by 8.45, and drive to the office at such a speed that you reach by 9.30.

Thus, unknowingly, you have planned and achieved, what management science terms as probably the most important action in achieving success : goal setting and achieving the goal.

It can be seen that goals are central to anything and everything that we do in life. They are as essential to success as air is essential to life. Without them you are headed into nothingness. To quote Seneca, "If a man knows not what harbor he seeks, any wind is the right wind." For more such quotations, click here.

So, what is the definition of goal setting and how to achieve goals?

A goal is an objective, a purpose. It is not just a dream. A dream becomes a goal only when it is acted upon. Also, it is common knowledge that in order to achieve success, one has to set smart goals. These are the ones that bear fruit.

According to a survey 27% of the people surveyed had no idea about their future; they not only did not know where they were going but probably did not even know whether they were going or coming. 60% had a vague idea about their future, 10% had mental pictures and only 3% had written down their dreams.

A few years later it was found that the 27% who had no idea about their future were living on government welfare, the 60% who had a vague idea about their future were earning just enough for survival, the 10% who had it in their mind were earning three times their earlier income and only the 3% who had written down their dreams had achieved almost all of them and had become wealthy.

There are four essential steps in goal setting and achieving:

Goal Setting Steps

1) Decide And Be Precise:

Sit down undisturbed at least for half an hour and think about what you want in life 5 or 10 years from today.

Be absolutely clear.If you want to be rich, don't just say to yourself that you want lots of money. Specify the amount, 1 million in savings, 1 million in investments, etc.

If you are in a job situation, specify the exact rank or post you would like to hold. And most importantly, specify the exact time limit in which you would like to achieve all this.

2) Write It Down:

Next, write down all these dreams of yours in a special book. Call this your DREAM BOOK. Also, whenever you come across a picture or drawing of your desired object, like a house, a car, a vacation resort, an air conditioner, a computer, whatever, cut out the picture and paste it in this book.

Psychologists say that our mind is most affected by visuals, then by the written word and then by what we hear. You must have heard the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words.

3) Hammer It In:

Daily, without fail, either early in the morning when you get up or late at night just before going to sleep (preferably at both times), go through your dream book.

Daily viewing of the dream book pushes all your dreams into your subconscious mind which then starts dictating your actions in such a way as to realise them. This is a sure shot way to goal setting success.

4) Keep Your Mouth Shut:

This is very important. Never tell your plans to anyone. When you declare your dreams to the world, it seems to have a diluting effect on your ability to achieve them. View this video for further explanation of this point.

Click here to read a success story about goal setting.