Scary Goals
I have always known that the road to greatness is in having clear, specific goals that at first seem impossible and scary, but are realistic. My experience has shown me that unmet goals can really frustrate and lead to stress and quitting. I have been guilt of this all my life.
I had stopped making ambitious goals last year, 2007, as a result of a bagful of unmet goals because reflecting on them made me realise i was going nowhere and only served to stress me more. So i stopped setting goals. However when i went back to my roots i.e. Zimbabwe, last week, i reflected on my experiences with goals and i realised i had met most of my goals albeit not in the planned time frame.
This reflection revealed to me the real nature of goals and set me up to come up with goal-setting theory i would like to share with you. I will use a scenario based on one of my many encounters with goal setting:financial goals.
Lets suppose my goal is to make or earn total of $16 after four weeks through doubling my income at the end of every week as in
week 1:$2,
week 2:$4,
week 3:$8,
week 4:$16.
Whenever i have set such goals in my life, my experiences have mostly been akin to the following scenario:
week 1: -$4(am in debt, had to borrow to start),
week 2: -$2(managed to make $2 and paid off part of the debt),
week 3: -$2(didnt sell/earn anything),
week 4: -$3(didnt sell anything had to borrow $1 to survive).
In most instances after week 4 i would then face reality and do the inevitable:quit. Stress and lose of self-confidence followed. After 4 weeks i was supposed to have $16 in pockets but i had, -$3, a deficit.
However in a FEW occasions where i was stubborn(coz i can be stubborn) here is a probable scenario. After the 4th week as above with a deficit of -$3 i refused to quit but soldiered on and this is what happened:
week 5: -$1(i sold $2 to a relative who pitied my seemingly useless business),
week 6: $2(sold $3, am now out of the red!),
week 7: $10(eureka, i got a big order from a real company),
week 8: $90(got three really big orders). I will stop here.
Do you get the picture? I planned for 4 weeks, didnt meet my goal, but i soldiered on and after 8 weeks i was making what i never planned to get. Thats life you dont get what you want, at times, when you really need it, but with faith and persistence you could get more than you never dreamed of. Be blessed.
Hi Solo
Read what Tony Robbins says about DECISIONS. Sometimes we set goals or make resolutions but don’t back them with solid decisions and so at the first challenge we stop. Tony says that when you make a decision it is a resolute firm commitment to do what it takes- not a wishy washy thougt that has no strong emotional backing- which is what most of us do…
Hey Solo, you have all of a sudden become so inspirational! Kuchembera uku I can tell, but truth be told you are blogging good stuff keep going I want to keep reading
It is indeed an inspirational blog (as Major Chirenda put it) and I surely hope all its readers will embrace the essence of this unique gift of life and as such live it to its fulfilment.In our very own motherland,Zimbabwe,it is regrettable that it seems this gift is suffering an unprecedented de-valuation as can be evidenced by prevailing escalating levels of violence,killing etc.It is my belief that the strong winds of change currently sweeping across the nation will usher us all into a new violence-free Zimbabwean era.Indeed,we shall be blessed!!
it is indeed true mr chitambira that some of our leaders really disregard this gift of life. Am personally impressed that u have spoken abt this serious issue coz most of us are indifferent about wats happening in zim esp most us who are outside.we must have the courage to tell and possibly vote mugabe out this time, there is no going back.