Goals - what are yours?

by Ceri
30 replies
There is a lot around at the moment about setting goals. What are yours?

Mine seem to change depending on if I'm feeling positive (there's a lovely £3m house near where I live), less great (I would like enough that my husband can leave his job and take over the school run - I hate the school run!), or really down (please can I just make enough to show my husband - and myself - that I'm not totally wasting my time with this).

How do people stay consistent with their goals? Is it better to aim big or to try and be more realistic?
#goals
  • Profile picture of the author Brendan Vraibel
    The trick for me is to set short term goals that lead into my larger, more distant goal. For the short term I'm looking to replicate my business in other niches and hopefully multiply my earnings as many times over. I use personal sticky notes written to myself to keep me on track when I'm feeling a bit sluggish.

    For the long term, I think I have the dreams and aspirations that the majority of marketers have. I want all of the luxuries in life and to be able to use my successes to help other people. But mostly I can't wait for the day that I can set my children's college tuition aside and never have to think about it again.
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  • Profile picture of the author Eddie Titan
    If you have a goal in mind, you have to want it so bad, that you are willing to go the distance and work your very hardest to reach it.

    Some people like to take things step by step. Usually the steps they take to achieving their goals will create other smaller goals that they must achieve. This is how I like to do things.

    One of my favorite articles from Steve Pavlina's website stated:

    *Note, this is paraphrased. I will try to find the original article.

    Show me someone who does not know how to work hard to achieve their goals and I will show you someone who has not yet found a purpose in life.
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  • Profile picture of the author roseca
    setting a goal is not easy, sometime we set it and get confused if we wants this or not. follow your mind what you want according to that set your goal. i always look for short term goal its easily get complete and also not effect the other things.

    My long term goal is i wanted to be a great business women and also confident to achieve my goal. but still don't know which business i want to open it up. still learning from my short term goals.
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  • Profile picture of the author JeremyHendo
    Get to 15,000 a month by the end of 2012 !!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author PrestonPilgrim
    One of the best ways to achieve any goal in life is to create a vision board. What you want to do is put everything that you want in life on this vision board(laborgini, big house, healthy body, relationships, boat, nice cars, businesses,....ext.). Then once you have finished creating this vision board make sure to put it in your room, in a place where you will see it everyday when you wake up.

    Trust me when you wake up and see that vision board and look at every thing that you want in life, you will have the motivation and dedication to achieve any goal that you have set.

    Hope this helps you guys get motivated to achieve your goals.

    So dont waste any time and start today!
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  • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
    Banned
    I aim big. You are only going to live once, why not shoot for the stars? I know the conventional wisdom is to make smaller goals that build on each other...but to me it feels like I am gaming myself. I know what I'm really trying to do, so I focus on that.
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  • Freedom.

    My goal is freedom. Utter and total freedom from parents, from college, from work, from anything. Half the reason I chose this job is for its complete freedom from time and money restraints.

    If I were to lay this broad goal out into several categories, it'd look like so:
    • Get a flat of my own
    • Get a car
    • Finish college
    • Work full time on this (linked with finishing college)

    As you can see, these are all focused on freeing me from responsibilities, responsibilities that I neither need nor want. I want only to be responsible for myself and my actions, and my work.

    Ben.
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    • Profile picture of the author DavidTT
      Originally Posted by CharismaticMannequin View Post

      Freedom.

      My goal is freedom. Utter and total freedom from parents, from college, from work, from anything. Half the reason I chose this job is for its complete freedom from time and money restraints.

      If I were to lay this broad goal out into several categories, it'd look like so:
      • Get a flat of my own
      • Get a car
      • Finish college
      • Work full time on this (linked with finishing college)

      As you can see, these are all focused on freeing me from responsibilities, responsibilities that I neither need nor want. I want only to be responsible for myself and my actions, and my work.

      Ben.
      pretty much the same thing here.

      I think the number one things tho is having a very well running business of your own, something you've build, and then the rest follows.

      I mean seriously, i dont need that much for a living but its just so pleasing to have to work for your own self and BYOB.

      Im 23 right now, turning 24 in February and at this age, not many people can say that they have their own business and all.
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      • Originally Posted by DavidTT View Post

        pretty much the same thing here.

        I think the number one things tho is having a very well running business of your own, something you've build, and then the rest follows.

        I mean seriously, i dont need that much for a living but its just so pleasing to have to work for your own self and BYOB.

        Im 23 right now, turning 24 in February and at this age, not many people can say that they have their own business and all.
        Aye, I know what you mean.

        People are always surprised when I tell them I'm a freelance writer, working for myself. At the end of the day, I grab life by the balls, and squeeze. I want the best that life has to offer, and I will never settle for anything less.

        Dramatic, yeah. But that's how I feel.

        A 9-5 desk job sounds so mundane. I want to LIVE!


        Ben.
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        • Profile picture of the author DavidTT
          Originally Posted by CharismaticMannequin View Post

          Aye, I know what you mean.

          People are always surprised when I tell them I'm a freelance writer, working for myself. At the end of the day, I grab life by the balls, and squeeze. I want the best that life has to offer, and I will never settle for anything less.

          Dramatic, yeah. But that's how I feel.

          A 9-5 desk job sounds so mundane. I want to LIVE!


          Ben.
          loll haha

          Just to give you an idea of it all, I used to work at a costco in the tire department and changing tires. Was pretty cool and paid really well too ($22.69/h during high season) but obviously, I didnt want to become trapped into the vicious cycle of a 9-5 so at my age, had to make a move.

          Now after a year, I decided to go back just for the high season as a partitme job so I can buy a few goodies for myself. Let me tell you that once you started owrking for yourself, forget going back lol.

          I kept saying to myself: "How could I have stayed there for 3.5 years?!!"

          lol obviously now im back fulltime in my IM business.
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          • Originally Posted by DavidTT View Post

            loll haha

            Just to give you an idea of it all, I used to work at a costco in the tire department and changing tires. Was pretty cool and paid really well too ($22.69/h during high season) but obviously, I didnt want to become trapped into the vicious cycle of a 9-5 so at my age, had to make a move.

            Now after a year, I decided to go back just for the high season as a partitme job so I can buy a few goodies for myself. Let me tell you that once you started owrking for yourself, forget going back lol.

            I kept saying to myself: "How could I have stayed there for 3.5 years?!!"

            lol obviously now im back fulltime in my IM business.
            Haha, since I'm only 18, I've never had a "full time" job as such. I worked part-time as a waiter, and that sucked so I left. I've been doing this ever since. I love writing; it's my passion, so it was only natural that I fell into something profitable around writing.

            Ben.
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  • Profile picture of the author MMWoodward
    I find goals much more easy to obtain if you set little goals that can be realistically achieved daily. It is also very beneficial if you can find an accountability partner to hold you accountable to your daily goals. All you need to do is contact them during the morning and relay your goals, and then again at night to tell them what has been achieved. If you have not achieved all your goals, then your partner needs to ask you why. In most cases, you may not have achieved your goals for silly reasons, and the sooner you learn how to get rid of these reasons, the more productive you will be.

    A long-term goal is good to have in mind as something to ultimately strive toward. For me, it's to be able to make a stable enough income that I can enjoy the things that I love without stressing so much. At this very moment, my long-term goal is to have a more flexible schedule so that I can go on trips and attend conventions!
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  • My goal? to retire soon (within the next 2 or 3 years). I'm flipping fed up of working ;p

    PS: I always found long-term goals (3+ years ahead) pointless since there's always something happening mid-way through that diverts you to other horizons. I've always kept my goals within short-term reach (few months away maximum).
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  • Profile picture of the author anthonyb
    My goal is to get better daily. Baby steps prevent you burning out quickly.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeanne Lovely
    My goals are simple

    Long Term:
    Stay Healthy
    See my family more (they live elsewhere in the States)
    Make more money online

    Short Term:
    Get a few more products online
    Get off the computer more and walk around, getting crooked LOL
    Smile more
    Focus

    Happy Holidays everyone and to a successful 2012
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  • Profile picture of the author paul_1
    Think more positively and work work work at the same time enjoying what I love to do. Enjoy the rest of 2012.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tim3
    To avoid reading any more threads about 'Is Ezine Articles dead?'
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  • Profile picture of the author Barry Unruh
    I think this year I am going to switch from making goals to making commitments.

    I am in the middle of working on my plans for next year and the only one so far which has made it firmly on the list is:

    Prove my wife is wrong when she states "If I were half as smart as you I'd still be less than half the idiot." Lord, I hate when she is right....
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  • Profile picture of the author TravellingMissie
    I love setting goals, I do so all the time. They range from little ones (I will get out of bed 30mins earlier tomorrow), to work ones (I will create a new product by the end of the month) to dreaming BIG ones (I will have a fiction book published and turned into a film).

    A few of my goals for 2012: Go to Paris, Go to Burning Man, Enrol on a College Course and Learn to Drive!!

    All the best with your goals
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  • Profile picture of the author AlexDoerian
    It is better if you have more specific dream.

    It could be effective because you really know what is your goal.

    Example :

    Short tem : I want to replicate 3 profitable sites that generate $300 per month in the next 3 months.
    Long term : Have own bmw 5 series in 2020.

    Thanks
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    • Profile picture of the author MoneySavingLisa
      There's a few goals I have for 2012. I'm hoping to reach all of the below this coming year.

      Short Term
      1. Start 1 Amazon Product Review site full of content, etc.
      2. Learn more about keyword marketing on google (I'm still a noob!)
      3. More traffic to my main blog
      4. Work on incorporating YouTube videos for additional stream of income (My channel is monetized)

      Long Term
      1. Earn $3k in a month from a combination of my blog/websites
      2. Start more Amazon Product Review websites as long as first one is fully set up
      3. Keep learning IM
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      • Profile picture of the author solado
        I have a few, These are the main ones

        • Work from home
        • earn £40 per day 7 days a week
        • quit my 9-5 job


        Thats pretty much it if im honest. I would rather be on minimum wage working for me than work for someone else, I hate working for others.
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      • Profile picture of the author Shawn Lee
        My internet marketing goal for 2012 is to earn $10,000 per month by the end of the year. For a newbie, serving in the army, and someone who's earning nothing right now, it's a real stretch goal for me.

        However, I've found 2 mentors (in real life) who are quite successful internet marketers. I hope to learn from them. Fingers crossed...

        Merry Xmas and happy 2012 everybody!
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  • Profile picture of the author gittar1122
    To add 200 sites by the end of 2012 generating minimum $10,000.
    Long Term
    To minimize my working hours from 14 to 6 hours.
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  • Profile picture of the author Victoralexon
    My goal is to earn a living working from home by selling articles and getting my own blog off the ground.
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  • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
    I've had many $100+ days.

    Unfortunately, they aren't consistent.

    My major goal is to hit $100, for every day of a given month. I'll consider that "consistent" and consider that goal achieved.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
      My goal is the ACTUALLY LAUNCH my business and gain 100 new members in 2012!

      I went through the design and setup phase of my business in 2010 after I lost my job, then had to put it on hold because I still didn't have a job in 2011 and had run out of money. Now I have a job that just covers my basic living expenses (barely) and so it's back to my business.

      I know a LOT about IM and I have a LOT of good info. I'm constantly buying new things. Consequently, I'm feeling overwhelmed and overloaded, especially since it's just me and I have no help, even from a VA.

      So to force myself to be focused, plus be accountable AND receive guidance/help/feedback, I'm investing in two things:

      1. Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula (a 5-6 week live class happening right now)

      and

      2. A 6-month coaching program with my mentor. It's fairly expensive for me ($7K), but she is the perfect mentor for me. The coaching program includes one-on-one, personal coaching, something I've not had before. (I'm mostly a do-it-yourself person who invests in how-to information products and have only invested in one group coaching program before.) So this will be new for me.

      These two things will be the kick in the pants to just do it, as well as give me the step-by-step structure to launch the business.

      It will lift me out of overwhelm, which is what I need.

      I see people mentioning "health, wealth, freedom" etc. That's good, but those are vague goals. The key to achieving your goals is to be specific -- as specific as possible.

      If you don't have specific goals, look at your big-picture goals. What do you need to do to achieve that? Now, what can/should you do THIS YEAR (2012)? Now break that down to monthly, then weekly, then daily goals.

      Your goals might not necessarily be monetary which is fine. (I saw someone mention trying out new advertising methods.) But let's assume for the moment that the goal IS monetary.

      Write down what you'd like to earn this year, then break it down into monthly, weekly and daily goals.

      Now, what do you need to do to achieve those goals?

      1. How many sales do you need to make your goal this month?
      2. How many visitors do you need to make those sales?
      3. What daily actions do you need to take to get those visitors?

      See? Start with the end goal in mind and then work your way backwards.

      As far as setting "unrealistic" vs. "realistic" goals. I aim for a middle-of-the-road goal: It needs to be realistic enough that I'm not completely discouraged from even attempting to achieve it, but it needs to be big enough to make me stretch.

      Hope that helps!

      Michelle
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  • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
    Here's an EXCELLENT post from Mary Hunt of DebtProofLiving.com on the subject of goal-setting. She's talking to people about paying down their debt and getting debt-free, but it applies to MAKING money as well.

    She said it so much better than I can, so I'm posting it here:

    Finding You Inner Pigeon
    by Mary Hunt

    You know about homing pigeons, right? No matter where you take them, when they're set to flight, they will return "home," wherever they've been trained to go. They've been training with a goal in mind. The goal never changes and they are drawn to it automatically. It is the most amazing thing ever.

    I've been told that humans are the only other creatures on earth have that same "goal-achieving" ability.

    When you are absolutely clear about your goal, you do not even have to know how to achieve it. By simply deciding exactly what you want, you will not be able to keep yourself from moving toward that goal!

    If your goal is to go home after work so you can spread out in your recliner and watch a football game, almost without exception that is exactly what you will achieve. You've set your mind to it, you know which way to point your car, you know the route, you know when the game starts. You've predisposed yourself to reach that goal.

    Whatever it is you focus on, you will move toward. It's a principle of life and one we are going to embrace to reach our financial goals.

    Each of you in your responses in the previous thread have stated your goals. Some are small, some large, some seem nearly impossible. And none of that matters. Whatever you've set your mind to achieve, you will reach it. That's because your mind works automatically and continuously to bring you want you want, regardless of what you program into it.

    I am not saying this will not require work on our part. But I promise you that if your goal is clear, written, measurable and "time-bounded" and you are working toward it every single day, you will reach it.

    This week we are going to work on making the goals we've set 1) Clear 2) Written, 3) Measurable and 4) Time-Bounded.

    1. The first key is that your goal must be clear, specific and detailed. Take some time to refine your goal. It cannot vague or general. It must be specific, concrete and something you can easily visualize.

    2. The second key is that it must be written. This Forum is probably not the place to write your unabridged goal! It could be very long (like this post ... haha). Write it, edit it, rewrite it, hone it, refine it until it is so clear and concise, even a 5th grader to understand.

    3. The third key is that your goal must be measurable and objective. "Making more money" is not a goal. That is a wish because it is not measurable. How much is "more?" Earning an additional $5,000 by Oct. 1, 2012 ... now that is measurable and specific. Do you see the difference?

    4. The fourth key is that your goal must be "time-bounded." That means you have a specific date in mind, a deadline ... with benchmarks and and sub deadlines along the way. This requires a schedule. None of these are in stone, but they should be very specific. And if you miss a sub deadline, you reorganize, set another deadline and if necessary another. And you don't stop working toward that goal.

    Your homework this week is to take the goal you have set for yourself and apply the four keys to it. Take the time you need to really get this thing etched in your mind.

    Determine your first steps, then create a schedule that is clear and could be easily understood by another person without a lot of explanation on your part.

    *****End of Mary Hunt Post*****

    Hope this helps!

    Michelle
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  • Profile picture of the author VladS
    My goal is: Focus on one thing at a time and never give up!
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  • Profile picture of the author Elluminati
    My goal was total freedom from working for anybody else, ever again. So, I up and chucked the deuce to my job, placing myself in a position to work as if I my life/livelihood depended on it, because truly it did. It was scary, although I had 8-10 months worth of money to live on. But while I was able to make enough to live well within the first six months, my goal for 2012 is to hit six figures.
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