Goals: Brian Tracy

I just finished listening to another 3CD set from Brian Tracy on goal setting. A lot of what he says re-emphasises what I have addressed in earlier posts but it is so helpful to refresh your mind with this information time and time again. I have been going through some 'blah' few weeks so Brian has been just the kick up the backside I need to get myself moving again!. Here are some of my take-aways from "Goals". 

• When you are absolutely clear about your goal, you don't even have to know where it is or how you are going to achieve it. By simply deciding what it is that you want, you will be able to move toward your goal and your goal will start to move toward you. At exactly the right time and in exactly the right place, you and your goal will meet. 
• The biggest single obstacle to setting goals is self-limiting beliefs.

Remove the roadblocks:

• Most people give up on their goals before they even make the first try. This is because of all the obstacles, difficulties, problems and roadblocks which appear when you decide to do something you have never done before. Successful people fail far more often than unsuccessful people, because they try new things, fall down, pick themselves up, try again, over and over before they win through. Expect to fall down and fail many times over before you achieve your goal.
• 80/20 rule: 80% of your constraints will be within yourself - only 20% are outside of yourself (contained in other people and situations). It is you personally who is usually the major roadblock to obtaining your goals. The two major obstacles toward success and achievement are fear and doubt. 

"The great tragedy of the average man is that he goes to his grave with his music still in him"

• Most self made millionaires often say they never 'worked' a day in their life. What they did was work out what they really enjoyed and then did more of it. 

Identify and determine your special talents:

1. You will always be the best and happiest at something that you love to do. If you could afford it you would do it without pay. It brings out the best in you.
   
2. You do it well - natural ability.
   
3. This talent has been responsible for most of your success and happiness in life up until now. 
4. It was something easy for you to learn and do.
5. It holds your attention and absorbs you. It attracts you. 
6. You love to learn about it and become better at it.
7. When you do what you are ideally suited to doing, time stands still. You can work in this area for long periods of time without eating or sleeping because you are energised by it.
8. You really admire and respect other people who are good at what you are most suitable to do.

• If any of these descriptions apply to anything you are currently doing or that you have done in the past, they can lead you to the thing that you were uniquely put on this earth to do. 

Associate with the right people:

• Every honest effort you make to help others will come back to you in some way and at some time, often when you least expect it.
• The more you give of yourself with no expectation of return, the more that will come back to you from the most unexpected sources (be patient!). 
• Associate with people you look up to. The choice of a goal oriented reference group can do more to supercharge your career than any other factor.
• Always treat people with kindness, respect, courtesy and compassion. Treat everyone you meet like they are the most important person in the world.

Fear and doubt:

• When we are tired or unwell, when we are not physically fit, we are more predisposed to fear and doubt than when we are feeling happy or energetic. Sometimes you can totally change your attitude toward yourself and your potential by getting a good night sleep or taking a vacation so that you can recharge your mental and emotional batteries. Rest and relaxation build courage and confidence as much as any other factors. 
  
• When you avoid the thing you fear, your fear grows; whereas if you move towards the thing you fear, your fear will diminish. As fear increases, your self esteem, self respect and confidence diminish accordingly. If you do not do the thing you fear, the fear controls your life.
• All of the best advice in the world will only help you if you can motivate yourself to take persistent, continuous action in the direction of your goals, until you succeed. 
• It is impossible for us to evolve and develop to our full potential except to the degree to which we face adversity, and learn from it. All the great lessons of life come from set backs and temporary defeats which we have done our utmost to avoid. Without adversity, we will not be able to become people who can scale great heights.
• The way you respond to disappointment is usually an accurate predictor of how likely you are to achieve great success. 
• Your greatest success almost invariably comes almost one step beyond where everything inside of you says to quit.