Napoleon Hill learned from successful business leaders and thinkers of his time the power of the mind to envision and determine goal success.
Successfully executing any personally motivating goal requires that you develop your plan. By effectively incorporating these seven steps the chance of attaining each goal can be changed to a certainty.
1. Express your goal in terms of specific events or behaviours. For a dream to become a goal, it has to be specifically defined in terms of operations, meaning what will be done. When a goal is broken down into steps, it can be managed and pursued much more directly. “Being happy,” for example, is neither an event nor behaviour…it is too vague. When you set out to identify a goal, define what you want in clear and specific terms.
2. Express your goal in terms that can be measured. How else will you be able to determine your level of progress? How will you know when you have successfully arrived at where you wanted to be? Be specific and quantify to qualify.
3. Assign a timeline to your goal. Once you have determined precisely what it is you want, you must decide on a timeframe for having it. The deadline you create gives a sense of urgency or purpose, which in turn will serve as an important motivator, and prevent inertia or procrastination.
4. Choose a goal you can control. Unlike dreams, which allow you to fantasise about events over which you have no control, goals have to do with aspects of your existence that you control and can therefore direct. In identifying your goal, make every effort for what you can create, not for what you can’t. Take a reality check often.
5. Plan and program a strategy that will get you to your goal. Pursuing a goal seriously requires that you realistically assess the obstacles and resources involved, and that you create a strategy for navigating that reality. Will power will get you so far and is a key component to succeeding however it can fluctuate as it is based on your emotions. Your environment, your schedule and your accountability must be synchronised to support you. Life is full of uncertainty, temptations and opportunities to fail, compete, distract and sabotage your more constructive and task-oriented behaviour. Self discipline with key supporters of you and your goals will help you stay on track.
6. Define your goal in terms of steps. Major life changes don’t just happen. Changes happens one step at a time. Steady progress, through well-chosen and realistic steps produces results. Know the steps before you set out on your destination.
7. Create accountability for your progress toward your goal. Without accountability, people are apt to con themselves. If you know precisely what you want, when you want it by — and there are real consequences for not doing the assigned work — you are much more likely to continue in your pursuit of your goal. Find a coach, a mentor or someone in your circle of family or friends to whom you can be accountable. Take responsibility and share regular updates on your progress.
