Goal Setting Techniques - Lifestyle Goals Counselling

Article: Lifestyle Choice - Goal Setting & Purpose

Article extracted from a workshop manual & book called:

DO YOU BELIEVE IN YOU - by Dieter Luske© - Gold Coast

... all following articles, are written as workshop manuscript
... questions were asked to stimulate active participation.

ARTICLE NUMBER - 29 - Chapter Three

Goal Setting & Destinctions

Goal Setting - Questions of Distinctions

DISTINCTION QUESTION Number 1:

For no particular reason, but simply as an exercise, imagine you have just found out that you have only one week left to be on this planet. You are well and healthy, you just have to take a trip into another galaxy.

What is important to you now in this time-shortened reality?

Reconsider the first three questions under this new reality? (see the 3 questions again - click goal )

Having answered this question, ask yourself:

what stops me from doing what I have written down, and why don't I do it right now?

Experience has shown that a lot of people answer this question from a basis of guilt, they write down what they 'should have done before'.

Examples of that would be: spending more time with my children; my partner; my parents; going for a bushwalk; enjoying nature.

So, ask yourself now, why don't I do these things now from time to time?

You live today, you never know what tomorrow brings.

Please write down now, what you will do from now on, starting this very day.

What about that talk you always wanted to have with your father?

What about playing with your children before they grow up?

How about enjoying your partnership or the wilderness while you still can?

You know how time seems to fly. Don't use the old excuse of, not having any time.

Make time—time is relative, there always is time.

And especially for men—don't kid yourself about working so hard for your family that you haven't got the time for them. Using the excuse: "but I did it all for you." This could be a rude awakening, so work that out now. How?

There is nothing wrong with working hard or achieving goals for the family. It is when you forget about setting a time for finalising your goals, that you get in trouble. You have to know when to stop and when to rest! Otherwise you go on forever, chasing the dollar, getting a higher living standard which costs more, needing more money again and forgetting to live in between. That is the "rat race."

DISTINCTION QUESTION 2:
Instead of one week, imagine that you have one year to stay on our beautiful planet. Again consider, what would you do now? Who would you be with? Where would you go?

What would be important enough to actually make happen?

Will you choose some of the same goals you wrote in answer to the first question, or will you create new and different goals? There is a similar consideration to the first distinction question, but you have a wider scope.

This is easier to plan for as you have more time here to put in some of the major experiences that you wish to have in your lifetime.

And if you do, ask yourself "why don't I do it now, what stops me?"

DISTINCTION QUESTION 3:
Because of an unprecedented breakthrough in biomedical research, the average human lifespan has been lengthened to over two hundred years.

With two hundred more years to look forward to, how do your goals and priorities change? And who tells you that this is not possible?

The way research is going you can see a two hundred year lifespan as a reality. Present statistics and research indicate a lifespan of a hundred and forty years for the 'around forty generation'.

So, don't think you can take the easy way out and retire at sixty, I don't think you would enjoy a hundred and forty years watching T.V.

PLAN AHEAD NOW. What would you do now?

Answer yourself—maybe start your life all over again? It surely would stop the excuse of being too old. So, what about it, going back to University, learning a musical instrument, getting into a new profession, opening up a business?

Maybe now you have the time to go into politics, research, change the world, it's up to you. Don't wait for other people to do it, you can do it, take charge now.

Fine. What stops you? GO AHEAD, MAKE YOUR LIFE!!

Another thing that is very relevant. Do you believe, that in these fast changing times, you can stay the way you are? I don't think so. The only permanent thing in this world is change. You have to move with the times. If you don't change, you are actually going backwards, as everybody else is overtaking you. This is happening at this moment, and change will be even faster in the future.

You just lost your job? Say, thank you, somebody else made a change for you.

DON'T HANG ON TO SOMETHING WHICH HAS BECOME OBSOLETE! ( unless you can turn it into a niche market )

Too many people stay in that particular victim position, don't do that to yourself.

Remember being proactive? Good, then forget about age limitation, accept that you probably have to change your profession or occupation a few times during your lifetime.

Become proactive now. Change before you have to change. Stay with that policy, and remember that it is never too late. If there is no job for you any more, because your skill has become obsolete, move on, create your own job.

Don't wait till somebody comes to you with a job. The future belongs to people who are flexible and creative!

... to be continued . next >> Goal Setting - Dream your Life