So predictable…an article about goal setting right in time for those obligatory New Year’s Resolutions. I agree – predictable. But for me, the possibility of setting personal goals always stirs up a sense of excitement.
So bear with me as I approach this “predictable” topic with that wonderful sense of excitement I always feel. I can’t help it. I DO get excited about this kind of stuff. Why? Because I love a challenge and I love to stretch myself and grow as a person. But for those of you who maybe aren’t as thrilled with the idea of setting new goals for yourself, I’ll try to keep any hints of my former cheerleader status to a minimum.
So, “extreme goal setting.” What does that mean? Well, it certainly doesn’t mean anything like those boring old goals you set for yourself like most people are used to. Don’t think you’ll get off easy this year by setting goals like “I’ll floss my teeth everyday” or “I will go to church every Sunday.” Not that those are bad things, mind you. But they aren’t “extreme.” “Extreme goal setting” is about taking charge of your circumstances by setting and accomplishing goals that get you closer to the kind of life that you really want to be living. A life that you enjoy – not a life in which you simply plod along and accept whatever happens to you. We only get one shot, so why not make our lives what we want them to be? Not what our parents expect or what we think we should be doing or living our lives the way everyone else we know is, but living a life that truly fulfills us!
In order to get started with setting your “extreme goals,” you’ll need to do some soul searching. Is the life you are living everything that you want it to be? Are you truly happy? Do you have fulfilling relationships? Do you love your job? Do you have fun in life? What do you do for fun? Where do you spend the bulk of your time? Is this where you want to be spending it? Ask yourself some serious questions and you might get some serious answers. And I hope you do. You need these answers in order to start creating the life that you are excited about living!! So schedule some time and just be with yourself. Think about who you are and if you are living the life that you want to be living. Be honest – extreme goal setting doesn’t work if you aren’t honest.
So now you’ve done the hard part. You’ve spent some time getting honest with yourself about your life. It’s not always fun or easy admitting these things, but it must be done in order to start creating the things that you really want. Now comes the fun part – the “extreme” part. Okay, imagine your life is the most amazing, thrilling, awesome life you could ever wish for.
Picture it in your mind. Get clear about it. Think about it down to the tiniest detail and write it down. What would you be doing? Would you be sailing around the world? Would you be a philanthropist with millions of dollars to spend helping others? Would you be a famous basketball player? A rock star? Dream BIG!! What is it that you would be doing if you could do, be or have anything?
The next step is to take those “extreme dreams” and try to figure out what it is about those dreams that appeals to you. What are the “feelings” you are experiencing as you are living this awesome life? If you find yourself dreaming about being a basketball star – why is that? Is it because you love to play basketball? Is it because you like the attention? Do you want to feel exhilarated? Really break it down into the feelings that the “extreme dream” represents.
Now it’s time to list out those feelings and figure out how you can get those feelings into your life on a regular basis. So how are you going to do it? Think about it. Get creative. What are the things that you could do in YOUR life to get those really cool feelings.
For example – say one of your feelings is “exhilaration.” How can you get it? Sure you can get it by driving in the Indy 500 but how can you get it into your life? How about running a marathon? Would that give you the feeling of exhilaration? If so – that’s an extreme goal for you – to run a marathon! And as with all goals, you must set dates and track your progress. Even “extreme goals” have to be monitored. So get busy starting to create your own “extreme goals.” And don’t forget – extreme goal setting is about…
– doing things to make yourself happy
– living the life that YOU want
– creating new adventures that get you excited about your life
You deserve to live a happy, fulfilled life, so start now by coming up with your very own “Extreme Goals!” Now go out there and be a STAR!! If you liked this article, please help me spread the Wiz-word by forwarding it to your friends!!
Molly Luffy, MBA, owner of Work Ethic Wizard, dedicated to helping managers regain their sanity and employees survive and thrive in todays corporation. Author of Super-Charge Your Promotion Quotient: 225 Success Strategies for the New Professional. http://www.workethicwizard.com/default.cfm
