Page 137 - Marky Stein - Fearless Career Change_ The Fast Track to Success in a New Field (2004)

Setting and Reaching Enticing Goals

Some may use a more formal system like the one you will
learn. Others may think of their goals as mere “daydreams” and
write them down, less formally, in a journal. Some people find it
relaxing to make drawings and/or flowcharts of their intentions in
a notebook.
I have known people who jot down all their goals on a piece of
paper and place that paper in a special box or a special file and
then review their progress once a month. Others only think clear-
ly and intently about their goals or, perhaps, share their aims with
just one trusted person, and, even though their goals are not writ-
ten, their intensity of purpose and commitment to action brings
about the result they planned on.

Setting Balanced Goals
To be sure, truly successful people conceive of goals for every part
of their lives—not just career goals. This holistic approach to goal
setting reminds you that happiness and success are the fruits of a
balanced life that includes social, spiritual, recreational, financial,
fitness, health, and other elements of existence.
Although there are many areas for which to fashion new and
exciting goals, we’re going to begin with focusing on your career goal
since I assume you’re reading this book because you’re interested in
making a quick and economical career change. However, once you
learn to design and actualize your career goals, you will be able to use
the same formula to achieve goals in other areas of your life.

Steps for Writing an Attainable Goal

Step 1. Write a Clear, Measurable Statement of
Your Goal, Described in the Present Tense, Using
an Exact Calendar Date for Its Attainment
An example of this sort of goal statement is, “I now have a won-
derful career as a certified financial planner on June 17, 20xx.”
Why do we write the goal in the present tense? Because if you
say “I will” rather than “I am” your brain will subconsciously keep
putting that goal off into the future.
It may also seem odd to write an exact calendar date for a goal
whose attainment on a specific day cannot be precisely predicted.

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