Royane Real

By: Yusuf Shaikh

Introductory comments by Royane Real

Most of us spend a lot of time trying to figure out the magic secret that will let us accomplish our goals and dreams.  We attend seminars and we read books and articles on the topic of goal setting.

When I was setting up this section on goals for my website, I read through literally hundreds of articles about the topic of how to achieve your goals.  I wanted to have a big variety of articles that could help readers figure out how to accomplish the goals that were most important to them.

The reason I liked this article by Yusuf Shaikh is because he emphasizes a different approach to goal setting.  Instead of getting too focused on the what and the how of your goals, he recommends that you spend some time thinking about the “WHY”.  That means, really think about why you want the particular goals you wish to accomplish.

Thinking about the why of your goals is an often overlooked part of setting goals and creating your life.  If you don’t understand the deep reasons behind the goals you choose, you may be trying to chase goals that really don’t matter to you.  In fact, you might be chasing goals that are not your own, but belong to someone else. 

For example, you might want to have a big house and lots of money because that’s what your parents wanted for you.  It may not be a goal that you desire.

If you try to achieve a goal that isn’t really meaningful to you, you won’t put a lot of energy behind it, and if you do achieve that goal, you’ll find that it won’t make you very happy.  You’ll be left with an empty feeling instead of the happiness you crave. 

The above introductory comments were written by self improvement author Royane Real.  Would you like to receive my free, no obligation self improvement newsletter?  Just sign up in the box on the left.  You can cancel your subscription at any time! 

Feature article

The Goal Setting Strategy That Always Works

By: Yusuf Shaikh

There are lots of goal setting strategies such as being specific, writing your goals down, putting a date on them, turning goals into action plans, and the list goes on. However most people are missing the most important ingredient in their goal setting; an ingredient that will ensure your success.

If you are missing this essential ingredient then you are making it much harder to achieve your goal and even if you do achieve your goal you will probably find that it doesn't make you happy.

The missing ingredient is WHY.

Most people set a goal without really taking the time to work out why this goal will make them happy. As a result they often end up with the wrong goal for them. Having the wrong goal makes it tough to develop the passion needed to achieve the goal and it turns the journey toward the goal into suffering rather than joy.

The first why to answer is why do you want to set goals at all?

You see, most goals that people set are "what" goals. They are goals that say what you want but not why you want it. Examples of "what" goals are "a new car", "$10 million dollars", "a particular job", "a particular romantic partner", " a certain lifestyle" and so on.

The underlying "why" here is that somehow these goals are going to make you happy; but are they really? Why should a car or an amount of money or a job or anything else miraculously make you happy? If you can become more specific about why you want to set goals in the first place then you will be able to set a goal that helps you achieve that end.

Here is an example of one possible answer to why set goals. "I want to have a sense of fulfillment in my life and the freedom to choose how I will gain that sense of fulfillment."

The important two components in this particular answer is the sense of fulfillment and freedom to choose. The sense of fulfillment implies that you will be involved in some activity that is emotionally rewarding for you and the freedom to choose implies that you will have a strong financial foundation either from your own resources or from a sponsor who funds your activities.

Now you are in a position to set a goal that will be a stepping stone to achieving the underlying reason. This goal may be to pursue a particular course of study that will lead to fulfilling work, or it may be to achieve a certain level of wealth that will allow you to pursue fulfilling activities, or it may be that you could achieve wealth by following fulfilling activities now. The possibilities are endless.

Discovering the why will lead you to the what. Because you know why you are chasing that particular "what" you will be willing to do what it takes because you are clear on what the personal rewards will be to you.

From the "what" you can determine the "how", in other words the strategy that you will follow in order to achieve the goal. The how leads to the achievement of the what and the what satisfies the why. Now you have a goal that will actually enhance your life in some meaningful way.

So now it's time for you to re-examine your own goals to see if you have a really clear picture of why you are chasing that goal. What is the underlying benefit that will enhance your life in some major, meaningful way? If you discover a good reason then you can use that to fuel your energy and passion for achieving the goal.

If can't find a clearly defined reason for pursuing your current goal then you would be better served by answering the why set goals at all question and then set a new, empowering goal to follow.

About the Author

Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to credit card, do please browse for more information at our websites. http://www.yoursgoogleincome.com  http://www.freeearningtip.com

Article source: http://www.articlerich.com