Change Your Life in 2003
Copyright 2003 by Kevin Bidwell
All-In-One-Business.com

So ya wanna set a goal, huh?

I think goal setting is an important and good thing--but it
doesn't work the same for everyone.

For instance, most of the super-successes of history never
even heard of goal setting, let alone had written goals. But
almost all of them had a clear picture in their own mind of
what they wanted to achieve and why they wanted to achieve
it.

(By the way, the why is really the important part! Everyone
wants to be thin, rich, happily married, etc. Only those who
have a strong driving desire for those things will get there.
The WHY is what gives us the perseverace to accomplish the
what.)

So, while I advocate writing down your goals, it is not
written goals that make a person a success. What makes a
person successful is the firm picture in their mind of why
they want to accomplish a certain thing. So, writing down
you goals may help, but getting a picture of why you want to
achieve that goal is crucial.

What is a goal?

There are several different types of goals.

One type of Goal is a destination goal. It is someplace
reachable. For instance, I live in southeastern Kentucky.
Once in a while I have a "goal" to travel to my friend's
house in Atlanta. Atlanta is my goal, my destination.

In order to get there, I know I need to get on I-75 South,
continue through Knoxville and Chattanooga, continue through
northern Georgia until I reach the Peachtree City exit. From
the exit I know how to take certain streets to arrive at his
home.

A destination type goal has a specific destination that can
be reached through a distinct series of steps. Many times
these will have a specific time frame and/or dollar amount
associated with them.

Another type of Goal is what I call a "Quality" Goal. A
quality goal is not measurable, per se, but is a change of
character or quality. To be a good father is a quality goal
for me.

While you can't know whether or not you have arrived at a
quality goal, the key is to identify the habits and routines
that will get you there. If I want to be a good father, I
need to spend time with my sons on a regular basis,
listening to them, playing with them, building strong
relationships. These are very specific activities that I
CAN measure. Going to a ball game. Taking them out for ice
cream. Going on a road trip. These are all measurable
activities I need to engage in on a regular basis.

A third type of goal is a maintenance goal. This is often a
difficult kind of goal because it might be just
"monitoring." For instance, let's say a woman is at a
healthy weight of 125 pounds and wants to maintain that
weight. So, her goal is to stay the same. How does a person
reach this goal? Through constant monitoring. She may decide
to weigh herself every Sunday morning and make whatever
corrections are necessary to maintain her desired weight.

In part II, I will look at eight steps to putting goals
into your life.

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Kevin Bidwell owns http://www.all-in-one-business.com
in the top 1% of the most popular sites on the web

Receive your FREE BUSINESS START UP KIT for visiting!

Contact Kevin directly at: Kevin@All-In-One-Business.com

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This article may be reprinted for use in newsletters and
websites provided that the information box is kept intact.
Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not
required: Kevin@All-In-One-Business.com

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ARTICLE TWO
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Eight Steps to Making Your Dreams a Reality
Copyright 2003 by Kevin Bidwell
All-In-One-Business.com

In my last article I looked at what goal setting is and
does. Here I outline eight steps to keep yourself focused
and help accomplish those goals.

Here's how you can set goals and stay focused on the WHY:

Get out a clean sheet of paper. On the top write "Things I
would do with extra money..." Then set a timer (if you have
one) for 3 minutes. In that time write down as many things
as occur to you. Don't evaluate them, just write them down.

Next, go back and put a "*" by the four or five that are
most important to you.

Now, get out a piece of paper and write at the top this
statement "I am starting my own business and I will work
through the adversities so that I can..." Then on the paper
list the 4 or 5 things you want to do with the money from
your business.

In the space provided, put a dollar figure by each one of
those five (if applicable).

For example: If you put on your list "Take my wife [or
husband] to Hawaii for our 20th wedding anniversary" you
might want to put next to that $ 4,000-the cost of the trip.

If you put "Buy a car" put next to that the specific car you
want and how much the monthly payment will be.

If you put "Quit my job" how much money would you need?
Write it down.

Maybe your goals are more family oriented-"Spend more time
with my children and less time working"-how much income will
you need to accomplish that?

Next, write out the reason why you want to accomplish each
of those goals: "I want to ___________ so that I can
_____________."

Take that paper and post it where you can see it while you
are working at your computer.

Recopy your goals onto 3 or 4 index cards and place them
where you will see them several times each day-a mirror in
your bathroom, on your dashboard, at your desk at work. It
is important that you place them where you will see them
OFTEN. Get pictures of the things you want to buy and do.
If you want to send your kids to Harvard, get the school
emblem and put it everywhere. Get pictures of the car you
want to buy.

Keep your "next step" in front of you at all times.
Remember that you can only do one thing at a time, so focus
on the next "baby-step" you need to succeed.

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Kevin Bidwell owns http://www.all-in-one-business.com
in the top 1% of the most popular sites on the web

Receive your FREE BUSINESS START UP KIT for visiting!

Contact Kevin directly at: Kevin@All-In-One-Business.com

===========================================

This article may be reprinted for use in newsletters and
websites provided that the information box is kept intact.
Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not
required: Kevin@All-In-One-Business.com

==========================================
==========================================
Kevin Bidwell is owner of http://www.all-in-one-business.com
and works with web business owners all over the world to
help them succeed in business. All-In-One Business receives
over 1 MILLION visits per year and his Success Secrets
course has helped hundreds of people achieve financial
independence in their own Internet business.

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