Achieving goals in 5 disciplined steps

 You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in your life. - Les Brown

 Do you believe in destiny? Do you believe that you were born to either fail or succeed? Do you always blame your fate for failures? Do you pray for success more than actually working on it? Do you put your 100% in achieving your goals? Too many questions! Don’t worry; this article will help you with steps on how to set goals.

 For many years people have been blaming their fate or destiny for their failures. Many people believe that success is derived out of your past life karma. I honestly don't know much about karma and being born with a fate but I surely do know and believe that we humans have the power to change our fate and destiny. For those, who still disagree with me will soon change their thinking.

 Many of us see an aero plane flying in the sky each day and we all know the science behind the plane flying and we still feel amazed to imagine a heavy piece of equipment flying. Well, this invention just did not happen. We all know that the Wright Brothers had to go through numerous failures and embarrassment before they could create a plane that could fly. Were they destined to create a plane? Was it their fate that got them to create a plane? I doubt. Read on...

 It was their observation of the birds and the desire to fly which made them create the machine which we today call Plane. It was their burning desire which was so strong that made them work for years and hours each day before they met with success. All the failures, taunts, embarrassment and frustration were small compared to their burning desire to fly. It is only through a Burning Desire can a man achieve the impossible.

 Look at all the scientific advancements. The very advancement of a computer in front of you on which you read this article and the Internet on which you downloaded this article are all proofs of Burning Desire of man to create something.

 Obstacles come and it is up to us how we deal with them. Failures will come for a long time, before we can achieve something. It is the manner in which the Universe functions. To reap fruits from a tree, you must first plant the seeds and nurture the tree well.

 Achieving anything is possible as long as you have the Burning Desire to achieve it, i.e. creating the next scientific experiment, topping your exams, receiving the next promotion, losing your weight, learning a new art… Anything is possible. The recent slogan of Nike Shoes says it all "Impossible is nothing".

 If you have a Burning Desire and sow the seeds of intention, the universe conspires to help you. This happens only if your intentions are true and pure.

 If you dream of achieving something then sow the seeds of intention in the universe by always being positive about that dream and always thinking of that dream, the universe will conspire to help you. You might dream to work at Microsoft and if you sow your intentions right, somewhere some how you might just bump into a person who could help you.

 Therefore, keep dreaming, always have the burning desire to succeed and read the following steps to achieve your goals. But remember, it requires a disciplined approach while following it.

 5 Disciplined steps to achieve your goals

 Please note that the steps mentioned below require a disciplined approach. By discipline I mean that no matter what difficulty you face in achieving your goals, you must stick to your desire to achieving your goals.

 1. Define a goal for yourself

 The first step towards achieving your goal is to be able to define it. While defining your goal you should keep in mind the SMART principle i.e.

 S = Specific

 M = Measurable

 A = Attainable

 R = Realistic

 T = Timely

 Specific

 Be very specific of what you want. If you want to buy a car, just don't say my goal is to buy a car. You should rather say, I want to buy a Mercedes and the model number.

 Measurable

 You should be in a position to measure your success towards the goal only then will you be in a position to alter plans or make new ones if you are not heading anywhere.

 Attainable

 The goals that you make for yourself should be attainable as per your skills, attitudes, abilities, etc. Making an unrealistic goal will not only make you frustrated, but will also play on your mind and make you lose your self-esteem.

 Realistic

 Like I mentioned earlier, your goals should be realistic. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.

 It is only if a man believes in something does he accumulate the will to give all that he has towards his goal. Always remember, where there is a will there is a way.

 Timely While defining your goal you should always attach a time frame to achieve it. If you decide to lose weight, you should have a goal with a time frame in mind. E.g.: "I wish to lose 10 KGs by the end of 2007".

 Once you have created a SMART goal, the next step is to write it down in big bold letters and stick it at a place where you won't miss reading it every day. Read your goal statement each day and night and work towards it.

 2. Work towards it

 Now that you have created a goal for yourself, the next step is to initiate action and work towards it by giving all efforts possible. This is the most difficult part in achieving a goal. Many of my friends have taken this advice by defining their goals and writing it down, but they fail at the most critical step i.e. to initiate action.

 After your goals are clear, the time to take action is NOW. Just start working towards it. Ask yourself if you'd be happy to achieve your goals? If yes, then why not start working towards it once you have a clear vision of your goal. If your goal is to lose weight, then the next logical step is to find out how you could achieve it. Join a gym, consult a doctor, etc. Just do everything possible towards achieving your goal.

 3. Manage your problems well

 Yes, problems will come. It's the way in which the Universe works. It will test you endlessly till that time you don't attain your goal. Nothing comes easy. Even a diamond has to go through endless pressure and heat to reach its final form.

 It's how we react to problems that makes all the difference. Many things will come your way and distract your mind and that's the time to keep your cool and keep driving on.

 4. Monitor your progress.

 Now that you have defined your goal, have started working towards it and are battling your way through problems which come through; its time to monitor your progress.

 The reason why you should monitor your progress is to know if the action that you have initiated is helping you to near your goals or not. If you feel that the action is not helping you much, then you should try to alter your path of working.

 May be you were doing it all wrong. Don't panic at this stage. Appreciate the knowledge that you have gained of how not to achieve your goal. That's experience.

 5. Ask someone to mentor you

 Very few people have the privilege of being guided by a mentor. If you wish to become a singer or a dancer, then seek the help of a mentor. The experience of a mentor will not only lead you through a correct path, but will also help you become the best in a commendable time frame.

 As my closing remarks, Thomas Edison had to go through thousands of failed experiments to achieve the goal of inventing the perfect light bulb that we use today. At a press conference when he was asked about his failures, he quickly responded saying "I have successfully discovered 1000 ways to NOT make a light bulb".

 This shows that he had a goal and a burning desire to build an electrical bulb. This proves that despite facing so many problems and failed attempts at altered paths his vision never shook to achieve creating the first electrical bulb ever witnessed by mankind.

 Some quotable quotes

 Obstacles are those frightening things that become visible when we take our eyes off our goals.

 - Henry Ford

 Set your goals high and don't stop until you get there.

 - Bo Jackson

 You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in your life.

 - Les Brown

 Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.

 - Mark Twain

 When you cease to dream you cease to live.

 - Malcolm Forbes

 So what are you waiting for? If you have the desire, then march ahead and achieve your goals