Your Checklist for Achieving a Life Goal

Have you ever had a goal only to get side-tracked and lose your vision for achieving it? Here is a checklist that can help you stay on course.

Don't Just Think About It...Ink It

Unless you take the time to write your goal down it will get lost in all your other activities in life. Many times a goal will get lost in life's other challenges and problems.

Suspend Reality

Don't judge your goals or let your abilities or resources get in the way. If you had every skill and resource in the world, what would you set out to do? Let it flow.

Think BIG!

Michelangelo said, "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it." What's one goal that makes you stay awake at night excited about what the next day will bring?

State Your Goals in the Positive

Don't focus on problems, focus on what you want. Don't be one of those people who will tell you why something can't be done.

State Your Goals in the "I am."

Write your goals in the first person.

Be sure your goals are your goals.

If your goals are influenced by the expectations of others and are not from your heart, don't waste your time; you won't have the spirit or passion to achieve them.

Make sure your goals align with your values.

Don't sacrifice your core values for a goal that isn't worth it.

Voices

I'm not sure if you know who Campbell Brown is. Apparently not enough people know who she is either. At one time she was a reporter for NBC News. As of late, she has been an anchor for CNN and having a nightly news show of her own. This week it was reported that Ms. Brown has decided on her own to call it quits with her CNN gig. Her number of viewers is one of the lowest of news talk shows. According to her, she just wanted to report the news and not "hype" it up. Well for the American viewer they want the hype, the yelling, degrading, the shouting and name calling. I applaud her for having the courage to step up and say "I'm not going to be like the rest of my competitors" even if it means walking away.
Have you ever listened to Bill O'Reilly? Makes you wonder why you live in the U.S. Sean Hannity, Glen Beck, and a myriad of other talk show hosts and spin doctors have a hard time finding enough negative things to say. Granted we live in a really challenging times. Times in government, on the streets, health care, housing, employment, etc. are tough. The issues are demanding on any government leader from Main Street America to Capital Hill. Have you ever listened to Michael Savage? Bill Maher? Talk about a pieces of work! Someone please remind me why I love this country!
Does it seem like to you, no matter your political allegiance, that yelling, accusing, name calling, and mud slinging has gotten out control with these people. I do. Really I get it we have some really bad leaders in this country. Take a look at the governor of South Carolina! What about David Patterson in New York. Rod Blagoevich who I believe still has a Federal court date.
So there will always be stories to report on and opinions to give. But I believe we live in a country that desperately needs people to stand up and lead rather than yell and name call. That's easy to do. Always will be. But someone stepping up and making the tough decisions and leading...well let's hope someone does soon. In a very modest and quiet way Campbell Brown drew a line in the sand. Good for her.

HOT TOPIX

HOT TOPIX

HOT TOPIX is about having fun. It's about being interactive and reader's giving their opinion. Each edition of HOT TOPIX will be focused on a challenging thought, everyday occurrence, controversial story, or just some really funny incident. Here's what you do. Read the latest edition of HOT TOPIX and then post your opinion. It's that simple. Great opinions will be mentioned in the next edition of the HOT TOPIX replay. All first time respondents will receive a FREE gift from LifeWorks. So what do you have to lose? You get to be heard and receive a FREE gift just by posting your opinion.

HOT TOPIX QUESTION OF THE DAY

A customer in a SUV recently went through a Taco John's drive-thru and placed her order. She pulled up, paid, and the employee handed her a Taco John's bag. The customer then drove off with her "order". We've all done it right? But the employee unknowingly handed the previous night's receipts of $2,000 to the customer. You see each morning the manager drove through and was handed the night's receipts in a Taco John's bag. The customer never returned with the money even though her SUV was caught on a security camera!

Now what would you do if you had been handed that Taco John's bag?

WELCOME TO "HOT TOPIX"

Welcome to Hot Topix.

HOT TOPIX is about having fun. Being interactive. It's about LifeWorks readers giving their opinions. Each edition of HOT TOPIX will be focused on a controversial article, fascinating survey, or just some really funny story of the day.

Here's what you do. Read the latest edition of HOT TOPIX and then post your opinion. It's that simple. Great opinions will be mentioned in the next edition of the HOT TOPIX replay.

All first time respondents will receive a FREE Gift from LifeWorks. So what do you have to lose? You get to be heard and receive a FREE Gift by just posting your opinion!

HOT TOPIX

POLL: 1 in 3 women say pets listen better than their husbands.

A third of pet-owning married women in the U.S. say their pets are better listeners than their husbands according to an Associated Press poll. Eighteen percent of pet-owning men say their pets are better listeners than their wives.

Christina H., 40, talks all the time to her cat, two dogs or three horses about her husband.

She thinks everyone should have a pet to talk to like her horse, "Whistle".

Bill R., 44, talks to a pet, a palm-size crayfish named Cray Aiken when he has a problem with his wife of 19 years! Bill also talks to the family dog. "You definitely feel much more comfortable sharing your problems with them," he said. "A little lick from a big dog can go a long way."

Overall, about one in 10 pet owners said they would talk their troubles over with their pets.

What's your HOT TOPIX opinion? What do you think about people who talk to their dog, cat, horse, crayfish, monkey, pot-belly pig, bird, about personal issues or problems? How would you react to a friend/family member who said they just talked to their pet about their spouse?

Goal Setting Rules

Goals...

Here's what I think...

People generally fall into one of three categories when it comes to goals. Those who have no goals and just go with the flow of everyday living. These people tend to have an attitude that just living life and getting through the day is 'goal' enough. Much like the ancient Romans its "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die."
The second group would be those who would be lost without a goal or multiple goals in their lives. They may be seen by the public as people who are driven. It's what motivates them not only to get through their day but provides meaning to their future. For me a goal can be my carrot that I dangle out in front of myself.
And the third group of people would be those who have no goals but they aren't necessarily against other people having them. They're simply neutral about the whole thing...which in reality is having no opinion and terribly sad in some ways.
I hear many teachers, motivational speakers, consultants that preach the mantra of having goals. I've read many books by written by people like Jack Canfield or John Maxwell. They each have their "method" in determining one's goals and how to achieve them. It can be for a individual's business, a corporation, club, family, faith, or relationship. You can set a goal for weight loss, moving up in the business world to a new position, learning a new skill.
Here's something I'd like to share with you about achieving your goal(s). And trust me its nothing new or profound. Because no matter what route you determine to take to achieve your goal(s) you must do this: Don't Give Up. Period. When tempted to...don't!
You may need to call a life's timeout due to circumstances, tweak your plan, talk to someone with a different perspective but don't give up.
You originally thought about your goal because it was important to you. Maybe for years you set it on the back burner. But eventually you set out on your adventure. And the best advice I can share with you is when you get discouraged, dismayed, disheartened, you know all those 'dis' words...don't give up! We're on this planet for such a short period of time. Trust me...you don't want to get to the end of your way and be wishing that you hadn't given up on your goal.
A survey was conducted of a large group of people over the age of 80. Many of these folks said there were things they had done in life they were not always proud of and had some regrets. But overwhelmingly a far greater percentage said they had deep regrets for the things they hadn't at least tried to achieve and now it was too late.
GOALS...what's yours? Decide when to start, what kind of plan can achieve it, and share it with a friend or family member. And then start...don't look back... or listen to what others may be saying as you strive towards your accomplishment, and whatever you do: don't give up!