Life doesn't always work out to plan although in my mind that's not reason enough not to plan. Of course we're all individuals and roll life out differently. Is there a right or wrong? Hell, I don't know. All I know is that for me planning things out has made it easier to attain the red balls.
What are red balls
Red balls are balls that are red; I would have thought it's pretty obvious. I use the term in this blog simply because it aligned with the image. What I really mean is the goals I have set, the things that I have determined are important enough to me to set them as goals, with plans attached to assist me in gaining them. It's easy to cast our eye about and see many things we may like to have, do or be however we simply can't have them all and so isolating the most important and chasing those down will allow for more focused effort and attitude - Requirements essential in the pursuit of any goal.
Take the table above. There's lot's of balls on there...Let's call them things we want, want to do or be. See the four red ones? They're red because I made them that way, but they could just as easily stand out like that as they are the goals I've chosen to focus my energies on, figuratively speaking of course. See how the eye is drawn to them, even though they are surrounded by many other balls? That's kind of highlights the importance of setting goals and attaching plans to the goals. It isolates them and allows one to see them more clearly which in turn assists in the pursuit or attainment of the goals. It's a mindset.
Goals have four main elements
They are specific, measurable, realistic and time-limited. There's little point setting a goal that is not actually achievable, one which has a deadline that is not realistic. In fact that wouldn't qualify as a goal, more a dream. Some use a five-element ethos by adding attainable between measurable and realistic however I feel realistic and attainable are close enough to being the same thing that I eliminate attainable.
I'm 49 years old and in reasonable shape...Not young certainly but not old either. I'm still out there setting goals though. But would it be feasible to set the goal to become the next 100m sprint Olympic Gold Medalist? No, totally not. That isn't realistic. Could I set the goal to improve my annual budget figures by one million percent within the next 6 months...Nope, that's not realistic either and so it would not be a legit goal.
"I want to travel one day" doesn't cover the four elements and so chasing that goal, making it real, would be very difficult. Where do you want to travel. When do you want to travel. How much do you need to travel. Why do you want to travel. Answer these and it starts to become more tangible. Following the four elements to goal-setting is critical to actually setting the right goal, plans and then attaining it.
Achieving goals, the red balls in life, isn't for everyone; Some like to float along hoping things work out, that they get that promotion, find the right partner, pass the exam, get thinner or stronger, get to travel somewhere or whatever desire they may have but in reality achievement takes effort. A little effort invested in the goal-setting and planning stage than measuring the process throughout will pay dividends later. Trust me, it works...Or just float along and hope...That will bring some form of result also, maybe not the desired result, but every action (or non-action) has a result.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default and aim small, miss small.
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