Ok, so Thanksgiving is done. Now what?
Last week I mentioned that you would gain some massive benefit from writing out what is important to you. So, how many of you did this? You see, one common thread that successful people have is that they write out their goals and they’re very clear about what matters.
Writing out goals gives a drive and direction.
After teaching this to thousands, my guess is that fewer than 40% actually do this. My experience with students has been that they sit there, nod, and agree! One man in my Master Practitioner Training earlier this month opened up and said that he has heard from almost every teacher that writing out a goal is vital to success, and yet, he had never done it.
When I asked him how things are going, guess what?! Yup, no movement toward his goals….
Now, I am not saying that writing a goal is going to automatically get it done. However, will it help or hurt you chances? (Hint: Help!)
Last week’s assignment was bigger than the goal. It was an aim.
Aim vs. End
Let’s get specific. There are two types of goals. We have aim goals and we have end goals. Some teachers use different labels, and I am not as worried about the label as I am about you having both.
They are both very important.
Let’s start with an end goal. An end goal (as we call it in our school of NLP), is about achieving something that when you are done, you are done. Classic end goal examples would be getting to a specific weight or making a specific amount of money. Once you hit that goal, you are done! It is time to set the next one.
An aim guides your end goals. An example of an aim would be to lead a healthy life. Be a great dad. Have a successful and fulfilling career. Those never end – they continue.
Of course, you may change your aim goals as you go through life. However, for the most part, they are the bigger picture of what you want to achieve in your life.
Are Your Goals Fulfilling?
The reason why they are so important is simple. Before I had a SMART Goal as an aim for my health, I would achieve specific end goals… but they would not be fulfilling. I’d hit a certain weight, but when I did, the celebration was not what I dreamed it would be.
This has happened in my career too. “Wow, I want to make a certain amount of money! If I can just get there, I’ll be set.”
Only to get there and find no satisfaction.
My aim goal of wanting to lead a healthy life transformed my overall health experience. For example, while writing that aim, it occurred to me that “looks” did not fall under what I defined as health. In fact, none of what I wanted to achieve in the context of health had anything to do with looks!
After writing that down I considered that most of my workouts were designed to get you to look a certain way. But deep down, that didn’t matter to me. No wonder why it was so easy to skip work outs!
In my aim for health I wrote down what health is and what matters to me about it. Suddenly, what I should eat and how I should exercise seemed to fit! Now my end goals flow from my aim.
Does this make sense!? I hope so.
Write Out Your Goals
So, to build on last week, take the list that you made and write an aim goal and an end goal for your top 3 values. If you know the Empowering Your Life® Process, put the goal in your future Time Line! That will be an amazing touch.
Have a great week! I am off to Newport Beach for our last NLP Practitioner Scholarship Training in California this year!
Aloha A Hui Hou,
Dr. Matt
Photo by Raphael Goetter
