Goals….How many of us have them?

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Goals...how do I accomplish the task? Where do I begin? Is it realistic? Can I afford it? How much time will it take to accomplish? Is it worth the investment??

Goal setting is one of the most powerful self-directed motivators of human life, and according to both Voltaire and Spiderman, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” The most accountable (and effective) method to set goals is to ensure that they are both consistent with and directed toward your core values.

If you find that you are setting goals that are not related to your values at all, ask yourself why you set them in the first place. Goal setting directs your behavior and inspires achievement by creating distance between your current and future self, like a thermostat. Aligning your goals with your morals helps you make sure that the desired temperature will still be desirable when you reach it.

When thinking through the goal, we must be sure they are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant / Realistic and Time-bound (SMART). I decided it was time to face my fears and head back to college to finish what I started. Once I researched several schools, I found one that had a program that fit my needs and in 2004, decided to enroll in college. In spite of flunking out of my first college several years before, in spite of my subsequent stops and starts, I was given an academic plan and clear path to graduation.


I began to understand the purpose of setting goals is to achieve them and usually realize an even larger end result.

However, unhealthy pursuit of a goal where you have committed your time and efforts in the past is not always the best plan going forward.

Here are some healthy signs to give up on an unhealthy goal

  • The burning reason why you wanted to achieve the goal is now noted as important to you.

  • The cost of achieving it has, or will, far exceed the rewards it would give.

  • It has caused significant pain to you or those important to you

My SMART goal was to enroll in college and obtain my bachelor degree, within 2 1/2 years. I realized that my past failures only existed in my mind and did not prevent m from achieving my goal. Today, let's flush out your goal. Look at it, measure it against the SMART targets. Drop me a line and share how this process is working for you...

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The Strength Within

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Building The Vision