Advantages of Building Your Distant Goal

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Have you found yourself engaging in a scattered approach and find difficulty in maintaining; or even establishing a clearly focused goal? Like a poorly polished telescope lens, the light is refracted and it is awkward to see a distant goal. So we set closer more practical goals.

Yet, is that what we want?

Is it enough to simply limit our goals to the near and accessible because we can’t visualize a distant goal?

Let’s peek over the telescope for a minute and use the spotting scope on top instead. What if we were to build an audacious goal that would embarrass our very soul to reveal? There is an expression, if you could not fail, then what dreams would become your goals. Make it big and bold – nothing is unrealistic. Then – give yourself a fair and reasonable time to achieve it.

Remember, we always overestimate what we can accomplish in a short period and drastically – repeat, drastically underestimate what we can accomplish in a long period. That is because we don’t have the knowledge, gifts and skills to do it today.

When you set that distant goal, it does several things.

  1. It buys you valuable time. Yes it is time to fail or procrastinate or lose focus again. But it also buys you the opportunity to use this precious ticking commodity to prepare and set shorter goals and objectives that align with our long term focal point.
  2. When this focal point is far enough ahead, it also provides you more lateral maneuvering room to explore your passions and gifts that you create along your journey. Each time you make a choice, you can measure it against the criteria – does this activity assist my experience, pleasure and fufillment in my journey to my long term objective.
  3. It sets the trail for many other shorter goals that you can setup along the way. And as a child crawls before he walks and runs; ensure that first tasks are EASY. We need encouragement, and reinforcement. We will have doubts and failures, so we need to meet simple objectives then feel the gratification of meeting them. This will build mental muscle memory (read habits) that will slowly empower you to progress with greater ease and finesse.
  4. It is easier to complete smaller goals if you have your aim focused on a greater more distant goal. The first goal is simply a step on your journey. It will seem less daunting and have greater purpose in its importance when you tie it directly to the objective of your higher path.

This overarching goal will provide you the guidance to align your actions and provide you with the direction to measure all of your smaller goals against. But we need to keep the focus clear. And it is so far away. How do we do that?

How do we polish that telescope lens?

When you pick out that ‘dare to dream’ audacious incredible goal, you may wish to stay tuned for our 2015 blog when I describe 3 things to bring your distant goal into brilliant focus.

For now, I wish you all a very prosperous and fulfilling New Year.

Clarity in Setting a Goal

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I had a great conversation with a fellow ‘motivator’ on how to best set goals.

So often, we take a scattered approach and have difficulty maintaining or even establishing a clearly focused goal.

It seems to me that the best way to have focus is to understand the “Why”.

Why do you want this goal? Why should you care if you make; or fail to reach it?

If you don’t know the Why yet, don’t despair.

You are not alone.

You need to build your story.

A story of emotional energy that tells of the greatest impact this goal will have on your life and those around you.

Develop the story without any association to do with reaching this goal.  You already have it!

In other words, the journey to the goal is not on the table here.  You simply wish to develop your ownership of the outcome and the massive benefits that will be derived.

Write these benefits down. Own them.  Make them emotional.  Provide hypothetical examples and use examples of others if required.

Feel free to give the consequences of not having these benefits and relate the loss of opportunity and disappointment.

When you have the Story strong enough – you own the “Why’ and you are on your way to a crystal clear goal.

Next time, we’ll discuss the importance of setting the really important goals out in the distance.

Personal Mission Statement

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My challenge to you is to write out a mission statement for yourself.  Right now. You can send yourself an email or put it on your desktop as a note.  Spend the moment right now to define who you are.  It is one of the best ways to work toward the goal setting that we all need in order to change the perspective on our abilities.

Write your mission statement now.  Put it in the first person.  If you would like an example here is mine. For good measure, I also included my Value Statement.

Dale’s Personal Mission Statement- Bring out the best in others. Through dynamic and caring communication, I describe life experiences and values to enhance the performance and actions of those who seek to have a better life.

If you notice this Mission Statement covers the Why, the How and the What.  You must have a “Why“.

Dale’s Personal Value Statement – Present to people with honesty and integrity – providing interest and value so that they can be inspired to improve their lives as well as those around them.

There are many fine examples available online, including some very successful celebrities.  I hope you find one that matches your values.

Notice the “Why”in the Mission Statement of Starbucks –

“Our mission: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time.”