Goals 

by Brian Tracy

From the Audio Book Publisher

"Goals! 
Author: Brian Tracy 
Date: 01-JAN-2003 
Narrator: Brian Tracy 
Provider: The Audio Partners Publishing Corp. 
Running Time: 3 h 20 min 

Hundred of thousands, even millions, of men and women have started with nothing and achieved great success. Renowned leader Brian Tracy presents the essential principles you need to know to make your dreams come true. Here is the simple, powerful, and effective system for setting and achieving goals. Accomplish any goals you set for yourself, no matter how big.

Discover how to determine your own strengths, what you truly value in life, and what you really want to accomplish in the years ahead.

Learn a system for achievement that you will use for the rest of your life.

Now is the time to take charge of your own life with these practical and proven methods for success. This is the most complete book on setting and achieving goals ever written. It is based on more than 20 years of research and speaking to people throughout the U.S, Canada, and 22 foreign countries."

Notes for Editing

Introduction

1. Write down your goals
2. Make plans to achieve them
3. Work on the plans to achieve the goals every day

What matters in where your are going

Your mind creates reality 0 is started as a thought. Your thoughts shape your world

Inner world – outer world

What you think about is important. What you want and how to get it

Cybernetics – goal seeking mechanism

What is the goal

Move toward the goal

The goal will move toward you

Your thoughts are creative

Have you set written goals and made plans to achieve them

3% had written goals

13% had goals but not written

A sense of meaning, purpose and direction

Inv3st time to clarify what you want

Develop an intense burning desire to achieve the goal

This creates energy and internal drive

Success requires that you know what you want, determine the price that must be paid and pay the price.

Think and talk about the things you want

Make a habit of goal setting and achieving

Accept complete responsibility for your life – don’t blame others

Negative emotions tire you out.

Happiness goal – free yourself from negative emotions. EG what your patents did long ago should not bother you emotionally

Root Causes

• justification – feeling entitled to be angry
• rationalising – to explain away bad actions or poor choices – someone else is the source
• over concern to the way other people treat them – the self image being based on others
• blaming other people for the problem
• free yourself from negative emotions

Laws of Control Theory

• internal – I am in complete control
• External – controlled by external factors – weak negative

Internal – I am responsible. I am in complete control. Take responsibility for control of happiness

Be – Do – Have – if you are willing to pay the price, Accept responsibility – no blaming

Responsibility - Control – Happiness

What to think about most of the time

• Future orientation – vision

Long term view of life – idealisation

• in five years my perfect life
• look at the self limiting beliefs and eliminate tem
• avoid low goals or no goals

Imagine all the time, abilities, etc, no limitations

Idealisation – no compromises – dream big and project forward

Dreams – create your perfect future

What would it look like

• imagine that you have all that is needed to achieve

Who would you be working with

Where would you be working

What kind of skills or abilities would you have

What goals would you be accomplishing

Ask how? Find ways to make a vision reality.

The future will be better than the past, happier, more cheerful

Clarify who you are

Think about your better future – no limits. Be clear.

Core - your values

1. Greater the clarity on the inside - the clearer the values - the more price your action

2. Your beliefs

3. Your expectations - positive and cheerful

• Your attitude - positive mental attitude
• Your actions - what is going on inside of your - values beliefs, expectations, outside actions congruent with values

Happiness occurs when outside and inside are congruent.

Values Clarification

What is important in everything you do?

Stress - in what way am I compromising my inner values in this situation?

What makes you feel important - philosophy of life, Emett Fox

What do you want people to say about you.

What reputation do you want to be famous or

How would be different from today?

How can you see yourself?

Your ____ ideal - self esteem -> happiness

Work values - to be consistent with the Ideal self

Integrity , hard work, initiative, dependability, getting along with other people, families,

Unconditional love, continuous encouragement

Money and financial success,

Health…

• honesty, industrious , thrift, excellence
• discipline, mastery, diet, control, diet exercise
• Integrity - the value that determines the other values
• Great people -. High value of integrity, even when no one is looking.
• Live in truth, consistent with the values,
• Be a person of honour- don't compromise values

Clarity - absolute clarity

• develop absolute clarity
• intense burning desire - must be personal - what you really want

What do I want to do with my life

• What is the target
• vision, values and ideals
• make them concrete and more specific

What are your 3 most important goals in your life right now?

1.

2.

3.

What would you do or how would your spend your time if you learned you only had six months to live?

1

2.

3

What would you do if you won one million dollars tax free?

1.

2.

3.

What have you always wanted to do but were afraid to attempt

1.

2.

3.

What do you enjoy most doing? What gives you the greatest feeling of self esteem and self satisfaction?

1.

2.

3.

What one / several great thing would you date to dream id you knew you could not fail?

1.

2.

3.

What are the ideal solutions?

What are the fastest and most direct ways to solve the problem. The less complicated the better.

EG more time with better sales prospects.

What do I enjoy doing in my life?

Maslow's Peak Experiences

• identify ones from the past
• how to have more in the future

Social and Contribution goals

• what causes to support
• what can you start with today

Financial Independence

• monthly income
• estate value / size
• be clear and think about the goal most of the time

What you believe becomes your reality.

Change your attitude - change your life

Eliminate self limiting beliefs

Your limiting beliefs might be erroneous and are most often false.

All beliefs are learned - unlearn the beliefs that are not helpful

EG a belief store - buy helpful beliefs such as "I am destined to be a big success in life".

Look for the good in all situations

Positive beliefs - seek positive lessons and learning experiences

Create the beliefs consistent with your desired success

• increase your knowledge and beliefs
• Act as if already achieved
• Beliefs manifested in your words and actions

Values, Vision, Mission, Goals

• Where are you now?
• What is the reality of your point of departure
• Zero based thinking - is there anything I am now doing that I wouldn't get into if I knew what I now Know?
• Is it appropriate to cut your losses now in investments of
• Time
• Money
• Emotions
• And the situations change - if this causes stress - this is a sign to zero base the situation.
• Have the courage to admit you are or were wrong.

Reinventing yourself - zero basing

• good habits - moving toward
• bad habits to delete
• re-evaluate in the light of superior current knowledge

Subconscious mind - 90% of our mental powers

• clear goals
• specific tasks
• benchmarks, time frames, deadlines or a forcing system

Three Keys

• commitment
• completion - do 100% of the task
• closure

On completion - the brain releases endorphins

• we feel happy, feel like a winner
• complete the task to 100%

Unhappiness 0 the lack of discipline, tasks not completed

Closure - for example closes the loop - happy and in control

• otherwise stress and emotional energy is used
• adds dependability
• list the tasks
• set deadlines and commit to them
• clarify the measure

Reset deadlines if necessary

Focus your attention on the task or the key elements of the task.

What gets measured gets done - track performance

Successful people try more things and "fail" / learn more often

Why is the goal not already achieved?

You become what you think about

Solution orientation- get over the obstacles

How can we solve this?

Success is the ability to solve problems between you and the goal

• constraints or limiting factors
• remove the constraints - usually 80% of the constraints are within ones self
• what is right, not who is right

Identify the constraints

• usually mental or psychological
• fear of failure, loss or embarrassment
• doubt, self doubt of own abilities - these are learned emotions
• Courage - is positive
• Confidence
• Knowledge and skill
• Learn the things you need to know
• Skills become subconscious

Identify the major obstacles

Define the problem in several different ways

• What is holding you back?
• What else could be the problem?

Rewrite the obstacle as a positive goal

• select key tasks and take immediate action

Invite feedback from others

Be honest with self

There is a solution of some kind some where

Remove the major obstacle.

Start and learn the knowledge and skills

• learn what you need to know to achieve the goal
• how do I achieve it
• you can do it as well
• hard work and dedication

Imagine yourself 3 to 5 years from now

• what do you need to know?
• What is the skill with the key to it and income

Achieve mastery in the weakest key skill area

Identify what it is that you really good at

Nurture your nature

You have unique talents and abilities

Become absolutely excellent in those areas

Find out what you really enjoy

1. Do what you love to do

2. You do it well
3. This has been responsible for your success to now
4. It was easy for you to do
5. It holds your attention
6. You love to learn about it
7. When you do it time stands still
8. You admire people who can do what is in your heart's desire.

Skills are learnable

Pay the price of success in advance

If you could wave a magic wand

• do it to yourself project
• pay the price to be the best at what you do
• practice the skill

What special knowledge is needed

Set the goal - work long, work hard

Identify the people, groups and organisations that you will require

Develop relationships with these people

• who are the most important people in your business life?

Customers - who do you depend on?

Who depends on you?

Co workers who depend on you

Build relationships to help other people do their work better

• willing to lend a helping hand
• be a good team player -> advancement

On teams

• be prepared
• Eye contact with the organiser
• Speak early at meetings
• Take responsibilities
• Help subordinates and team members
• The person who knows the most people rises to the top

Get involved with organisations and community

• join the organisation and attend the meetings
• result germination period varies
• your choice of a reference group is important if they are positive and goal oriented

Family and friend relationships are important

• do not neglect the home and family
• treat people with kindness, courtesy and compassion
• treat them as million dollar customers
• deposits in the emotional bank account

Clear plans - detailed - makes a difference

The strategic plan establishes the process

• this is vital for success - at the beginning
• the planning process

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

• organises thinking
• enables careful prior planning
• enables to identify the fatal flaws
• identifies the weaknesses
• identifies strengths and opportunities
• enables to focus time and money on the key objectives
• saves confusion and losses

A plan is an activity list

• what must be done
• revise the items and steps
• establish priority and sequence
• pre-decision tasks - critical path
• the vital elements to focus on

Plans need revision

• accept feedback
• what is / is not working
• learn and revisit the plan
• what are the milestones
• what is the fall back position

Planning and improves the process of achieving the goals

The better you get, the better the goals get

Learnable skills that you can master

You can transform your life

You must control your time

A sense of control is a key to feeling of happiness

Practice excellent time management skills

Get yourself organised and working on your most important goals

Make new choices more in alligmenent with what your want

Determine and prioritise your goals by value

Financial, Family, Fitness, goals

Clarity - exactly what do you want to accomplish

Then come back to the present and plan how to get to the goal

A list-

Can't manage time - manage self through self discipline

Follow through on decision

Lists of long, medium and short term goals

Monthly plans - in detail

Separate the urgent from the important.

Spend time on the important tasks, not the urgent tasks

Important tasks contribute the most to long term future

Urgent but not important tasks do not contribute to the accomplishment to goals

Not urgent and not important tasks only consume time

Consequence - valuable and important tasks have serious consequences

Not consequence - not important

Successful people work on the tasks of high value - high consequence

Always free to choose what to do more or less of

What is the most valuable use of my time right now?

Accurately answer this question.

Discipline self to answer this question repeatedly

Become more productive, more results

The things that matter most should never be at the mercy of the things that matter least

What is the most valuable use for my time at the moment

Develop good habits and make them your master

Accomplishment - brings a burst of happiness, elation

You become what you think about most of the time

Whatever you can hold in your mind on a continuing basis, you will have

Avoid positive wishing and positive hoping - a cheerful attitude

Focus on goal attainment - positive knowing that you will be successful

Nothing can stop you - with unshakable subconscious - seeking the goal

Whatever is impressed is expressed

Impress the goals into the subconscious

Write the top ten goals Daily in a bring along spiral notebook, without referring to the previous list.

Gradually writing the list becomes easier. The list changes in goals and priority.

Your definitions become clearer and sharper. Order changes as your life changes around your.

Your results will increase 5 and 10 times with goals written daily

Use the 3 P formula - describe the goals in Positive Personal and Present tense

Subconscious is only receptive to a positive / affirmative present tense statement

Personal - I (verb) (goal) - I earn xxx - I climb xxx mountain by xxx

Subconscious brings the goal into reality

Mind loves deadlines and thrives on a forcing system

Can change the deadline if needed

How to accomplish the goals is not important at first

You will begin to believe that the goal is achievable.

The subconscious will start attracting people and circumstances to bring the goals in reality

Use the method daily, write the goals daily in 3P format, you will start to transform in the most remarkable way

After writing the goals, write 3 actions to take to achieve the goal in 3P format

This programs them into the subconscious mind with the goal

Each step you take moves you toward the goal

Write the goals last thing in the evening before going to bed

Re-Write and review the goals in the morning warms up the mind

Move from positive thinking to positive knowing.

Subconscious is powerful force

Moving more rapidly toward the goals

Improvement begins with improvement in the mental pictures

Change the mental pictures the outside world begins to change

Use visualisation in a systematic way - take complete control of the process

Focus continually on what you want to have or be

Change your mental images of the way you think feel and act

You can remake yourself in the way you visualise

Mental rehearsal - like athletes -performing at their best - perform the routines perfectly

The mind controls the physical activities of the body - program the mind

1. Frequency - the number of times visualised the goal achieved, or very best performance
2. The duration of the mental image - how long you hold the picture in your mind - deeply impressed picture in the subconscious
3. Vividness - how detailed the picture in the mind is - the clearer the goal becomes to your. The goal will appear in you world
4. Intensity - the amount of emotion attached to the visual image

Nature is neutral - can bring success or failure. EG worry is negative visualisation

Use visualisation to make your life better. What will your ideal life look like in the future. Be absolutely clear about what you want

Best times - late in the evening or first thing in the morning

Clear mental images of what you want to achieve in the day

Start improvement with improved mental pictures

Cut out magazine pictures of your ideals

Make your life an ongoing process of visualising

Super conscious functioning - creates the great scientific breakthroughs

Mozart saw the entire opera note perfect in his mind - then transcribed it

Any thought held in the conscious mind is brought into reality by the super conscious mind

Go into the silence and listen to the still small voice within

Intuition is the contact with the super conscious mind

Explains the phenomena of serendipity and synchronicity

Serendipity (Sp)

• happy unexpected events or experiences that helps to achieve goals
• The insight that is needed, the event that is needed
• Look for something good and you are likely to find it. Calmly and confidently believe

Synchronicity (Sc)

• not the law of cause and effect - there is a reason and traceable cause
• the meaning you give due to the goals that you have
• helping you to achieve the goal is the common link

To achieve Sc - concentrate on achieve the goal

• continuous determined action to the goal seems to result in Sp and Sc events (single minded concentration)
• relax completely and allow your mind to let go from the goal - the super conscious mind may click into action (get your mind off the goal - release it to the universe)

Relax and trust in the great power of the inner voices / intuition

Tap into the s conscious mind

Achieve goal after goal

Feel you are plugged into a cosmic energy force

Change is unpredictable and rapid

We must remain flexible in thinking and course of action

Does what I not do work? Does it achieve the results? Is it effective in achieving the goals?

Be constantly open to new ideas that may help you.

One peace of info at the right time can save much time

Be concerned with what is right not who is right

Learn to say (to remain flexible)

• I was wrong - don't try to fool yourself, don't bother defending ego
• I made a mistake - avoid defending egos. Acknowledge the mistake, face the problem
• I changed my mind. New information comes along - I changed my mind. In a time of rapid change in knowledge, etc. Cut losses quickly. Deal with the truth as it is now. Reevaluate based on what you now know. What else could you do. Do you still want the goal or should you drop the goal and set a new goal.

Be the first to acknowledge new situations

Be willing to admit you are wrong. Be a good listener. Take in new information. Cut losses quickly.

When setting new goals - general plan - unexpected events - reach a wall - new opportunity occurs - take advantage of the new opportunity because you are flexible.

New road block - new opportunity - different corridor toward the goal.

The path to the goal is often very different from the initial plan.

Be clear about your goal. Be flexible about the process for achieving the goal.

Be open to ideas and inputs from others.

Children start out as highly creative. Then taught - to get along, go along. Creativity dies down.

Everyone has creativity potential. Must exercise the creativity "muscles".

Mind storming

• the results amazing
• clean sheet of paper - write the goal in the form of a question - specific and detailed
• The answers expressed in a 3P affirmation statement to the sub conscious mind
• Generate at least 20 answers to the question. The first 3-5 quite easy. The next 5 more difficult - drill down, more creative. The last 10 most difficult - pumping mental iron. Keep writing through self discipline to get 20 answers. Often the last answer is the inspired answer
• Review the answers. Select one answer and take immediate action
• You could repeat this process with the selected answer. The mind will sparkle with energy (after pumping this mental iron).
• Do something - take action - this reinforces the creative flow
• Do this exercise first thing in the morning. Implement one of the answers during the day.
• Practice may trigger unexpected break through ideas. Be patient and determined. Be solution oriented

Crisis

• problems and crisis never stop. We don't control the crisis. We control the response.
• Look for the good in all situations
• Focus on the solution - not who to blame

Systematic problem solving

• define the problem clearly
• What are all the possible causes of the problem. Be aware of systems thinking. What is the critical variable. What assumptions
• What are all the possible solutions. What else is the solution. Could be do nothing, could be gather more information, could be someone else's problem
• What must this solution accomplish? The solution must solve the problem
• Decide on the solution and take responsibility form implementing, and review to evaluate if the problem has been solved.

Scenario Planning - play down the chess board of life

1. The three worst things that could happen
2. The three best things that could happen in the months and years ahead

• Mind storm twenty answers
• Increase the likelihood of this opportunity, or take advantage of the opportunity - this activates the super conscious mind
• Take advantage of the situations
• How to avoid the dangers
• You are only as free as you well developed alternatives. What are your choices

Successful at keeping active

• Compensation will be in proportion to your contribution. To get more out you must put more in.
• No traffic jams on the extra mile

Your success in life will be in proportion to what you do after you have done what you are expected to do

Move faster from task to task and always do more than expected, go the extra mile

Move onto the fast track and do more than you are paid for

Be more enthusiastic and more creative

The more you get done, the more you get paid and the more successful you feel

Persistence and the habit of courage - Triumph of persistence

The emotion of fear rather than reality cause us to lack progress

Fear of failure - I can't…

Fear of rejection - I have to …

• afraid of criticism of others
• we hesitate, procrastinate
• ignorance - fear of change

Gather information - more confidant and knowledgeable

Illness and fatigue - rest and relaxation build courage and confidence

Courage = resistance to fear

Move toward what you fear and fear decreases while self esteem increases

Objectively define what it is that I am afraid of

• list the fears - general and specific
• fear of rejection
• assign priority - predominant fears

1. how does this fear hold me back?

2. How does this fear help me?
3. If I master this fear what would be my pay off?

Develop courage to eliminate fear - act

• Courage to begin - try something new with no guarantee of success

The corridor principle - must be in forward motion to see the opportunities

The more you seek opportunities the more you will find security

Commit to develop courage and set big goals

Learn secrets of success and then take some specific action

Will you do what you have resolved to do?

• self discipline and enthusiasm
• pay the price until you reach your goals
• invest in yourself every day
• delay gratification
• respond positively to difficulty
• persistence in your ability to succeed
• the iron quality of success
• willpower and unshakable persistence
• "Pushing to the front"
• get to it - will power
• stick to it - persistence

There will be disappointment and adversity

• respond positively and constructively
• learn from adversity
• go beyond quitting - persist beyond disappointment
• don't quit on the one yard line
• hold the vision
• the silent and irresistible power that comes to assist

• Take action Today on your plans, goals and ideas
• Make many attempts

Last modified 12/01/2006