SELF-IMPROVEMENT IS NOT AN OPTION, IT IS A MUST | Page 34

Success is hidden in your goals

All successful people are goal oriented people . Goal se�ng increases the speed with which you get to live a life of fulfillment . People who have used limitless thinking and set goals with a clear vision of what they wanted are the people who success . Think of any inven�on that was ever created that added quality to our lives . If those inventors hadn ’ t set goals to do what they did , the world would look a lot different . Goal se�ng creates persistence because you know what you really want to accomplish . It has been said that Thomas Edison tried over 10,000 �mes to invent the light bulb ; now that is desire and persistence at its best . You do not have to set goals that change the world , just goals that will change your world .
Se�ng goals allows you to stop looking for all those “ golden opportuni�es ” that usually turn out to be a disappointment , allowing you to create your own opportuni�es . When you have clearly defined goals , you strategically assess opportuni�es and choose the ones that best suit your goals . Desperate goalless people make choices that do nothing for them , or worse , cause them emo�onal and physical harm . You also need to believe that you need your goal . You have to believe you are capable of being the person you need to be to accomplish the goal at hand .
The real challenge is not determining if you want the result , but if you are willing to accept the sacrifices required to achieve your goal . Do you want the lifestyle that comes with your quest ? Do you want the boring and ugly process that comes before the exci�ng and glamorous outcome ?
It ' s easy to sit around and think what we could do or what we ' d like to do . It is an en�rely different thing to accept the tradeoffs that come with our goals . Everybody wants a gold medal . Few people want to train like an Olympian . This brings us to key insight . Goal se�ng is not only about choosing the rewards you want to enjoy , but also the costs you are willing to pay .
Goals are useful for se�ng the direc�on . Systems are great for actually making progress . In fact , the primary benefit of having a goal is that it tells you what sort of system you need to put in place . However , the system itself is what actually achieved the results .
Effec�ve goal se�ng requires considera�on of the system that surrounds you . Too o�en , we set the right goals inside the wrong system . If you ' re figh�ng your system each day to make progress , then it ' s going to be really hard to make consistent progress . There are all kinds of hidden forces that make our goals easier or harder to achieve . You need to align your environment with your ambi�ons if you wish to make progress for the long-run .