Always try to get advice, and then confirm that advice else were, before making any decisions. Ask people, surf the INTERNET, go to libraries. Observe. It is difficult to always know the right thing to do. I think most people make a decision, and then commit to it. A friend of mine did a course on how to pray. He told me what he learnt was to pray to his God, and ask him sincerely for whatever it was that he wanted. He was never to ask for that thing again, but on every subsequent prayer, to thank God for giving it to him, (as if he already had it) until it manifested. (Apparently, God has only three answers. Yes, not just yet, or I have something better in mind for you.) Just keep chipping away at the block. Bite-sized, digestible chunks. I usually find a correct decision is accompanied with a calm feeling.
Ask yourself why you would want to set goals in the first place. Goal-setting is tremendously beneficial yes, but what end result would you really want:
-To have more confidence?
-To be more in control of your life?
-To have more money?
-More power?
-More free time?
Before embarking on any goal setting, spend ample time in defining what it is that you really want, and why. (Going through all your six areas of life.)
I was advised that a good place to start with goal-setting, is to start with yourself, building from the inside first, and then externally. (Intrinsic and extrinsic security.) A balanced approach always works best, but try to focus on one or the other initially, to "kick start" yourself into success. My Grandmother used to say that when success is achieved in one area, it "spills over" into other areas.
Benjamin Franklin for example, used to work on a different virtue every week. Try to break up your days, weeks, months etc. into segments, concentrating on different areas-always try to get as much mileage from your time as possible, by doing several things simultaneously. When walking, try to power walk, at the same time, thinking about your progress and which direction to take, or lessons to repeat; until the new skill is a part of your daily habits. To attract the ideal mate, you probably attract what you are. So while your building yourself, your selection of candidates is getting better.
Also, look around your home. Be ruthless, and try to de-clutter. Leaving yourself space for energy to flow, and to breath and concentrate. Whatever cannot be repaired, throw away. Whatever you don't wear, donate to charity.
Internal security.(Inner strength.)
Internal security, is an inner calm, that you receive by going through life's learning experiences. Each learning opportunity we receive, and conquer, brings us one step closer to self confidence. What you need is a long string of successes. With each success, the self-image is strengthened. Again, you start small. Become, do, have. Stability, strength, power. Small successes, medium successes, and then the bigger projects. To be internally secure means your not working in a mode of protection, but rather are able to take risks. You could lose all your wealth, partner, home etc.(potentially) and go on to build it all again. Why? Because you did it before.
External security.(External strength.)
External security is things like money in the bank. Insurance policies-building a talent which you can convert into money etc. Say you won the lotto, and became a millionaire-and achieved financial independence. The problem if you lost the money, or say if your talent no longer applied (like the scribes of old) would then be to build it up again, without having the strength (or resilience) to do that. Ever watched a chick in an egg breaking free from its egg? In its struggling to break free, it builds up the muscles it will need to survive. If you felt sorry for the chick, and say, broke it free, so it did not have to struggle, you would have a deformed chick.
Also consider things like:
-Moving.
-Making a career shift.
-Committing to a relationship.
-Leaving a relationship.
-Starting a family.
An article like this could never be a comprehensive guide on how to go about setting goals, as there are to many variables to cover here. If this made you think at all, to be aware of what lies out there, and what can be achieved, I'll be happy. I wish you every success.
