 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
||
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|||
Goals Should Always Be Positive
The headline of course is not suggesting that your goals should not be criminal or otherwise negative in nature – it's obvious that goals should be productive in nature. What is meant by "goals should always be positive" is that as you create your goals worksheet you should do so with a positive mind frame.
This type of statement may strike you a bit like preaching to the choir, but you would be surprised how many of us place a negative slant on our goals without even realizing it. Take this statement as an example:
- Dieting sucks, but since I cannot stand being overweight there's not much choice in the manner. At least I'll be happy once I've lost the weight.
If you ask most people who are beginning a diet what their thoughts about their goal are, you'll probably hear responses very similar to the above. Is it any surprise why most of us have perpetual struggles with weight? Up and down… up and down… the roller coaster never ends until we finally give up.
It doesn't have to be that way!
The key to a successful goals worksheet is to outline the steps in a positive light – as things you will look forward to, rather than despise. I can guarantee that you will fail more often than not if the very thought of your endeavor turns your stomach.
First, try to find an enjoyable – or at least non-objectionable – way to achieve your goals. Usually if you look hard enough you will find there are multiple ways to achieving the same goal. Continuing with our weight loss example, if you cannot part with your juicy steaks and fatty bacon, consider a low-carb diet. If on the other hand you love your carbs and cannot do without them, look into a high-carb, low-fat diet. Perhaps you don't want to tackle the weight issue with food at all, but would prefer to exercise and build muscle to boost the metabolism and trigger weight loss.
The point is there are multiple ways to lose weight – you just need to find one that works for you. This bears true with almost all goals; if you look hard enough, you can probably find a way to meet your goal with the least amount of discomfort.
If there's no way your goal can be achieved in a pleasurable manner, just try not to focus on the negative! Bathe your goals worksheet with a positive and optimistic outlook.
That may sound somewhat simplistic at face value, but the power of words and positive thinking should not be underestimated. You have probably heard of cases where two people with a headache were given a pill in a scientific study. One of the pills was asprin; another was a simple placebo that does nothing for headaches. Yet the placebo-popping fellow also felt his headache go away. How can this be?
Quite simply, positive thinking and the power of the mind can overcome, and even overrule, the body. Oriental cultures have understood this fact for thousands of years. Feng Shui is an art/science that focuses exclusively on surrounding the body and mind with positive influences and energies. Although I do not practice Feng Shui, I cannot deny some of the lessons it teaches.
Positive thinking can help make distasteful goals feel bearable.
| Previous - First Step: Initiate A Goals Worksheet | Next - Lay Out Detailed Goals |