Back to school doesn’t have to mean back to the same old daily grind.
This is true whether you’re a kid or an adult. Fall is the start of a new season, and with it comes opportunity.
You might be wondering – opportunity for what Daddy Brain? Raking up the leaves?
Nope. It’s an opportunity to take a fresh look at goals – for ourselves, our kids and our family.
Gaining a clear picture of our goals is a huge step in attaining them. If we can “see them,” then we can move toward them. Think about it as if you were driving cross-country in your car. It’s the middle of the night. There are no street lights. No headlights. Not even a dashboard light (hey, this is starting to sound like a Meatloaf song).
Tough, right? How can we reach our destination, let alone see ten feet ahead of us, under these circumstances? I think you’ll agree it’s much easier to see with headlights. Now add a GPS and you’ve got both short term goals (headlights) working in tandem with long-term goals (the GPS), all focused on that final destination.
Very powerful.
It’s the same with goals. We can’t truly begin the journey until we can see where we’re going (which makes clearly defining our goals an important goal in and of itself). Depending on where you are in life, this could take some time.
According to Jack Canfield, “one of the easiest ways to begin clarifying what you truly want is to make a list of 30 things you want to do, 30 things you want to have, and 30 things you want to be before you die.”
Brian Tracy puts it this way:
“Imagine that 5-years from now your whole life has been made perfect in every respect. Every aspect of your life. All your dreams have been fulfilled; every goal has been achieved. What would it look like if 5-years from now your life was ideal in every way?
Where would you be in five years?
Who would you be with?
What would you be doing?
How well would you be doing it?
How much would you be earning?
What kind of home would you live in?
What would be your level of physical fitness?
What would your family be like and your relationships?
How would your children be doing?
If your life were perfect 5-years form now in every respect – what would it look like?”
He goes on to raise more questions before he mentions that the 5-years are going to pass. No matter what. “And if you’re crystal clear about what your life is going to be like in 5-years, your chances of making that a reality go up about 1,000%.”
In Part 2 of this series, we’ll examine what to do with these goals once we’ve defined them. How to take our goals, set a plan of action and attain them? We’ll also take a look at family goals & how to teach goal setting & accomplishment to our kids.
And remember, you are not alone…
Related links:
A Fresh Look at Goals: for Parents, Kids and the Family, Part 2
For further reading & listening:
The Daddy Brain Book Guide (has many recommendations on the subject of goals)
Zig Ziglar
– See You at The Top (Highly reccomended book)
– Goals (audio CD’s)
Jack Canfield
The Success Principles (also available on audio CD)
Daddy Brain 