Goals

Sharing my learnings from the book, Goals by Zig Ziglar.

Goals by Zig Ziglar

In this book, legendary speaker and author, Zig Ziglar points out you can’t hit a target you don’t have. He shares the 4 Reasons People Don’t Set Goals.

Anyone can be, do, and have more. BUT… ”You cannot make it as a wandering generality. You must become a meaningful specific.”

Zig guides you through the 9 Steps of Setting Goals. And he encourages you with, ”A goal properly set is halfway reached.”

Zig shares a quote by Oliver Wendall Holmes, ”Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.”

After teaching the steps to setting goals, Zig takes you straight into ACTION! Zig identifies 13 Variables in the Formula to Reach Your Goals. The day by day actions work. ”When you take hold of these ideas and follow the procedures, you will accomplish goals.” 

If you’re familiar with Zig, you know you’ll get lots of folksy stories and one-liners in this book. And motivation by the wheelbarrow load. What you might be surprised by is the level of practicality. Zig breaks the goal setting and getting processes down to step by step, day by day actions. Whether you are just now experiencing Zig Ziglar for the first time or even if you have followed him for years, this book will be a life-changing revelation.

• there’s actually a methodology behind effective goal-setting. Once you apply it to your own goals, you’ll discover its transformative power.
• We confuse busyness with meaningful action. But if our actions aren’t carrying us toward a specific destination, we’re just going around in circles. That’s why, if you want to succeed, you need to set goals.
• Having clearly defined goals will help you stay focused on what you truly want to achieve. It’ll also prevent you from becoming resentful in challenging moments, or distracted when you need to be knuckling down.
• If you want to achieve something specific, you need to put aside the time for three crucial goal-setting steps. 
  • identify what you’re aiming for
  • evaluate whether you really want to put the effort in
  • plan how you’re going to achieve it.
• how do you actually set goals?
  • grab some paper and write this heading: “Wild Dreams.” Then, spend an hour writing down absolutely every dream you have. Cover things like what you want to be, what you want to do, and what you want to have.
  • it’s time for deep reflection. Wait a few days, then look back at your list and ask yourself why you want to achieve each item on it. This will help you sort out the whims from authentic goals you truly care about. If you can’t articulate why you want to achieve a specific dream, strike it off the list.
  • Your list should be balanced. categorize all items on it. You might group them under “career,” “relationships,” “well-being,” or “finances.” If all your goals fall into one category, you’ll end up unhappy, because you’ll have neglected other aspects of your life.
  • think about the benefits each goal will bring you, and the resources you’ll need to achieve it.
  • identify four goals that you can start working on immediately. These should be the ones that you care about the most. Why four? Well, that’s the maximum number of goals anyone can realistically juggle.
• If you split goals into small tasks or targets, chances are you won’t feel overwhelmed with them. But that’s just the first step. To actually achieve your goals, you need to apportion those tasks into daily doses.
• If you want to follow through on those daily tasks, you need to hold yourself accountable.
  • Buy a goal planner and map out the milestones that will lead you to achieve your goal.
  • Before you go to bed each night, spend ten minutes recording the actions you took that day.
  • Identify six activities you can do the next day – things that will move you closer to your goal.
  • And if one day you don’t do anything at all to support a goal, well, then it’s time to take out a red pen and write the word “Nothing” in your planner. That way, you can quickly evaluate your progress at the end of each week.
  • If you have a trusted partner or friend, share your goals with that person and invite him to do the same, so you can support each other.
• It’s crucial not to listen to voices that say you can’t achieve your goal – especially that voice in your own head. Combat this negativity by visualizing yourself living your dream. This will keep you committed and focused when people try to discourage you.
• If you want to rise above mediocrity, foster an intense desire to succeed.
• When you’re determined, you find ways to overcome any obstacle that stands between you and your goal, even in the most tragic circumstances.
• Instead of giving up when you hit an obstacle, shift your thinking from what you can’t do to what you can do. When you make your goal your mission, you’ll find ways – however small – to move toward it.
• Hard work is the only path to success.
  • To support members of the new generation in achieving their goals, we need to help them develop a good work ethic from an early age. It not only leads to people realizing their dreams – it’s great for the country, too.
  • By showing kids that hard work opens doors to opportunity, you’ll ensure that the young people in your life meet their full potential.
• There’s no such thing as overnight success. It takes time and commitment to achieve challenging goals. What often seems like a sudden breakthrough is almost always the result of effort and hard work that happens behind the scenes.
• persistence is more important than talent when it comes to achieving goals.
• And if you think about which achievements you value most, you’ll probably agree that it’s those that demanded the most work.
• When the odds are stacked against you, what keeps you going is discipline.
• don’t give up too soon. Often, we don’t reach our goals because we stop trying. But you will never succeed unless you give it your all every single day.
• It’s that persistence, combined with hard work and determination, that will bring you the success you seek.