Emphasize your Goals in order to Achieve

Regardless of what we strive to do, without goals it’s unlikely we will ever achieve anything.

I start nearly every Monday with a list of goals I want to accomplish by the end of the week. I also have a list of goals I hope to see come to fruition within a given year or other specific timeframe, as well as long-term goals, such as retiring in financial comfort and growing old without the aid of medication.

I do pretty well with the things necessary to achieve my long term goals. I save money, invest wisely, eat right, and exercise nearly every morning. It’s those short term goals that give me grief. I’m not sure why. They’re not that difficult or unattainable. The problem is I haven’t attached enough importance to them.

This week I plan to create a Twitter account for my new blog, Fit to Excel, write five articles to promote each of my writing businesses, and make some final changes to my latest manuscript. Unfortunately many of these goals are the same writing goals I didn’t meet this entire month.

Most of the time my short term goals are cast aside by the middle of the week, replaced by something more pressing. My problem is I have no boss breathing down my neck, demanding I produce. That’s where self-imposed deadlines come into play.

Goals have to be important in order for you to put an emphasis on accomplishing them. If they aren’t important, you won’t find the time to do them. People always find time to do what needs done.

You may have a very tight schedule without a spare minute. But I guarantee if you had a heart attack that schedule would no longer be important. All the important things you had planned that week would be cast aside for doctors’ appointments, procedures, arguments with insurance companies and discussions with your family.

Your goals must have a degree of importance. The higher emphasis of importance you put on them, the more likely you are to achieve them Any goal worth setting should be important to you. Each goal you set, give it a degree of importance.

Be flexible. Running the vacuum cleaner before going to bed may be very important until your daughter needs help finishing a science project. Your evening bubble bath may be high on your list of priorities until your sister calls from out of town calls and announces she’s met the man of her dreams.

Life certainly happens, so leave room for a little flexibility in your schedule. But keep your dreams high on your list of priorities and they will soon be within reach.