GOAL SETTING

A wise man once said, “That he who uses yesterday’s ideas in today’s market wouldn’t be in business tomorrow.” Insanity is usually defined as doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting a different result. Success is a habit and so is failure. But you aren’t truly a failure until you quit trying. However, failing successively may dampen ones moral and end up becoming a bad habit and bad habits are not easily broken. Why? A habit as defined by the American journal of psychology is more or less a fixed way of thinking, willing, or feeling acquired through previous repetition of a mental experience. Old habits are hard to break and new habits are hard to form because the behavioural patterns we repeat are imprinted in our neural pathways.

REMEMBER THIS, How you think determines how you feel and how you feel determines your will. We must be mindful of this because the Bible tells us in Proverbs 23:7a, For as he thinks in his heart so is he. You eventually become what you repeatedly think of. If you think you are a good for nothing fellow then that is what you will become. If you think that you cannot pass an exam, then you will eventually fail. So we must guard our thoughts carefully. The decisions that gave you a certain level of success in 2013 won’t produce the same results for you in 2014. We need to grow. We need to move up higher by making a conscious effort at self-development. That is where goal setting and effective time management come into play. Now let me ask you a few questions,

1.      Have you thought about what you want to be doing in five years' time?

2.      Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at the moment?

3.      Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of today?

If you want to succeed at any level, you need to set goals. Without goals you lack focus and direction. Imagine playing a football match without a goal post. How do you get to know who has won? In the long run frustration would be the end result. Goal setting not only allows you to take control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding. As a student you have to set academic goals at the beginning of the semester and manage those goals throughout the academic year. As an Entrepreneur you have to set goals for your business and continually refine and manage them over a set period of time. As a Pastor you have to set goals for the Ministry and manage those goals over a set period of time. Even family’s do set goals. Nobody is exempted from goal setting because that is what gives you the drive to keep on going when the going gets tough. You must have heard of the famous maxim which says that, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I would like to add that this is true only for the man who has goals. 

What is a Goal?

A goal is a desired result a person envisions, plans and commits to achieve.

Goals must be SMART. 

S-Specific

M-Measurable

A-Achievable

R-Realistic

T-Time-bound

There are two categories of goals; Short-term and long-term goals.

Short-term goals can go from one day, to one month, one year or even up to five years while long term goals can go from five years and upwards. The interesting thing about goal setting is that the long terms goals are dependent upon the short term goals. In other words, achieving your short term goals will bring your long term goals to pass faster than you ever imagined. That is why what we do on a daily basis matters a lot. Many students would rather wait until an exam is announced before they start putting their legs inside cold water, drinking Coca-Cola or Nescafé all in a bid to stay awake the whole night. Meanwhile if they had started reading their books from day one of the class they wouldn’t have had any reason to do these things. Little wonder a wise man once said that, “the future you hope for comes in one day at a time.” If you will commit to achieving your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals then life will become more fun, less stressful and very exciting. The number one cause of stress in many people’s lives is the sense of failure that comes with not achieving one’s goals.

To accomplish your goals, however, you need to know how to set them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it.

The Golden Rules for Goal Setting

• Set Goals that Motivate You (The why factor)

• Make sure your goals are SMART

• Write them down

• Make an Action Plan

• Stick with it

Things to remember

• Success in any field requires forgoing excuses and justifications for poor performance or lack of adequate planning.

• Be flexible and willing to revise your goals. Don’t become so locked in on your goals to a point where you develop tunnel vision. It’s like being so determined to score a goal without realizing that the goal post has shifted or been removed.

• Get an accountability partner. This is someone who has similar goals with you and one you can trust to share your goals with. Meet regularly to review each other’s goals and well as reward yourselves for their accomplishments.

• Don’t sweat it even if you don’t accomplish some of your goals. Some people get to a point where they become so obsessed with their goals so much so that missing to achieve one of them appears as if the whole world would come crumbling on them.

Performing at your peak isn’t rocket science. With a proper understanding on how to set goals and achieve them, you are more than half way up the ladder of greater achievements but not without understanding how to manage your time effectively.

WINNING BIG- THE LINEAR VS THE NON-LINEAR CAREER PATHS

A couple of years back I was speaking to a small group of people and my opening question to them was, “What is your personal definition of success?” The answers I got were amazing. Here are some of them in no particular order;

•  Making a lot of money

•   Running a Fortune 500 company

•  Having enough to help me take good care of myself and family

•  Being able to travel the world in my own private jet, owning an expensive house, cars and a yacht

And much more. Bottom-line is success will always mean different things to different people because we all have different worldviews. Personal success is very subjective as it depends on the inherent values imbued in every individual. For some they believe a good looking bank account will settle it for them. For some people they find their success in the success of others while for another lot it's in the shiny things. This varies from individual to individual. In my opinion I see success as wrapped up in three things. You can call them the 3 P's. People, Planet, Profits. Let's break it down;

People- Everyone I can influence for the Kingdom using the gifts and graces I have been endowed with by our Heavenly Father. I am a people person. My desire is to see people move from point A to point B because of the value I added to their lives. It gives me joy to see someone who was weak in an area which happened to be one of my strengths grow to become a better person as a result of my positive influence upon their lives. There is nothing more fulfilling than a life of service. And the reason why I put people first is because if you genuinely make it your aim to add value to people, profits will undoubtedly come pouring in like an avalanche. No one who serves goes empty handed unless they never did it out of a pure heart. The mistake many people make is that they try to do things for people with the mindset that those same people will in turn return a good favor. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! It doesn't work like this. Most times the people who end up giving back to you are never the people you helped. If you run a business my advice to you is that you put people first and profits will come. That's why customer service is so important. If you suck at service delivery (leading to disgruntled customers) you will begin to lose market share and hence profit share to your competitors. On the other hand one satisfied customer might just be your ticket to your next top notch job. So put people first!

Planet- Being able to make a positive impact on my community during my lifetime and beyond it. Many companies today are making huge profits at the expense of their communities. We have seen places that have been ravaged by deforestation. We have seen communities that have been torn apart due to oil exploration. We have seen people living in very rich communities yet staying very poor because of the profit-focused motives of an elite few. The younger generation must be educated. Schools therefore have to be built to that effect. Orphanages for orphans, Homes for the homeless, and much more.

Profits- Having money, I mean enough money or better still more than enough money to take care of myself, family and those around me in need. Money is a medium of exchange and a very important agent in today's world. Having delivered excellent service and added value to people's lives, provided and taken good care of one's community, making some good profits then would not be a bad idea. You need money to build roads, fight malaria and cancer, feed the hungry, take care of widows, in fact you need money for everything. However, money must be gotten the right way. Not by defrauding people or every other illicit scheme but through providing valuable service in exchange for it. Everybody wants to live a good life as well as leave an inheritance for their children's children (generational thinkers) but we must get it the right way. There is nothing absolutely wrong with making good money.

Now the next question that crops up is, "how do we achieve success?" Good question. In my opinion there are two ways to do this. I describe them as the Linear path and the Non-linear path. Let's look at the linear path for a moment

       The Linear Career Path
.

Undergraduate degree + Law school + bar exam = Life of a Lawyer

I think we are all aware of this path and can by ourselves also craft out linear equations for other fields. It's the conventional path. It is the path our parents told us to follow if we ever wanted to make anything out of our lives. "Stay in school, get good grades and become a Medical Doctor, Lawyer, Banker, Accountant, Engineer and what have you." For those who love playing it safe, it is the best path to take. Is it a rewarding path? Yes, it is. There are people who have made a fortune by following the linear career path. If you know your onions then you can command very fat paychecks. However, I do advise against the payday mentality where people end up living from paycheck to paycheck without any significant investments towards their future. It won't hurt to have multiple streams of income. In fact that's the right thing to do! I have seen people leave from paid employment after putting in decades and decades of service only to end up as broke as the word itself. Depending on a salary is not the best way to live out one's life because you will always be at the mercy of your employers. However, with some financial wisdom, you can make the most of the paid employment system and still retire to a very comfortable life.

  The Non-Linear Career Path

Can't be captured in a linear equation

 Our second path which I call "The road less travelled" because it is no surefire way to success is the non-linear career path. It starts off with a dream, a passion, call it whatever you want to call it but that thing that tells you, "There's gotta be more to life", Yes to make a dent in history, to disrupt an entire industry, to blaze new trails, to make a difference in life. As you can see they too are very much educated but that happens not necessarily within the four walls of classroom for the word Education comes from the latin root word, "ēdūcō" which means to grow from within and has nothing to do with BSc's, GPAs, MSc's, PhDs or MBA's. However, getting a good degree especially in this part of the world won't hurt either. For such people, passion fans the flames of innovation while creativity ignites that passion. If the end could be determined from the beginning, many more would sure follow this route because it's exit has written on it "Financial independence". Meaning you don't have to suck up, lick up or tolerate anyone's naughtiness. It also truly affords one the time to focus on the things that truly matter to you while having a good time with the people that matter most-Family. Unfortunately, it is a path also overlaid with so many sorrows, disappointments, failures and risks. It is not for the weak in heart. It is not for the one who's focus is on the immediate. But in the end you are always the better for it. These are the people who control the financial and money markets. These are the people who create jobs and grow economies. These are the people who make things happen rather than watch things happen to them. Whichever of the two paths you choose is entirely up to you.  

Keys to becoming the best YOU.

There is no better time to be alive than today. I always say that today well lived prepares you for a better tomorrow. That is why we have to maximize the time we have in our hands right now. No sitting on the couch all day watching TV. Go to work on becoming the best YOU that you can be. Because it is when you are at your best that you begin to command value and money becomes the medium of exchange for your services. Unfortunately, many people don't get this especially today's youths. We are running from pillar to post in search of the next "How to make 1500 dollars a day from home" and all what not. We need to wise up. How do we do that. Five keys I must share with you,

• Start Right where you are today - Kill the procrastination cycle by starting today. You will never be able to figure everything out before beginning for no one can know what tomorrow holds but you can start today and then take calculated risks as you move along.

• Be your future self- Become today the person you will want to be tomorrow. See yourself as that top notch consultant, CEO or whatever and carry yourself that way. Imagination and hard work have a way of turning vivid pictures in our minds into tangible success.

• Become an Expert in your chosen field- People don't pay for mediocrity, they pay for expertise. So you want to become an authority figure in your field. Aim to be in top 5% in whatever field you find yourself in. Read, Read and Read! 

• Build your support system- Have a very robust network of A-list people who challenge you to grow and become all that you want to be. Stop spending time with people who only sap your creative energy rather run away as fast as you can from them. You are usually two to three people away from anything you want to get. Make sure your two to three friends can actually get you to whomever and whatever you are looking for. 

• Trust time- I have come to realize that time is a friend and not an enemy. Young people always seem to be rushing through life. They want to get a PhD by 19,  make a million dollars by 20, get married to a super model by 21, pay cash down for that Lamborghini by 22 and the list goes on. And what do we see happening around us today? Young people are dying before their time due to their involvement in so many illicit activities. Time is a friend. God would have made the gestation period of a woman to be 1 day if He wanted to but He made it 9 months for a reason. There is no overnight success. Somethings just can't be fast-tracked. I think "Success" is one of them unless you want to play now and pay later.

          My final thoughts

1. It is far more better to try and fail than to fail at not trying
2. Don't wait for the right idea because even the right idea changes once it has been set in motion. 
3. Ideas are only as good as their time of conception

 

WHAT WE ALL NEED- PART 1

It is often said that, “There is no such thing as constant as change itself”. I can still fully picture the year 2008 like it was yesterday with all its hype when billions of people around the world witnessed the election of President Barack Obama as the forty-fourth and first African-American President of the United States of America. History was once again made! That night I sat glued to my TV screen watching CNN as they covered the race to the White House live and reported on every aspect of the voting exercise up until the point when his overwhelming victory was announced. His victory seemed to spell hope to everyone who had lost hope and the dawn of a new era to everyone who had been defeated by the adverse circumstances life sometimes throws at us. One could see people like “The Queen of Talk”, Oprah Winfrey and Rev. Jesse Jackson shed tears of joy in the emotional crowd that gathered in Chicago as they watched their ray of hope mount the podium to deliver his victory speech in some of these words;

“It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day,

     in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.”

                                         -Excerpt Obama acceptance speech, 2008

Famous secular artists like Kanye West, Jay-Z, amongst others and also Grammy Award-winning Gospel singer Yolanda Adams released songs about Obama’s victory all pointing to the birth of a new era for Black America.

It was clearly evident that people were tired and needed a change. They didn’t care whether he was black, white or even purple as long as he “promised” to deliver the goods and his political agenda perfectly blended in with what their hearts longed and cried out for. They saw the change they could believe in lying within the ranks a man who seemed to have a sound mastery of the intricacies into the hidden solutions to all America’s problems. The country was in profound debt, a disheartened people fed up with broken promises on Main Street and the corporate greed exhibited by some of the Gordon Gekko’s on Wall Street, an ailing government battling to the mitigate the effect of failed policies and the closing down of giant Investment Banking Corporations like Lehman Brothers with others screaming out for bail out, unemployment was at an all-time high, soldiers were being killed on a daily basis in Iraq and Afghanistan, two wars that were costing millions of dollars with no definitive end. In fact a lot was going on which had to be remedied. Obama seemed to be America’s and even the world’s man of the hour and thus everyone wanted him on board so that they could finally see “The change they could believe in.”

But again I ask myself, how the most powerful Nation on earth got to such a position to begin with as we know that something like this wouldn’t have happened instantly with the cast of a spell or the wave of a magic wand as we read in the fairy tales but rather as a culmination of a string of events tightly knit together. Let me put it to you then that things had been disintegrating long before this great collapse and the severity of these little cracks were never wholly perceived in the light of the Global Economy. Some individuals were doing certain things they shouldn’t have done or taking oversight of the things they should have taken seriously. The Global financial meltdown and its cronies I would say then were only the fruit (manifestation) of the seeds that had been planted long before this whole thing went off beam. 

                                                                      To be continued...