Yesterday you were to make a list of 50 – 100 things you wanted to achieve/attain.

Now it’s time to really see if these are really burning desires…and then to prioritize them.

If this seems like a lot of work, I have to ask you how cluttered your mind is right now. If you’re already focused on the one or 5 things you want to achieve then you’re ready for the next steps. But if your mind is filled with many things that bounce around and around and you’re flitting from this to that when trying to think of what’s important to you in the near future, then this is the right method to get you going in the right direction. Remember that I said that how we “set up” for the process is so important because you have to be in the correct mental state in order for your subconscious to take the proper direction – and of course, you have to know what you want to order it to do!

1) Go back over the list and start crossing out the items you really had to reach for or those that when you look at it on the list you say “huh?”.

• When you see yourself saying “huh” or “what’s this all about”, give it a few minutes and look deep inside. Is there a deeper reason you put this on the list? If so, leave it there.
• Do NOT cross them out because  you think you can’t attain them..or that you can’t attain them in 2012. That’s not what this list is about.  It’s a list of things you really want.
• DO cross off those things that you look at and can say “I really don’t care about that” or “nah, there are many other things I’d rather do (or have)”.

2) After you’ve been over the  list and crossed out some items (maybe), then go over it and prioritize it based on what you really want (try NOT to use the word “need” – remember that your thoughts shape your world so put it in the positive – “I want”).

• Start numbering the priorities even if you have to go back and change the numbers
• Number the 25 most important

I’m assuming that you’ve completed your inventory by now.  That’s an important step. It should also show you the importance of keeping a diary/journal on at least a weekly basis.

You can use the Gratitude Journal for that purpose and get the benefits of expressing gratitude as well.

Before you start making your list, I want you to think about what different words mean to you.

What is your immediate EMOTIONAL reaction to the following words:

“Goals”

“Resolutions”

“Desires”

“Accomplishment”

Here are some dictionary definitions:

“Resolution” – a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner; A course of action determined or decided on. But interestingly from the Latin it means “to loosen or dissolve again”.

“Goal” – The purpose toward which an endeavor is directed; an objective.

“Desire” – to express a wish or make a request for; ask for.  Feel or have a desire for; want strongly;  The feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state.

“Accomplishment”  – Something completed successfully; an achievement.

Hi folks,

I’ve been out of commission for about 3 1/2 months working on a multi-million project for work. But that is on hold for a few weeks now (and then I guess we will start up again after the first). I apologize for such inactivity but my “day job” has to come first. I trust everyone had a meaningful Christmas. Mine was quiet but pleasant.

Now that Christmas is over, you know what comes next – the “new year”. I am always amazed that people use this time of year as the ONLY time they make resolutions and goals. You really should be reassessing every month or so and changing your goals as appropriate throughout the year.

I thought I would give you some tips for starting the year off right. There is much greater detail in some of our special reports and especially in “The Art of Making Things Happen“. But here’s some starting points for you. I’ll go into more detail every day this week.

The first thing I want you to do is make the most of LAST year! Why focus on the past? Well, you want to have a starting point for making your goals and plans for next year. The best way to do that is to go back and make a list (or write in a journal if you can do that) about what happened in the last year. This will be your inventory.

– Divide your list into categories: Health, Wealth, Peace of Mind/Well-being, Happiness, Relationships, Work, Play, etc.

– Where were you last December/January – not geographically but in life.

– What happened throughout the year – make this in a list form (you can put more detail if you have time but the primary goal here is to list what happened in all areas of your life throughout the last 12-13 months).

– What happened that you considered “forward steps”

– What happened that you considered “backward steps”

– What happened (or didn’t happen) that you consider to have kept you stagnant

– What do you want to repeat this coming year?

– What don’t you want to repeat?

– What words and phrases seemed to predominate in your life throughout the year. Examples are “times are tough”, “the economy is bad”, “I worked hard this year”, “times were hard”, “It was quite a year”, “I had a great year”, “I’m glad the year is over”, “I’m ready for 2012”, etc. Write down everything that comes to mind.

Get this done and you’ll have your inventory AND your starting point for your 2012 plans.

Terrie

It would be understandable if you’re confused on how to pursue your goals or desires. People tell you that you have to ask and then “let go” and let the Universe bring your results to you. But then I (and others) tell you that you have to focus on your results. So, how do you let go and also focus? These are actually two separate issues. Let’s talk about them.

Once you set your goals and have gone through the process of defining them and then making them your own as we’ve discussed previously, the key is in making them your own. By doing this, you have accepted that you actually have received what you’ve asked for. It can be a goal or a desire – they are just words that really mean the same thing as far as we’re concerned. If you sit and worry that you’re not going to get whatever it is, then you really haven’t accepted it as your own.

Think of it as ordering something from a catalog or from the web. Although there are options that enable you to get your order more quickly, generally you place your order and then wait for it to arrive. You’ve already paid for it and you know that it will come to you eventually. You don’t sit there every day wondering if they got your order and if you’re actually going to get whatever it is you’ve purchased. You have confidence that you will receive it.

Think of setting your goals in the same way. By getting specific and determining that this really is your goal and not that of someone else, you have placed your order. You have to take the time to do it right however. Just putting down on a piece of paper that you want a new car is not really “placing your order”. You have to tell what kind, what shape, what features you want, etc. Telling the company you’re ordering from all the specifics is when you’ve placed your order. Then you begin to make it your own. To continue the discussion about the car, you will start to clean out the garage to make room for your new car. You’ll make sure you have a license and call your insurance company etc. So, making it your own involves putting something in your life even before you have it.

If your goal is to have a debt paid off, you create your movie showing you celebrating as you find out that it’s been paid off. Visualize your happiness and joy and even relief. Emotions add power to the vibrations you put out and which the Universe picks up and works with. So make sure you add those positive emotions. You do not spend time wondering or worrying about where the money is going to come from in order for you to pay off that debt. You already know that the debt will be paid off (remember that telling the Universe that you want to earn more money to pay off the debt is considered “outlining” which is a no-no). You just visualize the debt being paid off and let the Universe choose the easiest way for that to happen – could be that there was an error some where and the calculations were incorrect and you’ve already paid it off. Perhaps you win the lottery so you don’t have to “earn” the money. Maybe someone gives you a gift in return for your kindness – even if it’s been in the past. It could even be that a very old debt to you is paid off. The Universe will find the way.

If you re-read that last paragraph you’ll see that when you’re playing your movie, you are celebrating and claiming your results, not worrying or questioning whether you’re going to have that debt taken care of or not. You’ve actually let go and focused on receiving the results. Success is yours when you let go.

This confusion is understandable and common. Once it’s explained along with the other simple rules of goal setting, it becomes easy for you to let go and to realize that you’re just waiting for your order to be delivered. It’s just like ordering from a catalog. Sometimes it’s as if something is on back order but you still will get it. Find out more about achieving your goals at Goal Setting For You.

Terrie