5 Goal Setting Secrets to Jumpstart Your Life

"Plan for the future, because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life." - Mark Twain

Here are some helpful goal setting techniques to help you achieve your targets:

1. Be SMARTER with your Goals.

Make your goals: Specific, Motivational, Action-oriented, Relevant to your situation, Time-bound, Encouraging, Rewarding.

For example, I will increase my sales by 15% compared to last year. Be as specific about your goal as possible. I will start my own catering business is a lot stronger than I want to go into business for myself. Challenging goals are motivating. Set goals that will push beyond what you usually think you can accomplish. Remember to set a deadline. A goal without a deadline is simply a dream. Attach a realistic yet challenging deadline for accomplishment and post this where you can review it regularly.

2. Visualize your goals.

Take 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes just before you go to bed; find a quiet place; close your eyes and relax, and visualize yourself actually achieving your goals. Remember the more senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, etc.) you can involve, the more real your visualization becomes. Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real that you woke up in the middle of it? Well the reason for that is the subconscious mind is at work involving all of those senses to trick you into believing the dream is real. Well, you don't have to wait; work at visualizing your goals.

3. Phrase your goal in the present tense and assume success.

Don't say, I want to. Say, I will. This subtle technique tells your subconscious that you have already achieved your goal, which means it will work at helping the goal become a reality. It will attract the people, places, and situations you need to achieve that goal.

4. Put your goals in writing.

This simple act helps you clarify your goals and will allow you to visualize them more effectively. Record each goal on a separate index card and review them twice a day once in the morning (when you first wake up) and again before you go to bed. Post index cards where you spend the most time; on the bathroom mirror, on the frig., on your nightstand, etc. This process reinforces your goals, acts as a reminder, and drives your goals deep into your subconscious. In fact, this is one of the most powerful strategies you can use to achieve your targets.

5. List the benefits you intend to receive by achieving each goal.

This will keep you focused and strong, particularly when you face the inevitable roadblocks and barriers. For example,: I chose to lose 20 pounds, list 12 benefits, and when having the urge to put butter on your veggies or help yourself to a second serving of food, review this list to help get past that craving. The more benefits you can list for your goals, the more motivating those goals will become.

Challenge yourself to is to take the time to plan your goals. Start with one goal and visualize it, write it down, and act on it. As I always say, if you don't invest the time to set goals then someone else will do it for you. And you won't like their goals. Invest the time!

Edited by D.Hernandez, Founder/Editor of LatinaLiving.com
Original Copyright by Ed Sykes