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| Doing what I love to do - Mr. Motivator |
The concept of goal setting is not new and has been taught for ages. Its importance cannot be over-emphasized if one is to make any meaningful progress in ones endeavours and in life generally.
Experts teach that when you are inking your goals on paper it should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. I totally agree with this age-old concept of setting goals. And you must do so too.
However, what do I mean by redefining goals? May I even say that my focus is not on the definition of the term or concept but in the characteristic feature of the concept and what it does to the person who purports to have a goal.
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| The presenter and studio engineer |
I was a guest on the programme Ladder to Success on UnilagFm 103.1, the first University radio station in Nigeria on Monday the 16th of December 2013 where I discussed on this topic – GOALS REDEFINED.
By intuition, I know you are eager to know more about how to REDEFINE YOUR GOALS. But before I go ahead with the expose, let me help you see a few other things you need to know as far as goal-setting is concerned. Things like: The Anatomy of Goals, which deals with “The What” to be achieved, “The Why” it has to be achieved and “The How” it is to be achieved. It is important you answer this question(s).
Then you have to consider the Types of Goals; Short Term – usually within a twelve month period. The Medium Term goals – usually between two to five years and the Long Term goals, which deals with anything from five years and above. But I added another type, which I called “Immediate Goals.” These are goals that have a life-span of between one day to one month.
As you consider setting goals, you must always think in terms of growth and development. Any goal you set and achieve must live you better than it met you before you set out to pursue it.
To be able to appropriately focus your goal-setting effort(s), you should consider these different areas of life: Personal, Health, Recreation, Family, Friends, Community, Career, Financial, Household and Spiritual life.
Enough of the pre-amble. Let us get into the heart of discuss.
My concept of GOAL is a little different.
A ‘GOAL’ must do and achieve certain things, which are:
G – Go
O – Optimism
A – Appeal
L – Lift
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| In action as I emphasized my points |
Now let us dig deep.
G – Go: Just like football players on the pitch of play, goals keep you on your toes. They put spring to your steps. They make you restless. Goals make you sleep late and wake up early. When you have goals you don’t lay back and watch things happen, you make yourself happen to things. You are asking questions and learning in order to gain knowledge that will help you in your quest to achieve your set goals. When you have goals that are compelling, you will be willing to pay any price in order to gain your desired prize. Goals make you proactive rather than reactive.
O – Optimism: Optimism is a necessary currency that you must learn to trade with if you desire to win in the market of life. Why would you set a goal that you don’t believe you can make happen? Optimism is looking at the cup of life as half-filled rather than as half-empty. You must have a positive outlook towards life. That in itself is an antidote that will help to inoculate you against failure. Believe in yourself and in God. Believe you can do it and make it happen. Have you seen a football team going to play a match expecting to lose? Every team expects to win even though they know they may not win. Such is the game of life. You must always expect to win!
A – Appeal: When you have realised your goal, would it have general appeal? Would people be proud to associate with you on the account of your accomplished goal? In other words, whatever goal you set must be positive and must be something that you can be proud to say you accomplished. It must also be within the confines of legality and morality. You can’t set a goal that will have a negative impact on the lives of others and be proud of it at accomplishment. If you kill someone else to rise in life, that is not an accomplishment that has appeal.
L – Lift: As noted earlier, when setting goals you must always think in terms of growth and development. Any goal that does not improve your life/those of others either directly or indirectly was not a worthy goal in the first place. Since goals are like the rungs that you climb to ascend a ladder so it is to help you ascend the ladder of life. Ask yourself at the starting point of setting the goals, where would it lead you when accomplished? The answer should show you if you should pursue that goal.
I am confident that you have learnt something new about setting goals. I encourage and challenge you to go and make things happen while I await your success story.
I remain your life coach and friend, Abiodun Mabadeje; Author, Public/Motivational Speaker, Minister, MC, Actor and Publisher. Contact me on 234 8023771690, 234 8135891291.
