changingminds.org

How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

| Menu | Quick | Books | Share | Search | Settings |

Some People Dream Of Worthy Accomplishments While Others Stay Awake And Do Them

 

Guest articles > Some People Dream Of Worthy Accomplishments While Others Stay Awake And Do Them

 

by: Dr. Alan Zimmerman

 

Goal Setting:

In the 1920's, he began selling paper cups and playing the piano to support his family. He worked hard, and he did well. In fact, he became one of the top sales people for the Lily Tulip Cup Company after 17 years of hard work.

But then he set a goal, and he did REALLY well! He set the goal of going into the milkshake machine business, selling machines that could mix 48 shakes at once, selling machines that would revolutionize the world and his life.

He convinced two brothers who owned a small restaurant to buy his machines. In fact, he went into business with them, until some time later, Ray Kroc bought out the brothers.

Ray decided to keep the brothers' name on the restaurant, however. "McDonald's" had a nice ring to it.

Indeed, it did. During the next 20 years, Ray turned McDonald's into a multi-billion dollar empire. He achieved in 20 years what it took IBM 46 years to do and Xerox 63 years.

Ray Kroc was successful, but he did not become wildly successful until he set a specific goal. The same is true for you. There's tremendous power in setting specific goals.

Unfortunately, three problems get in the way. The first one is lack of awareness. Most people don't think much about "setting" goals. They just think about going to work and doing their jobs.

That's okay--to a point. If you know how to do something, you may always have a job. But if you set a goal, if you know where you want to go, you have a much better chance of becoming wildly successful.

The second problem is lack of understanding. Most people confuse goal setting and discipline. They're not the same. Discipline is setting your alarm for 5:00 AM and making yourself get up when it goes off. Goal setting is knowing "why" you set your alarm for 5:00 AM in the first place.

And the third problem is lack of wisdom. Most people spend too much time on activities that are tension relieving instead of goal achieving. In other words, most people spend their time doing what comes naturally, doing what feels good or keeps them out of trouble.

Very few people step back, apply wisdom, and examine their actions. Hopefully you're one of them. As fitness coach Kate Larsen says, "Every choice takes you closer to or further from your goal. Where did your choices take you today?"

As a reader of the Tuesday Tip, I don't know if any of these problems are getting in your way. I don't know if they're stopping you from being a goal setter or a goal achiever. But I do know that you'd like to be wildly successful.

So start by asking yourself a question. ASK, "WHAT GOALS WOULD YOU SET FOR YOURSELF IF YOU COULD NOT FAIL?" Don't ask if it's possible or impossible. Don't worry about failing. Just focus on what you want, and let that be your guideline for setting goals.

That's what winners do. Winners would rather attempt something great and fail than attempt nothing and succeed.

Then, VISUALIZE YOUR GOAL. Practice it in your mind as though it were already accomplished. The clearer your picture and the more often you view it, the easier it will be to accomplish your goal.

It's like the legend of the prince with the crooked back. He asked a sculptor to "make me a statue of how I would have looked with a straight back. I'd like to see myself as I might have been. "

When the statue was finished, the prince put it in a secret place. Month after month, he would slip away to look lovingly and earnestly at the statue. And people began to notice the prince's back was not as crooked as it used to be.

Still the prince continued to look at the perfect statue. Each time he did, the sight of it set his blood tingling and his heart throbbing, until one day he realized his back was straight.

Just like the prince, we all have faults, and some of us have goals. But you start the process of achieving your goals when you visualize your goals.

Of course, it isn't enough to merely set a goal and visualize that goal. It isn't enough to merely want something. You've got to TAKE SOME ACTION.

Are you willing to do whatever it takes? Winners are willing. They don't expect something for nothing. And they don't expect anyone else to do it for them. Winners accept complete responsibility for their lives, and they don't make excuses. They're very tenacious. They keep at it. As Winston Churchill said, "It's no use saying you are doing your best. You have got to do what is necessary. "

Action for Goal Setting:

This week, ask yourself what goals you would set if you could not fail. Pick one that really appeals to you and start visualizing that goal all achieved and accomplished. Practice your visualization at least three times a day for at least 21 days. You'll be delighted with the changes you'll see and the progress you'll make toward goal achievement.

 


Dr. Zimmerman believes you can achieve astonishing results if you know how to communicate with yourself and others. By focusing on such topics as self-esteem, motivation, teamwork, conflict resolution, and change mastery, he teaches people how to bring out the best.

For over 20 years, organizations across the world have been seeking his advice. In fact, he has given more than 3000 programs, and to groups as small as six to audiences of several thousand.

If you would like to preview Dr. Zimmerman speaking on video click here. Click here to read the questions most frequently asked by our customers. Contact us for more information or to book Dr. Zimmerman for your meeting.


Contributor: Dr. Alan Zimmerman

Published here on: 23-Aug-09

Classification: Development, Relationships

Website: http://drzimmerman.com/

 

Site Menu

| Home | Top | Quick Links | Settings |

Main sections: | Disciplines | Techniques | Principles | Explanations | Theories |

Other sections: | Blog! | Quotes | Guest articles | Analysis | Books | Help |

More pages: | Contact | Caveat | About | Students | Webmasters | Awards | Guestbook | Feedback | Sitemap | Changes |

Settings: | Computer layout | Mobile layout | Small font | Medium font | Large font | Translate |

 

You can buy books here

More Kindle books:

And the big
paperback book


Look inside

 

Please help and share:

 

Quick links

Disciplines

* Argument
* Brand management
* Change Management
* Coaching
* Communication
* Counseling
* Game Design
* Human Resources
* Job-finding
* Leadership
* Marketing
* Politics
* Propaganda
* Rhetoric
* Negotiation
* Psychoanalysis
* Sales
* Sociology
* Storytelling
* Teaching
* Warfare
* Workplace design

Techniques

* Assertiveness
* Body language
* Change techniques
* Closing techniques
* Conversation
* Confidence tricks
* Conversion
* Creative techniques
* General techniques
* Happiness
* Hypnotism
* Interrogation
* Language
* Listening
* Negotiation tactics
* Objection handling
* Propaganda
* Problem-solving
* Public speaking
* Questioning
* Using repetition
* Resisting persuasion
* Self-development
* Sequential requests
* Storytelling
* Stress Management
* Tipping
* Using humor
* Willpower

Principles

* Principles

Explanations

* Behaviors
* Beliefs
* Brain stuff
* Conditioning
* Coping Mechanisms
* Critical Theory
* Culture
* Decisions
* Emotions
* Evolution
* Gender
* Games
* Groups
* Habit
* Identity
* Learning
* Meaning
* Memory
* Motivation
* Models
* Needs
* Personality
* Power
* Preferences
* Research
* Relationships
* SIFT Model
* Social Research
* Stress
* Trust
* Values

Theories

* Alphabetic list
* Theory types

And

About
Guest Articles
Blog!
Books
Changes
Contact
Guestbook
Quotes
Students
Webmasters

 

| Home | Top | Menu | Quick Links |

© Changing Works 2002-
Massive Content — Maximum Speed

Site Menu

| Home | Top | Quick Links | Settings |

Main sections: | Disciplines | Techniques | Principles | Explanations | Theories |

Other sections: | Blog! | Quotes | Guest articles | Analysis | Books | Help |

More pages: | Contact | Caveat | About | Students | Webmasters | Awards | Guestbook | Feedback | Sitemap | Changes |

Settings: | Computer layout | Mobile layout | Small font | Medium font | Large font | Translate |

 

 

Please help and share:

 

Quick links

Disciplines

* Argument
* Brand management
* Change Management
* Coaching
* Communication
* Counseling
* Game Design
* Human Resources
* Job-finding
* Leadership
* Marketing
* Politics
* Propaganda
* Rhetoric
* Negotiation
* Psychoanalysis
* Sales
* Sociology
* Storytelling
* Teaching
* Warfare
* Workplace design

Techniques

* Assertiveness
* Body language
* Change techniques
* Closing techniques
* Conversation
* Confidence tricks
* Conversion
* Creative techniques
* General techniques
* Happiness
* Hypnotism
* Interrogation
* Language
* Listening
* Negotiation tactics
* Objection handling
* Propaganda
* Problem-solving
* Public speaking
* Questioning
* Using repetition
* Resisting persuasion
* Self-development
* Sequential requests
* Storytelling
* Stress Management
* Tipping
* Using humor
* Willpower

Principles

+ Principles

Explanations

* Behaviors
* Beliefs
* Brain stuff
* Conditioning
* Coping Mechanisms
* Critical Theory
* Culture
* Decisions
* Emotions
* Evolution
* Gender
* Games
* Groups
* Habit
* Identity
* Learning
* Meaning
* Memory
* Motivation
* Models
* Needs
* Personality
* Power
* Preferences
* Research
* Relationships
* SIFT Model
* Social Research
* Stress
* Trust
* Values

Theories

* Alphabetic list
* Theory types

And

About
Guest Articles
Blog!
Books
Changes
Contact
Guestbook
Quotes
Students
Webmasters

 

| Home | Top | Menu | Quick Links |

© Changing Works 2002-
Massive Content — Maximum Speed