Weeks ago, my 4-year-old nephew asked me “What will you buy if you have lots of money?” Without hesitation, she yelled “Jelly”. We were playing with her money box and counting the coins inside. She had $1.40. I asked her what she will buy for $1.40 (with the intention to tease her), but straight away she fired out with a strong command that she wanted jelly. When it came to my turn to answer, I paused. To be honest, I don’t know. What do I desire, now? And this is a general problem for most grown-up adults that we simply think too much and we like to complicate the question. An innocent 4 year old kid can answer the question almost immediately without hesitation, why can’t a 40 years old man? Frankly, at that moment, I have rush thoughts about money, investments, better items etc. My thoughts were surrounded by self-doubts (Did I have the money? Why do I have the money?), hesitations (What should I buy first?) and self-ego (Should I invest the money first so I can make more money to buy better things?). All these negative thoughts were preventing me from answering one simply question.
Setting a goal is easy. There have been many talks about goal setting but very little on the process of achieving the goals. For example, one of my goals may be buying a new expensive car. It is all sounds great to know what I want but how do I go about it to achieve that? Although I know what I want but I have never thought about the process of goal setting systematically.
Over the years I have set many goals, but I never thought about the importance of goal setting process. I have now developed a simple fine-tuned goal setting and goal achievement into a process which I am going to share with you.
Here it is…
- I handwrite everything into a very special annual journal. I buy it from an expensive stationery shop. I customise the journal with my name and details. I like it handwritten and expensive so it will be harder for me to delete, cross out or even throw out such a beautiful journal. I could use Microsoft Word or Excel to type it out but this will defend the whole purpose because it will be too easy to forget, put aside, ignore and erase.
- At the back of the journal, I list my personal values, my purpose of life, what’s important to me, and a list of my beliefs. So I can constantly remind myself.
- Then I use two pages at the back to list out my life goals on one page, and my list of goals for this year on the other.
- For each page, I use a ruler to further outline 4 columns and I write down what I am going to start doing differently, stop doing and continue doing. For the last column, I write down my action plan for each of the goals on my list, in point format.
- I will only divulge my goals list to people who are going to help me get them. It is nevertheless private.
- I keep myself accountable to my goals each month.
- I review and read my goals every week. And I update my list regularly.
I want something, doesn’t mean I can get it. It is those baby steps that I take to make a difference. The famous book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill is a powerful inspiration. It says …
Truly ‘thoughts are things” and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a Burning Desire for their translation into riches, or other material objects.
So when you desire an object or simply setting a goal, we must design the purpose of the goal and take action. I am not joking. In Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert T. Kiyosaki describes a similar experience and called it “The Leverage of your Mind”. So dreaming is good and dreaming can take you to everywhere you want to be and anything you want to have. And designing your dream with purpose will get you closer to your dream. Start dreaming!
PS: I just realised our slogan for Sunnyside Financial Group is “Turning dreams into reality” is in fact not a bad idea.
