| If you're reading this article... your life of in-action | | | | think of the word goal... what comes to mind? Well... |
| probably is going something like this: | | | | nothing at all to me. A goal is a very subjective and |
| You have heard from the personal growth guru's that | | | | vague term... but vagueness doesn't help when taking |
| you need to follow certain steps and you will be living | | | | action. |
| your dreams in no time. Here's what they say:write | | | | 2. Replace the word "goal" with the word "target". |
| down your goalspost them somewheretake the next | | | | Now, instead of saying, "Here are my goals" (which |
| steps that help you reach each goal little by | | | | really doesn't mean anything...)... you are going to say, |
| littlevisualize your goals... | | | | "Here are my targets". Think about it, visualize a target. |
| ...and magically you are supposed to reach your goals | | | | You've probably got a big red bullseye... maybe with an |
| as simple as that. | | | | arrow sticking right in the middle. Targets are more |
| Just think about it... pretty simple huh? Think about your | | | | defined and clear to the human brain as well... clarity is |
| goals, write them down, and do them. | | | | good for taking action. |
| FORGET IT! I tried doing just that for 2 solid years and | | | | 3. Bring extreme clarity to your targets... and break |
| can seriously say that I did not get an inch closer to | | | | them down into smaller pieces. Action requires clarity. |
| any of my major goals. Actually, to tell you the truth... I | | | | Why? Well, think about it. How will you know what |
| actually went backwards because I went further in | | | | actions to take and when... if you are 100% clear on |
| debt... made less money... was in worse physical | | | | exactly what you are looking for? You won't. So, |
| shape... and wasn't excited with life at all. | | | | clarify your targets down to the detail. For instance, |
| But, boy was I posting my goals everywhere in hope | | | | one of my targets was to make $100,000 by January |
| that it would get me to where I wanted to go. | | | | 1st by increasing my positive cashflow in real estate |
| As you've found, this outdated way of thinking and | | | | and launching at least 1 new website. But, a key to |
| goal setting simply doesn't work anymore. Think about | | | | clarifying is to break your targets down into smaller |
| it... it's just too easy to get sidetracked. You get excited | | | | steps. Like with my example above, I broke it down |
| about your goals and dreams... you know... that nice | | | | into saying that I needed to make an extra $555 a day |
| house... silver convertible sports car (one of my goals)... | | | | over the next 6 months to reach my goal. From there, |
| carribbean vacations... a "job" that is actually fun to go | | | | I could tweak my actions to move toward $555 a |
| to... | | | | day... rather than the overall goal of $100,000 a year. |
| ... the moment that you are writing them down. But, a | | | | Our minds accept smaller numbers better and it is |
| few days later the intensity and focus fades... and little | | | | easier to commit to a smaller number like that. |
| by little you completely stop moving toward what you | | | | 4. Utilize a system for outlining, tracking, and processing |
| want. Then, about a month later you slap yourself in | | | | your actions and goals. This is the part that most |
| the face and say, "What am I doing?! Why can't I just | | | | people who don't take action usually don't have. You |
| take action?! I get sidetracked and lose focus so | | | | need to have a reliable system to track your priorities |
| easily! I'm so frustrated!" | | | | and the tasks that need to get done on those priorities. |
| ... or something like that. I know that I would go through | | | | I used the age old planner (both electronic and paper), |
| that cycle about every 30 days or so because the bills | | | | calendar, note pad, sticky notes, pop up reminders... |
| would come in and remind me of what I wasn't doing. | | | | AND NONE OF IT WORKED FOR ME. What worked |
| Well, to figure out how to take action I began to listed | | | | for me was a free tool that I found that actually helps |
| to the audio recordings from the gurus. You know, the | | | | you track your priorities/goals/ideas/targets/tasks, and |
| ones that get you all jazzed up and excited about life... | | | | helps you systematically process each task every |
| but you end up back to your normal ways in less than | | | | day. It breaks it down each morning so you either send |
| a week. | | | | your tasks to "Do it Now", "Delegate It", "Schedule It", or |
| Finally I got fed up and started to think about why I | | | | "Dump It". It takes about 15 minutes each morning... and |
| found it so difficult to take action and how to solve | | | | after doing it I know exactly what I am going to do and |
| that problem. I mean, if anyone should take action it | | | | when. (I give you the link to the free tool at the end of |
| should have been me. Not saying this to brag, but | | | | the article) |
| merely to illustrate a point... but I was the full ride | | | | 5. "Audit" your life each and every week re-evaluate |
| scholarship to college, 4 year college baseball athlete, | | | | where you are. This is one very important step that |
| graduated at the top of my class in college with a 4.0 | | | | enables you to keep on taking action. The system you |
| gpa in college guy... (even won the entrepreneurship | | | | will institute above helps you take the right actions... but |
| award at my college!)... who was supposed to make | | | | reviewing your life every week keeps you taking |
| succeeding look easy. I DIDN'T... AND COULDN'T | | | | action. Weekly, take a look at your overall task lists |
| FIGURE IT OUT. | | | | and targets and see if there is anything else that |
| What I found out about taking action later on really has | | | | should be added... addressed... or taken off of the list. It |
| very little to do with writing down all of your worldly | | | | also gives you a visual snap shot every week of how |
| goals, dreams, and hopes... and thinking about them. For | | | | much you are getting done (or not getting done) and |
| me, action was brought about by setting up a system | | | | what you still need to do. After you ingrain the 5 steps |
| that allowed me to take action more easily... and more | | | | above into your life, you will find yourself taking action |
| importantly... a system that I could rely on each and | | | | every single day and reaching your targets much |
| every day. | | | | faster than before. I can tell you from experience how |
| Just so you get a context of my life and what I do, | | | | cool it is to actually see yourself making clear progress |
| here is me in a 15 second snapshot. | | | | toward your goal... and eventually reaching some of |
| I own multi-family real estate for cashflow and wealth | | | | them. It's sure exciting. |
| accumulation | | | | Anyhow, I've gone on way longer than I thought I |
| I own a marketing consulting company here in Portland | | | | would... but that is the basic 5 step system I used to |
| (Oregon) | | | | finally get out of my rut of in-action... and still use to this |
| Just over a year into my marriage with my beautiful | | | | day to always progress toward my targets. |
| wife | | | | Yes, there are many other things that you can... and |
| I own several companies on the internet all in different | | | | should do to be more organized and to help make the |
| niches | | | | whole action taking process easier... but this article has |
| So, when my wheels were spinning and doing nothing | | | | gone on a bit too long... and I don't want to put you to |
| but slinging sand in the air... you can imagine how | | | | sleep at your computer J |
| chaotic my business and personal life was before I | | | | So... check out my website below where I write |
| finally figured out the system that worked for me to | | | | articles based on my experience and how I have |
| finally take action and start living life on my own terms. | | | | reached my successes. |
| I know, you're saying, "Okay already, so what did you | | | | Oh, I almost forgot. Click the link below to get the free |
| do to finally take action and keep taking action each | | | | tool that I mentioned earlier. Now, this tool is a software |
| and every day!" | | | | package, online portal, ebooks, audios, etc... and I can tell |
| Pretty simple once you ingrain it into your life. But like | | | | you that it's the one thing that made everything else fall |
| anything worth while... you need to work at it at first... | | | | into place. Get it... it doesn't cost you a dime and I can |
| but once you set it into your daily life... it is soooooo | | | | guarantee you that if you don't... you'll be still searching |
| easy. | | | | for "how to take action" information 6 months from |
| Okay, here's what worked for me to finally take action | | | | now... with nothing to show for the 180 days that you |
| toward that little list of "goals" I had. | | | | wasted. |
| | | | The free tool that truly helped me get my life together |
| 1. First, get the word goals out of your mind. When you | | | | and take action. |