Plant “Goal Seeds” and Feast on Life
By Harriet Meyerson
When you have a garden you plant the seeds, nurture them with water and
fertilizer, keep the weeds out and trust the plants will grow and blossom
when the time is right for them. It works the same way with goal setting
at work or with your family. Follow these steps for your personal or
professional goals and you will soon be living a life that resembles a
bountiful harvest.
CHOOSE YOUR SEEDS
Writing down your goals is like planting the seeds. Write a detailed
description of each goal – the more detailed the better. Most goals fail
to materialize because they are too vague. So, instead of writing “I want
a new car,” describe your new red convertible with the black leather
seats.
Make sure your goals are realistic, and that they are not in conflict
with each other. You should be able to believe that they are attainable.
Next to each goal write the feeling you hope to get from reaching your
goal. For example you might want:
Excitement
Success or accomplishment
Security
Respect
Social acceptance
Love
Fun
Happiness
Adventure
Power
VISUALIZE YOUR GARDEN
When you feel in your heart that you deserve your goal, and you are
willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it, you have won the biggest
battle – the battle with your mind.
Close your eyes and visualize yourself as if you already have attained
the goal and are experiencing the feelings that go along with it. Feel the
joy and satisfaction of owning your new home, the prestige of having
attained your college degree, the excitement of your new red convertible.
Then start acting as if you already have your goal. If your goal is a new
home, start shopping for furniture. If your goal is a college education,
call the college for an application.
NURTURE YOUR SEEDLINGS
Now that you are clear about your goals it is necessary to nurture
them. You must water and fertilize your seeds.
- Decide what tasks need to be done, and what tools and training you
will need.
- Each evening simply ask yourself, “What can I do today to get closer
to my goal?”
- Then make a list of six things to do, and schedule time to do them.
If you don’t accomplish them all in one day don’t beat up on yourself.
Simply carry the unfinished tasks over to the next day.
- At the end of each day write down what you accomplished in a
notebook or calendar so you can keep track of your progress.
- Ask for encouragement, but only from people who have a personal
interest in your progress and who will be thrilled about your success.
REAP YOUR BOUNTIFUL HARVEST
As your garden grows celebrate each step along the way. Celebrate the
first bud, the first flowers, the tiny little green strawberries, and
finally, the delicious, sweet, ripe, red strawberries. Plant a garden of
goals today, so that tomorrow your life will become a delicious feast.
About the author: Harriet Meyerson, president of The
Confidence Center, works with companies that want confident, loyal, and
happy employees, and with individuals who want the confidence they need
for success. Harriet is a member of the National Speakers Association and
the author of Fire Up Your Staff on a Shoestring Budget.
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E-mail:
Harriet@ConfidenceCenter.com
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