THE SEVEN- STEP METHOD TO ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

While in high school, my teacher will always tell us to make our vision plain, he will tell us that in other to achieve our dreams and goals,we must write them down. Back then, although I was listening, it didn't make quite sense to me.
To me, it was like " it's not possible to write down our goals". It's meant for people like them- I'll say. I never took that advice seriously because I had the mindset that such advice wasn't meant for individuals like me. I did things the way I thought they should be, without plans and priority and this went on for a while, until one day, I just thought within myself, " why not try penning down your goals, not just write it,but make it open this time around" .Actually, before now, I've had some goals I wanted to achieve, but it was locked within me, known to me and me alone..I never made it black and white,and with time I just forgot about it- after all no one knows about it, so no one will mock me for not actualizing any.


   The next attempt, I took another step- I poured my desired goals in writing, but made another mistake, I didn't work towards achieving it, I thought writing it will make it come to pass, instead I hid it in God's knows where..yet another mistake, it was know to me alone. Funny...

   One day, after my quiet time, I was prompt to not just write my goal for the semester, but place it where I can see it at all times. I did it!. So many thoughts ran through my mind, I was like, " what if I'm not able to meet up my target?". What if this, what if that" - EXCUSES!. But I shoved it aside and said to myself, the worst that could happen is that I may not meet up my target one hundred percent, but I must give it my all. When my roommate came across it, she was like "hmmmmm Mercy, that's a good one"."thank you" I said, still feeling a little bit unsure. But it's finally out and seen by someone,I must work hard to achieve it. Not only did my roommie saw it, any one that came to my corner saw it and reacted to it in different ways. But, the more it was seen, the more I was determined to achieve it. Which I did!


   I shared this little experience of mine because I never knew I could achieve my goals, and while reading Brian Tracy's book on " THE POWER OF SELF-DISCIPLINE; NO EXCUSES!", I came across the seven-step method to achieving your goal. He said so many things that got me thinking.
 First, "THE THREE PERCENT FACTOR"- He said and I quote " it seems that only three percent of adults have written goals and plans, and this three percent earn more than all of the other 97 percent put together". How? one may ask- I also did. He replied by stating this " The simplest answer is that if you have a clear goal and a plan to achieve it, you therefore have a track to run on every single day. Instead of being side-tracked by distractions and diversions, getting lost or going astray,more and more of your time is focused in a straight line-from where you are to where you you want to go. This is why people with goals accomplish so much more than people without them". A secret made known!

As an individual, old or young, you can succeed at whatever you set your mind to. Here are the simple steps to achieving your goal

1. DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT: Be specific. In other to achieve anything in life, be it short term or long term goal, you have to be specific. Make a decision on what you want. Not what someone else wants for you, but what makes you happy.
2. WRITE IT DOWN: Like I said before now, one of the mistakes I made was not putting down my goals in writing. To some it may not be the best strategy while some sees it as a waste of time. But to me and many more out there, it worked!. I'll agree once again with Brian Tracy when he said " A goal that is not in writing is like cigarette smoke, it drifts away and disappears. It is vague and insubstantial. It has no force, effect or power. But a written goal becomes something that you can see, touch, read and modify if necessary.
3. SET A DEADLINE FOR YOUR GOAL: setting a deadline to achieving your goal does not just keep you focused, it makes you want to meet up your target. But in reality, you might find some obstacles and hindrances along the way- that's to be expected because no success is gotten on a platter of gold. " There are no unrealistic goals, there are only unrealistic deadlines."Such situation should not throw you off balance, instead, set another deadline and continue working hard.
4. MAKE  A LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL: Each item on that list should be faced one day at a time. There should not be any rush. 
5.  ORGANIZE YOUR LIST BY BOTH SEQUENCE AND PRIORITY:  Doing this helps you a whole not. It enables you know what and when you want to do first, and at a scale of importance.
6. TAKE ACTION ON THE PLAN IMMEDIATELY : It's one thing to write down your goals, and another to work in other to achieve it. Immediate action is required of you. Don't slake or procrastinate.But don't work under pressure too.
7. DO SOMETHING EVERYDAY THAT MOTIVATES YOU IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR MAJOR GOAL: Look forward to each day.Wake up every day with a positive attitude. Yes, challenges must come, they are meant too. But you have the control over your life..don't let any thing take you off track.