Winning In Life

All of us have dreams in life. To become someone successful and achieve many goals in our life. We can still remember we were young, one of the essays that our teachers would always ask us to write about is on this topic call ambition. Some of us wanted to be a teacher, doctor, pilot, scientist, businessman and other professionals. There seemed to be no limit to what one can do when we are young. However as time goes by, accumulated by disappointments and critism by the people and environment we live in, many of us succumb to being someone mediocre.

One of the challenges i faced leading adults is to get them to believe that they can still achieve what they want even when they reach their late 20s and 30s. The truth is when you ask almost majority of them whether they like their jobs, many would shake their heads and have this surprising look on their facing seeming to say, you mean we are suppose to like what we are doing? As you began to talk to them, many realise something went wrong in the midst of pursuing their dreams. Some took on jobs they don't really like because of what it was available and what the short term reward gives to them. Many procrastinate and stuck in their comfort level until something or someone had to force them to leave what they have been doing for years.

Every year in our church we are taught and given this thing call the Goal setting Card. I'm going to share with you what is all about and I've added in a little more insight and practical ways about how we can go about doing this.
I believed that if all of us take the effort and time to do up this card. You'll discover more about yourself and achieve greater things in this lifetime.

What does this card comprises of for those who are outside of CHC?

You can download the card at the below website
http://www.chc.org.sg/english/files/Goals2008.pdf

Print out the card and take a pen as we go through this practically

It's given by this Acronym SMARTER

S - stands for Specific.
Survey done in 1953 in Yale University shows that out of the cohort of 500 students. Only 3% of the students had clear written down Goals. Years later, another survey was done to the same group of students on their income and results shows that the 3% combine income of those who had written down goals is 3 times more than the 97% added together!

Question is do you have something that is Specific about what you really want to achieve?

Many of us are stuck at this first point. There are hundred and one things in life that are good. Which is the one best for you?
Some good question to ask.
What is of interest to you? It could be your hobby. Thing that will catch your attention when you read the newspaper. Something you think you'll do even you are not paid to do.
Is it something that will excite you that will cause you waking up in the middle of the night thinking about it?
This first point is so important that it's worth taking 1/2 to an hour to think through this. (That's the concentration span of most individuals.) Alternative if you really can't think of anything, take a pen and a blank piece of paper to scribble as much things in your mind for 2 mins. Look through the list. Is that anything, one or two from the list that excites you?
Don't set a goal that is so easily achievable and post no challenge to you.

Great! Now you have done the first step. Categorize the things you have written into your goal card and let's move on.

Next M - stands for Measurable Goals.

To eat a big elephant you can either have a big mouth. Just talking about it but never do anything or you can cut the elephant into smaller pieces which is digestible. We need to give our goals a unit of measurement just as kilograms and grams for weight and meters and centimeters for length. What is the unit for your goals and dreams? We all need something that is visual, something we can track on, provide constant evaluation and feedbacks.

A - Stands for action plans. (Strategies to achieve the goals)
Every idea needs the hands and legs to move. Similarly for yours. How do we go about achieving what we want to do? This part is again not easy for many of us. But not easy doesn't mean you don't do! One of my favourite speaker Dr A R Bernard says this whatever things you want to be good in, you gotta take time to study. In this generation, we are blessed with technologies that allow us to find out almost anything from A-Z at the click of the button. Go to libraries, book stores and or read newspapers on articles anything that associate with your goal! Model successful people who have achieved what you desire to do. Learn from their strategies through the books that they have written or written about them.

R - Realistic. Is your goals realistic? You can afford to stretched your beliefs system a little bigger than yourselves. Of course not beyond the natural laws like the law of gravity by wanting to be a super hero if you know what i mean. Gauge the risk level of doing the task.

T - Time. How long you want to achieve your goals? Use this together with measurable portion. Break up into years, months, weeks or days if necessary.

E - Stands for Expectation Management.
What if things doesn't turn out well immediately when you started off doing? You plan to go to gym on Mon, Wed, Fri and Monday you had a very late meeting? Don't give the excuse of since you missed Monday, might as well miss wed and Fri. The moment you think about it, it'll happen! Nobody says if you don't bathe or eat a day, you'll stop eating the rest of your lives. Learn to be flexible and manage your emotions and expectation level well.

Last but not least,
R - Revelation (This part is for Christian mainly). What has God spoken to you? Is your goals in line with your Christian value system? How can you draw parallel between the goals that you set with the stories in the bible? Use a verse or a promise in the bible to support your vision.

Make it a point that you take a look at the goal card every one or two days. If need be, do slight adjustments. I believed that you'll be able to see results in a short period of time!

Rgds
Alvin