Clarify Your Goals, Get Passionate And Make Them Specific, Personal And Emotional
I came across an older article by Cari Vollmer again tonight, while I was searching for answers to a certain challenge I am processing at this time. It struck home and it had great value for me during my early days and thought it may also help some others now.
There are some good questions to ask ourselves to bring about a positive focus and help us delve into ourselves to find what we really want. Some of this is repetitive of course but again repetition is good sometimes, is it not?
In brief for today, ask yourself these questions, and schedule some block time to delve into it deeper another time. Give this subject the attention it deserves, I can tell you some of your answers will surprise you!
To get a starting point and immediately take you out of overwhelm ask yourself . . ..
1. What am I doing today? Am I doing the things I care about? List all the things you really want to do and prioritize them with a “1-2-3” approach. Pick no more than six for today, and preferably choose the three most important to your progress.
2. How am I going to do it? After narrowing your focus, create a mini action plan for each item. Write down the steps you’ll need to take to make each one happen today.
3. Start taking the first step immediately.
Now on to Cari’s article about finding your focus.
6 Great Questions That Will Help You Find Your Focus
Do you have a ton to do and have no idea where to start? Would you like to know with each step you take you’re heading in the right direction?
Would you like to narrow your “to do” list down to a few key items and let go of the rest? Would you like to work smarter, not harder?
The questions below will help you do just that. Answering these questions will help you find your focus so you can do what you want to do and feel great about your life while you’re doing it.
1. What do I care about most? Or, where is my heart leading me?
Only when you allow yourself to do what you care about most will you begin feeling better about your life.
Asking this question will give your HEART a space to speak and be heard. When we get wrapped up in all the “stuff” we have to do we often overlook what our heart wants.
2. What do I really, really want to do? Or, ask yourself “is this what I really want?” If the answer is “no”, ask yourself why you’re doing it and then find a way to stop doing it. So much life is wasted doing things we don’t want to do.
Doing what you really want is a process of identifying and letting go of the things that you don’t want and replacing them with things that you do want. Overtime you’ll rebalance your life to include MORE of what you want to do.
This question will give your DREAMS an opportunity to come to life. This one question could set your life on a new course.
3. How do I want to feel while I’m doing what I’m doing? If what you’re doing doesn’t give you pleasure while you’re doing it, you may be on the wrong track. Why? Because “doing” takes up much more time then the result. The result happens once. We reach each goal only once and then it’s over.
The journey to our goals is what fills our life with experiences. If you’re not feeling good during the “doing” (aka — the journey) is it really worth it?
This question allows your SPIRIT to come alive — to be experienced. Give yourself permission to do things that feel good and you’ll live an inspired life.
4. What is the “for sake of what” behind what I’m doing? Another way to word this question would be, “In the big picture of my life what purpose does this action serve?” If the answer isn’t clear you may be letting life lead you.
This question helps you CONNECT THE DOTS and make better choices for your life. Basing your actions on a clear purpose puts you in the driver’s seat which means you are LEADING your life instead of letting it lead you.
5. What am I going to do? Make a list of all the things you care about and all the things you really want to do and prioritize them with a “1-2-3” approach. Rank your list in order of importance.
Of course we make choices (decisions) about what we’re going to do all day long BUT how often do we make choices after asking questions 1-4? Answering the above questions FIRST will give you the opportunity to bring more of what you really want into your life.
This question requires a CHOICE be made. Now you’ve narrowed your focus!
6. How am I going to do it? After narrowing your focus create a mini action plan for each item. Write down the steps you’ll need to take to make it happen.
Tip: only focus on 1 or 2 things at a time (ex: over the period of 1 month). Don’t try to do everything at once. That will just lead to overwhelm. Give yourself a chance to worker smarter and you will get more done.
This question will inspire you to TAKE ACTION. Nothing happens without it. In order to create the life you want you have to give your dreams, heart and spirit a voice and space in your life. However, this alone won’t make things happen. You have to channel all these things into a clear course of action.
Instead of jumping into your “to do” list, take some time to reflect upon these questions. By doing so you’ll put yourself on a life and/or business path that reflects more of what you really want. Determine your FOCUS first and you’ll live a fuller, richer life.
By Cari Vollmer
Cari Vollmer is the creative founder of LifeOnTrack.com. LifeOnTrack.com’s inspirational e-zine, LivingOnTrack, offers practical success tools, tips and strategies for getting and keeping your life on track. Sign up at http://www.LifeOnTrack.com.
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