| --> | | | | realise that the goal is way too hard at this point in |
| If I was going to drive from Brisbane to Perth, and | | | | time, and that you're not likely to realise it within the |
| I'd never made the trek before, it would be easy for | | | | timeframe that you've set yourself, so you give up |
| me to just think, 'Yeah, I know where I'm going, and | | | | on it and it ends up becoming a de-motivator that |
| our road system is good enough, so I'll just get in the | | | | spreads into other areas of your life as well. |
| car and drive, following the road signs along the way'. | | | | Remember, goals are meant to inspire you, not to |
| A few hours into the trip, when I'm feeling a little | | | | set you up for failure, so make sure they're |
| fatigued and distracted, I might miss a couple of | | | | challenging but achievable. |
| signs and after a while, find myself at the back of | | | | 5. Set goals for your personal and business life. |
| nowhere heading north instead of west. I might panic | | | | Setting goals in all areas of your life will help to |
| for a moment, start to stress, and spend a lot of | | | | ensure that you maintain a sense of balance, which in |
| time, effort and energy getting back on track again. | | | | itself can help you to keep up the momentum |
| Sure, I'll eventually make it to Perth, but it will have | | | | needed to achieve your goals. Start by setting goals |
| taken me longer and cost me more than it would | | | | around: |
| have if I'd taken the time to plan the trip before I | | | | Family and home life |
| headed off. | | | | Physical body and health |
| We all need a good road map (yes, even the blokes!). | | | | Emotional health |
| Many of us treat our personal and business lives in | | | | Spiritual health |
| the same way - we head off in the general direction | | | | Finances and career |
| of where we want to get to, hoping that we'll spot | | | | Continued education |
| all the right signs along the way, and when we find | | | | Social life and relationships |
| ourselves off track, it can really throw us for a loop! | | | | 6. Write your goals in great detail. |
| Just like in our road trip example, we don't make firm | | | | The more information and detail that you put into |
| plans for where we want to go, how we're going to | | | | your goals, the more efficient your subconscious |
| get there, and where we should be at certain points | | | | mind will be at helping you to achieve them. You see, |
| in time...and then we wonder why we're working so | | | | when you write down a detailed goal, your |
| hard but not getting to where we want to be. | | | | subconscious mind takes that as an instruction to |
| In my experience, the most common things that | | | | make that thing happen. It's like when you decide to |
| stop people from achieving their goals are: | | | | buy a new car, and you suddenly start to see that |
| Lack of planning and procrastination. | | | | same type of car everywhere - what we tune our |
| And sometimes we even procrastinate the planning! | | | | subconscious minds in to, we bring into our lives. So, |
| We all like to put off doing difficult or uncomfortable | | | | if you're setting a goal to take an overseas holiday, |
| things, it is a perfectly human thing to do, but it | | | | put all of the details about that trip into your goal - |
| often leaves us stuck on the road to nowhere. | | | | who you'll fly with, where you'll stay, what you'll see |
| If there's anything that you want or need to do in | | | | there and so on. The more detail, the better. |
| life, realise that there will never be a more perfect | | | | GOAL BOOSTER |
| time to start making it happen than right now, today. | | | | Our memories are strongly linked to our sense of |
| All you need to do is make the decision to just get | | | | smell, you've probably had the experience when you |
| on with it - stop thinking, worrying and stressing | | | | smell a particular aroma and in an instant it takes you |
| about it, and start doing it. | | | | to another place and time in your mind. You can also |
| How? The fastest and easiest way to get from A to | | | | use this memory association to help you focus on |
| B, from Brisbane to Perth, or from where you are | | | | your goals. For example, this year one of my goals is |
| today to wherever you want to be, is to create a | | | | to go to Turkey for the rose harvest (as an |
| road map for yourself by setting goals. I'm going to | | | | aromatherapist this is a very cool thing to do), so I |
| walk you through how to do that, but before we | | | | have been vaporising rose essential oil and using a |
| get started, it's important to point out the difference | | | | rosewater spritzer every day to help keep me |
| between dreams and goals. Dreams are just that, | | | | focused on achieving that goal. |
| they're fuzzy, feel-good fantasies that live in our | | | | 7. Keep them in your face. |
| imaginations, and that's often where they stay. We | | | | Out of sight, out of mind. If you don't remind |
| all need to have dreams, but we also want to make | | | | yourself of your goals every day, it's very easy to |
| some of those dreams a reality in our lives, and | | | | lose track of them and just get busy with the |
| that's what a goal is: something that we are aiming to | | | | day-to-day demands of life. I keep my goals in my |
| actually make happen. Goals are the road maps that | | | | diary, so that I see them every day. Reviewing your |
| we create for our lives, they pinpoint exactly where | | | | goals daily is a crucial part of your success and vital |
| we're going and how we're going to get there, and | | | | to make sure that your conscious and subconscious |
| they help to give us a sense of purpose, direction | | | | minds are focused on working toward them. Take a |
| and achievement in life. | | | | few minutes each morning to read your goals and |
| So let's start setting goals. | | | | visualise yourself achieving them (really do a little |
| 1. Make sure your goals light you up. | | | | daydreaming here, imagine what it would look like and |
| The things we usually put off doing the most are the | | | | feel like to have achieved your goals), this is a |
| things we don't like doing; the things that bore us; | | | | technique that sportspeople use all the time to help |
| that aren't fun and that don't give us a sense of | | | | them stay focused and committed. |
| satisfaction. So, if you set goals around doing things | | | | 8. Monitor your progress and adjust your goals. |
| that make you feel that way, you won't make a | | | | Review your goals periodically and adjust them as |
| true commitment to achieving them. Sure, we can't | | | | you go - just because you've set a goal doesn't |
| always spend our days doing our favourite things, but | | | | mean you can't make changes to it along the way, |
| there has to be a great pay-off in it for you - your | | | | you've got to be flexible. As you look at your goals |
| goals have to light you up from the inside; they have | | | | and plan your day, ask yourself if what you are doing |
| to 'feel' right for you. | | | | is taking you toward your goals or not. If it is, you |
| GOAL BOOSTER | | | | know you're on the right track, and if it's not, see |
| Because I am a natural health practitioner I use and | | | | whether it's your goal or your actions that need to |
| recommend a lot of 'natural medicines' that can help | | | | be adjusted to get you heading in the right direction |
| in all areas of our lives. Ginger is a herb that is | | | | again. When you do find yourself off track don't give |
| excellent for giving you a metaphorical 'kick in the | | | | yourself a hard time for it (I did say 'when' not 'if' |
| pants'! It's brilliant for getting procrastinators into | | | | because we're all only human and we all wonder off |
| action. Anytime you need a bit of a push along: | | | | track now and then), just be glad that you realised it, |
| · Brew yourself a cup of fresh ginger herb | | | | and get back to what you know you should be |
| tea (hot or iced). Take a knob of fresh ginger, grate | | | | doing. |
| or chop it, and infuse a teaspoon in a cup of hot | | | | GOAL BOOSTER |
| water - drink it warm or let it cool and drink as a | | | | Learn to put up your hand and ask for help when |
| tangy iced tea. | | | | you need it. You may never be able to achieve some |
| · Use some aromatherapy in your home or | | | | of your goals without a little help or guidance along |
| workplace. Vaporising some ginger essential oil, in | | | | the way - but for some people (myself included), |
| combination with other energising essential oils such | | | | learning to put ego aside and ask for help can be a |
| as May Chang and Grapefruit, will help keep you | | | | goal in itself! You'll reach your goals, faster and easier |
| focused on the task at hand and lighten your mood | | | | and give other people the opportunity to be of |
| when you're feeling bogged down by it all. I have | | | | service to you and to share in your success if you |
| created an oil blend for this very purpose, it's called | | | | just learn to ask for what you need. |
| Play More, just add 5-10 drops to an electric room | | | | 9. Share your goals with someone. |
| vaporiser or car vaporiser. | | | | Sharing your goals with someone you trust can be a |
| 2. Write your goals in language that excites you into | | | | great way of making sure you stay on track, and it |
| action. | | | | can give you someone to help celebrate your |
| What impact do you think your language has on your | | | | milestones with along the way. But you do need to |
| mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, and on what | | | | be careful about whom you choose to share your |
| you achieve in your life? We all know someone who | | | | goals with. It's human nature that some people will be |
| is 'Mr or Ms Negative', they always have a problem, | | | | excited about what you want to achieve and be |
| an excuse, and a reason for why they can't do what | | | | there with you every step of the way, while other |
| they want to do, or why they aren't getting the | | | | people can feel threatened, or jealous, or just put |
| results they want - and it's always someone else's | | | | out that you're making an effort to change your life |
| fault! In reality, it is that little voice that we all have | | | | while they're not, and they can react negatively and |
| inside of us that can make us doubt and question | | | | make you doubt yourself. So choose one or two |
| ourselves - and some people are better at managing | | | | trusted people, who are as positive and 'can do' as |
| it than others. | | | | you are and help each other to achieve everything |
| 3. Be Positive. | | | | you want in your lives. |
| You'll never get that little voice to be quiet, but you | | | | GOAL BOOSTER |
| can take control of what it's saying and what you | | | | Reward yourself! So often we focus on what hasn't |
| choose to pay attention to. The key to changing | | | | worked in our lives and what we're yet to achieve, |
| your self-talk is to first begin noticing it, and then to | | | | and we forget to acknowledge ourselves for what |
| replace the negative commentary with a positive one. | | | | we do achieve. Make this the year of acknowledging |
| For example, you could replace existing scripts such | | | | and celebrating your achievements, and share that |
| as 'I can't do this' with 'I'm learning how to do this', or | | | | success with a friend. Within my own close network |
| 'I am determined to become good at this', or 'I know | | | | of friends, we have chosen this year to share all of |
| I can do this'. So when you're setting and reviewing | | | | our 'Woo-Hoo!' moments, whether by email, phone or |
| your goals always use positive language, confident | | | | in person, we connect with those people who share |
| and inspiring words that describe you achieving your | | | | our vision and celebrate and encourage each other |
| goals, and leave no room for negativity. | | | | with some good-old positive reinforcement. |
| 4. Shoot for the stars - one step at a time. | | | | Everyone benefits from goal setting, without it, life |
| Goals are about stretching yourself to achieve the | | | | can just seem to be happening to us, pushing and |
| things you want in your life, but we still have to | | | | pulling us in all kinds of directions and we can start to |
| focus on taking manageable steps along the way - | | | | feel powerless about what's happening and where |
| you don't have to achieve a lifetime's worth of goals | | | | we're heading. Remember to set goals for all areas |
| this year! For example, if I were to write down a | | | | of your life, it's not all about what we want to |
| goal to buy a $1 million beach house, and I earn | | | | achieve in our working lives, it's also about 'having a |
| $50,000 per year, the stress that sits behind this goal | | | | life'. Living a balanced life is about finding a way to |
| will sabotage my achieving it. It's called non-integrative | | | | have it all, without losing your health, sense of |
| thinking. So while you might set a big bold goal such | | | | humour or sanity along the way! |
| as this, within a short period of time you will start to | | | | |