Goal Setting - How?

What you desire to accomplish in life must be attached to a specific goal, not to people or circumstances. Goal setting may be the most beneficial practice in bringing your vision to reality. Discover your vision or your dream you desire to achieve and goals will define the specific steps of action you need to take to succeed. Follow these practical steps in designing goals and experiencing progress and success.

Define the finish line. Goals should clearly identify the finished task that you desire to achieve. If you do not define where you are going, how will you know if you arrive? Your vision should give direction but your goals give destinations. Mark your course in life by defining where you desire to end up and what it's going to take to get there!

Goals that are not written down are only wishes. To achieve something, you must clearly identify the finish line and what you must do to get there. Without writing down your goals, you will soon become distracted, derailed and discouraged about your progress. Writing down your goals allows you to "visually visit" them each day which is an important part of achievement.

Goals not practiced today will never get finished tomorrow. Having your goals written down to be visual reminders for your participation only if you are committed to accomplishing those goals. Each day is a new challenge to make personal decisions of what you will do with your time. Your goals should reflect what is important to you and therefore, also determines how you will use your time. Start each day with a new commitment to make progress towards your goals.

Dream big but keep your feet on the ground. Dream big! What do you want to contribute in life? What do you desire to accomplish? What good can you do this week? As you dream, be sure to keep your feet on the ground. In other words, be realistic. Your goals should stretch and challenge you but they should also be attainable! Don't set the finish line so far away you become weary and discouraged from your race.

Finally, as the popular Nike slogan would say, "Just do it!" Satisfaction and confidence develops as you practice and acheive goal setting.

Research and discover other tips for goal setting and include them in your comments.

Values of Leadership: Resiliency

Core values are those strongly held beliefs that define what is important to us. Dr. King stated, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent on the things that matter." Every leader must be confident and passionate about what is important. Our values shape who we are and what we are about. It helps clarify our vision for leadership.

One particular value every leader must have is resiliency. Every leader experiences hardship and even failure. It's how leaders respond to failure that will determine the future success and improvement of his or her leadership. Resiliency is that inner quality that take determination and works through trials, hardships and failure. Resiliency is deciding to not let failure become a final destination but simply a resting spot to regain composure before moving on. Leaders must live with the perspective that failure is a part of success.

Watch the following video by Michael Jordan and comment what core values shape his perspective on failure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45mMioJ5szc&feature=related

Finding Inspiration

To have a vision, one must be inspired to accomplish something great. There are a lot of people trying to accomplish things but to what avail? For what purpose? Wouldn't you agree there are a lot of people going through the busyness of life for no apparent reason? Be different! Be a leader who lives with a clear vision! You might be asking, "Where do I start?"



1. Become Inspired. Inspiration is the stimulated spirit that is moved to do something great with enthusiasm or passion. Experiences in life could create inspiration. Inspiration is born in those moments in time when your mind is clear of any care, thought or anxiety and your soul is blessed beyond measure. These moments create the ability to be inspired. Return to those moments to find inspiration. Inspiration shapes a motivation for your vision.



2. Discover Your Values. What is important to you? What are you willing to die for? Live for? What do you become very frustrated over? Find what is important to you and your vision will start taking on shape. For example, someone who is disgusted with the lack of good, moral leaders and mentors in our society. This individual might become inspired to start a Brothers and Sisters program in his or her community. Why? This individual realizes the importance of good role models to young people.



3. Realize Your Purpose. What can YOU accomplish with your new inspiration and your new burden or values? What are you able to do? What is your motivation? Purpose is the core of the vision. Purpose is the REASON behind your dream, vision or goal in life. The REASON is identifying your intent or motivation. Is it for self or for others? The higher calling is found in having a purpose that is others centered, not self-centered.



Don' assume that normal, ordinary people can't accomplish something great in our society. It's all that has ever been done! Ordinary people who are inspired to accomplish great things (a vision) find the resources to make the dream a reality.

Progressing Daily

"The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” The 19th century physician, poet, writer and Harvard Professor, Oliver Holmes, made this statement and inspires us to remember that leadership requires progress. Sometimes when we look back at success or failure, we slow our progress and then we simply "stand" as Professor Holmes stated. Leadership development requires the perspective that we continue to advance and move forward in areas of communication, planning, goal setting, relationship building, speaking, etc.

When living with the perspective that we should be advancing our leadership, it's also important to remember this is a DAILY commitment. Great leaders are not born nor developed in a day. George Washington developed his character and leadership over a lifetime before being elected as our first President with all of the electoral college votes (no other president has done this). Remember, his leadership was developed through seasons of trials, adversity, success, droughts, and stand still. His commitment towards his vision and his values enabled his perseverance.

What practical steps of action can you take on a DAILY time scale to improve your leadership?

Abe Lincoln also stated once, "If I am given six hours to chop a tree down, I will use the first four to sharpen my axe."