Setting Goals

Lately I have been having a tough time, after setting up my goals for the 6 months to June, I was very fortunate to achieve them, with varying degrees of success.

After the whole period and goals achieved, I felt empty and without purpose – I was happy of the achievement and the progress made, but the ability to pursue no longer existed.

Katberg Mountains - Eastern Cape, South Africa

 As a friend recently commented, “maybe you should set bigger goals next time round” – I set up these goals on a biannual basis as to keep myself going and motivated with strict and clear results to be achieved. Challenging myself but also ensuring that I am realistic in my approach.

Goal setting is arguably one of the most difficult things to do - to sit down and pen commitments to yourself that you are accountable for and have to evaluate your progress on yourself. A sort of personal KPIs without the whip or carrot of a manager.

Annually people lay simple to complex goals - from losing weight to increasing share price by specific percentage points. All are rooted in the same basic premise of having a wish and having the guts to make that hope, dream or wish into a physical or apparent reality.

I have personally noticed that only when I pen my goals - where they are specific with a definite delivery time and date do I perform accordingly. Self-discipline is achieved by daily reciting, reading and rewriting of the goals to be achieved - living out every day in the attainment of the goals.
It is not an easy task and can be brutal - but the breakdown of goals into smaller manageable pieces makes it more fun, with regular points of achievement.

Only when you surmount the hills around you - then the small mountains then the big ones; can you take on the world’s major peaks. All in the goal of one day, in an allocated time period to surmount Everest.

So - I have finally penned my goals for the next 6 months, approached it in a Maslowian manner (modeled in a Maslow hierarchy of needs methodology). It covers my goals from a spiritual aspect, covering what I want to achieve in my spiritual life as a disciple of Christ – this can be understood as a Physiological need/goal from a Maslowian context. This forms the base of my pyramid and the foundation of my life.

Education, social and family goals cover my Safety and Love needs/goals for the term.

My Esteem needs/goals are encapsulated in the goals I have for my career – my contributions to business and the role I would like to play in making my business a success. All this can be measured in Rands and Cents.

At the top of my pyramid lies my material goals – the Self Actualization needs; there are material stuff that will have an outward expression on the achievement of my goals. Things other people can readily see.

I am now more excited than ever to get going with my goals – having set the bar somewhat higher than before to challenge myself that much more. Some I may not achieve in the allotted time, but that will mean they would become more intense in the next 6 month window.

Go for it, pen your own goals, stick with them, stick them up on your mirror – look them over daily and celebrate the “SMALL” successes you make on the way to achieving the ultimate goal. Most importantly be disciplined, be focused and you can achieve all that you have set out to achieve. As a quote I recently read states “dreaming without action is merely a wish”

Take the plunge and achieve your goals.