The hidden value of setting goals

Have you ever wondered how much control we actually have over our lives? The mind is continuously sending us messages to do this or that and our lack of awareness blindly follows its commands. These messages are generally self defeating because when the mind is in control it will always side with taking the easy option over the better one. Each time we attempt something new and give up because of the latest whim or passing fancy we give it more control and the cycle gets harder to break!

For most of us, our sense of self is derived from the contents of our mind. Memories of the past, future projection and the baggage we have accumulated are used to identify who we are. We have become separated from our true self by the way in which the mind manipulates time. We have identified with the tool and not the master. We are letting the mind run the show and the way we live is not helping us one bit.

Goal setting provides a mechanism through which we can break the mind's control over our lives.

It is clear to most people that if you want to make a success of your life then setting personal goals is a must. Through setting goals we grow because our dreams tend to be bigger than we are now. To reach our targets we make a plan, overcome obstacles, do things we wouldn't have otherwise done and if need be, go the extra mile. A life of drifting from one thing to the next turns into a life of direction. Success becomes less a game of chance, more a matter of time. But what of the hidden benefits of setting goals?

When we set goals and take the steps necessary to reach our targets we start to treat the mind more like a tool. Distractions become more noticeable because they take us away from our targets. When we become aware of this happening we can re-focus on the present activity and give it our full attention. This awareness can be used to get in touch with who we really are and break the hold the mind has over us.

The longer we can hold onto this awareness the less control we give to the mind. You see, the mind and time are inseparable. When we bring our attention into the present moment we are breaking the bonds of time and allowing the true self to take charge. The channel is now open for all the qualities of genius to come into our work. The mind simply cannot compare to what the true self can offer. The answers to our prayers are wrapped in the present.

Goals on the wall

Surprisingly few people regularly make lists of their goals and even fewer put their lists where they can see them. This article suggests that it is worth doing both. It also takes a look at the life goals of Minnie Driver and Genghis Khan.

A lot of money was once paid for the following famous goal setting advice given to a rich businessman:

Each night make a list of 6 things you need to do tomorrow and list the 6 tasks in order of priority. When tomorrow arrives, start on the first task and complete it. Then move on to the second task. If you don't finish all your tasks add the unfinished ones to your list for the next day.

Goals could be listed for each day, each week, each month, each year and for life. You could even make lists for each project you are working on.

Recently, Minnie Driver, the singer was asked: "What drives you?" She gave a thoughtful reply:

• To live fully - to pursue every gift I've been given.

• To think what am I going to bring to this day as opposed to what I am going to get from it.

• I want to have kids and live by the sea and write records, have a great partnership with someone and maybe do some teaching.

Very few people could have come straight out with such a clear life mission statement. Minnie is going to make the most of her singing talent and give rather than get. She wants kids and wants to live by the seaside and so on.

Ask yourself what the main goals of your life are? Could you come up with a great list like Minnie Driver's if someone put you on the spot? Do you plan:

• To become all that you can become?

• To help others become all that they can become?

• To live an extraordinary life?

• To help humans, animals and even insects?

• To see the wonders of the world?

• To love your neighbour as yourself? etc. etc.

It is worth making a list and revising it regularly. You can always change your mission statement or list of life goals whenever you wish to. In the mean time life goals will give you a guiding light for much if not all of your life.

However, goals are soon forgotten unless you look at them and revise them regularly. Some people put their list of goals on post it notes and stick them on their computers. Some buy computer software that will parade their goals across their computer screen.

I put my goals on the wardrobe to my right where I can look at it all day. This reminds both my conscious and subconscious minds to focus on the goals. They are thus much more likely to be completed. They will also be finished with much less conscious effort.

Try sticking your goals list somewhere prominent where you have a bit of space. My walls are already covered with A4 sheets of things I need to remember so my wardrobe is the only space left.

One of my goals on the wardrobe list for today is to finish this article. I now have the satisfaction of crossing it off my list and moving on to my next goal which is to prepare for a class I am teaching this evening.

We all need to get a move on with our goals before our time runs out. Genghis Khan's life goal was to conquer the whole world. In the end he conquered a huge space twice the size of the Roman Empire but he died too soon to fulfil his life mission. At the age of 65 on his death bed he said:

"I have conquered for you a large empire but my life was too short to take the whole world. That I leave to you."

Even after death, the power of his goal lived on.

His sons doubled the size of his empire. They invaded Russia, Poland and Hungary but as the Mongol armies approached Vienna in 1242, Ogodei Khan, the son of Genghis died and all his armies went back to Mongolia for his funeral. They did not return to Europe.

A century later his empire began to crumble. However, genetic studies suggest that 1 in every 200 men on the planet today are genetically related to Genghis. Some goals will never die!

What do Minnie Driver and Genghis Khan have in common? They both set themselves clear life goals. The resemblance stops there. Minnie Driver's goals are much, much greater than the goals of the Universal Ruler - Genghis Khan.