Self Help Techniques - Goal setting for stress free living

"Everything is already OK. That notion strikes us as radical, and it surely is. What it means is that in our essential nature we are already fully awake and enlightened; it means that God is available to us fully in the moment, simply because God is our true Nature. We simply have to stop resisting it. There is no distance to travel, nothing special that we have to do to earn God. It's a done deal" - Stephen Cope

We are not created at random, but for a specific purpose. Our purpose is to Be Present, at One with God. How you choose to 'Be' is more important than what you choose to 'do'. It is a moment by moment decision, not a destination. It is about who you are inside, goals are about what you 'do' outside. The litmus test to know you are there is... love, joy and peace... no matter the storms around you. To leave this place of being is to go the long way around. To stay present is to receive wisdom for each step of the way. The children of Israel took forty years to get where they were going... because they took the first step in the wrong direction.

When you hear the Truth for the moment, it is easy to determine the ONE thing that is more important to 'do' than all the rest. Each moment Present, your mind is free to focus and commit your efforts and energy to achieve that ONE important GOAL. Everyone has the ability to achieve excellence in what they 'do' in at least one area.

Our natural human tendency is to stay within the comfort zone of complacency and safety. Safe from change and the fear of failure. We sabotage ourselves with a double bind, "I want all things to stay the same but get better." Change and mistakes are inevitable. We can dig our heels, resist what is and stay stuck or choose another option until you find what works.

The greatest inventor, Thomas Edison, made 10,000 attempts before he was successful in developing the first light bulb. At 5,000 attempts he responded to criticism, "I have not failed at all, I have successfully discovered 5,000 ways that don't work and I'm 5,000 attempts to finding what does work."

No matter how perfect the plan or pure your heart, every successful person has failed over and over. Mistakes are your greatest teacher. Winners know that success is inevitable as long as you learn from your mistakes and try again until it works. Nothing stops you but your own brain body sabotage.

Unless your have goals, you go around in circles. Goals establish the parameters of what you chose to 'do' with your life. When establishing priority goals, ask:

What 3 things do I VALUE the most?
What are 3 most important NEEDS in my life right now? (Separate 'needs', basic to survival; from 'wants', not a necessity)
What has brought me the greatest feeling of satisfaction and JOY?
If I knew I could not fail, what would I dare DREAM to do?
What would I do if I won a million dollars?
What would I do if I had only 6 months to live?
What would I do if NOTHING stopped me?

Make the goal clear and SPECIFIC.
Make a detailed PLAN.
VISUALIZE what the goal will look like when it is accomplished. Make it colorful, moving, clear, up close, and life-like in your mind's eye.
PLAN in advance each step. Make a list each night for the following day. Refuse to get distracted by anything not on the list. Respond to the important rather than the pressure of the day.
Set PRIORITIES on the list. Ask: "What is the most valuable use of my time, right now?" There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the important.
CONCENTRATE on one thing at a time. Do it until it is finished. PERSEVERE, except for frequent relaxation breaks.

Pick a goal you desire personally. PASSION evokes motivation. If there is resistance, pick another option or change the parts that do not fit.
Make the goal believable, REALISTIC.
Make the goal challenging, so you have to STRETCH.
WRITE the goal down. If goals are written, the right and left sides of the brain participate. Research finds this greatly increases the likelihood that the goal will be met since more of your brain is aware of the goal.
Write out how achieving this goal would benefit and CHANGE your life. Play these pictures on your mind's eye movie screen.
REPROGRAM your negative word habits: should, have to, if ever, I can't, they won't, Use : I will, I choose to, when, I can, and they will.
Analyze where you are today. Do not wait for conditions or people. START where you are with what you have right now. Take small steps.
Keep the goal FOREMOST in your mind. The conscious mind can only have one thought at a time. Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the next step.
Set a deadline to accomplish the goal but be FLEXIBLE, reasonable and changeable.
IDENTIFY the obstacles that you may have to overcome or avoid.
Identify the people, groups, etc. whose cooperation and assistance you will need in order to OBTAIN your goals.
Identify the KNOWLEDGE you will have to acquire in order to accomplish your goal.
Get a clear mental PICTURE of your goal as if it were already attained. Play the movie often in your mind's eye, making it more detailed each time. You will achieve the goal to the degree that you are capable of seeing the completed goal. Ask, "What will I be doing, thinking, saying, and feeling?" Play each segment and ask, "Then what, and then what?" See it with NO LIMITS.
Back your plan with DETERMINATION and persistence. Say ""YES" to what supports your goal and "NO" to what distracts you.
Keep PERSPECTIVE, life is the moment, not a destination.

The gift of insight---making imaginative new connections---is there for anyone who persists, experiments, and explores. Making mental connections is our most crucial learning tool, the essence of human intelligence; to forge links; to go beyond the given; to see patterns, relationships, context." Marilyn Ferguson