Contemplating the Impact of Goals

Contemplating goals for 2016.  It seems true that some portion of the population is goal oriented, and another portion doesn't put much stock in thinking about or writing down their goals...personally, I've always loved to write down my goals.  Big goals, little goals...work goals and personal goals. I love to write them down, and then to check them off when they're completed.

Studies show that less than 10% of college graduates write down their goals.  Less than 10%!!  When I first heard this statistic, I was stunned. 

Even more compelling is the dramatic difference in the financial well-being of those who write down their goals and those who don't!  If you want to know just ONE THING you can do to insure a healthy financial future, it is this:

WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS

Too simple?  It might seem like it, especially if writing down goals has never been part of your personal routine. However skeptical you might be, there is really no question of the power of the simple exercise of writing down your goals.

For instance, this month - what do you want to do? What do you want to earn? Where do you want to go? What would you like to buy? Who would you like to see? What would you like to learn? What would you like to read?

I wonder sometimes if people avoid writing down their goals because they aren't sure what to write down...they get hung up on what the goal should be, when the truth is, your goals are just a reflection of what you want.

Do you want to learn to speak Spanish? Do you want to learn to ski? Do you want to own a truck?  Do you want to go to the beach?

These things, simple as they are; are GOALS.

How can writing something down make a difference?  It's not exactly clear how it works, but we know this - once we write down the things we want, something in our subconscious mind kicks into gear. Like a persistent internal engine, imperceptible at the conscious level, goals are always at work under the surface moving us in the direction of what we want. Goals create a sort of 'radar lock' on the direction you need to move.

Goals give you energy and a focused direction, and perhaps more importantly still, goals provide a Why for the behaviors you need to undertake.  When you run into obstacles and difficulties, if you have no goal to pull you forward, it's easy to drift.  When you don't have a compelling Why to motivate productive action, it's easy to say, "Why bother?"

There is no question about it - having goals is an essential part of a healthy and fulfilling life. If you haven't set any goals yet for 2016, take a little time this coming weekend.  If the idea of goal-setting is overwhelming, pick a few simple areas to begin:

Where would you like to vacation in 2016? How much do you need to save?  What a fun goal!

What would you like to learn about in 2016? Is there a good book to read on the topic? Another easy goal.

There are no wrong goals, so have fun with it. Be creative. Set some goals and then share your top goals with me. I'd love to know your goals, and then share in the fun as you achieve those goals in the new year.