When I was 14, I dreamed of working in Corporate America, wearing nice suits, and carrying a briefcase. I could see myself walking confidently into my office and handling my business. At that time my family was struggling to survive and I was tired of the struggle. I believe that dream is what drove me to get an education, pray for wisdom, and never give up.From then on I had big dreams for my life.
I had a poster I loved that said, “Before the reality comes the dream”. I didn’t fully understand it until much later but just looking at that poster hanging on my closet door gave me hope.
What gives you hope?
When I was a young single mom I read Steven Covey’s book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I learned the concept of setting goals from that book and later had the opportunity to train at the Franklin Covey Institute to teach the class.
At that time I was a young mom who is on section 8 housing, getting food stamps and WIC while earning minimum wage. As I’m reading this book I’m getting ideas about how to make things happen in my life. I get a notebook paper and pen to start writing a list of goals; things I want to happen in my life. There was no strategy or structure; I just made a list. There were no dates. I just made the list.
How Writing My Goals Manifested $25k
I don’t remember everything I put on the list because it is long gone but I do remember writing how much money I wanted to make. I was tired of being broke, being on assistance and being under the nosey eye of case workers who didn’t care about me. I wanted to make $25k a year in income. I didn’t know how I was going to make that much money. It was double what I was making at the time. So I put the list in my desk drawer and went on with my life. Well, as life would have it, in a year I had an income of 25k! How did it happen?
A dear friend of mine worked for one of the largest companies in the area as a manager. She was in love with my daughter and babysat for me when she was out for surgery. After she got back to work she told me about a new project that needed temp employees. I applied and got the job. It paid about $8-9/ hr. I worked hard and made an impression.
I was hired permanently after the temp job ended. My pay increased to $10.50/ hr. So I was making about $20k a year. But Samantha that is not $25k! I know I know. I also got about $3k in child support and got $2500 in tax refund money. So I did get $25k! It didn’t all come from one source but it did come! I set the intention and wrote the goal on that list. I didn’t just think about it but I wrote it down.
Going Nuts with the Goals List
One of my favorite books is called, Write it Down Make it Happen by Henriette Klauser. It made what seemed like a silly ritual make sense. It talks about the power of writing what you want. No matter how large or small your dreams, if you want them to come true you must write it down!
I made another list a few years later. Then I typed it out and put a cheesy boarder frame you can use in Microsoft Word around it. I wrote that I wanted to finish college, get an SUV, go on trips, live in a home with a garage, etc. I even wrote that I wanted to meet Oprah. Most of the goals happened but I’m still waiting on the goal to meet Oprah 😋.
Getting Family and Friends in on the Goal Writing Habit
I told my brother about this secret weapon I was using to get what I wanted out of life. I told him to try it and let me know what happens. He took my advice and things started happening for him too! He called me and told me the things he put on his list. He wanted a better paying job, a car, and a few other things. He got them all!!! To this day he still makes lists and sets goals. They are still happening for him.
My best friend and sister started writing their goals and things happened for them. I tell people about my goal setting methods anytime I talked about how I have success in life. Some people tried it and others didn’t bother. The ones who didn’t bother are still in the same place since the last time I talked with them.
Today I’m Telling You to Write Your Goals Too!
What will you do with this golden secret to success? Will you just be full of hype because it sounds great to hear about my success or will you take action, get a pen and paper, and start writing down what you want.
Sometimes you don’t know what you want or you don’t feel you deserve more than you have. A simple mindset shift will help you. Start with something small then work your way up. I think a major key to this working for you is the strength of your desire.
When I was on assistance as a young single mom I had a strong desire to increase my income and have more financial stability. If I was content to stay where I was nothing would have changed.
The Undeniable Results of Goal Setting
Today, I provide technical training to Fortune 500 companies, make six-figures, and live the life most people dream about. I went from being a single mom making minimum wage at a county office, being on WIC and Section 8 housing, and driving a 10-year-old car to being a technical trainer traveling around the country, living in a huge house, driving a new car, and making more money than I ever thought possible in my life.
Goals Help You Expand and Grow into a Life Well-Lived
Despite this success I am not done. I have even bigger goals to reach. We don’t stop growing and learning in life. Trees never stop growing do they? We are or should always be getting bigger and better. We can be grateful for what we have but we should always be expanding and outgrowing ourselves. We get to help more people and make the world a better place. Our goals will help us get there.
Here are my five goals into reality strategies you can follow:
1. Decide what you want
Until you know what you want and can articulate it you will be stuck in a cycle of hit or miss success. Think about and decide what you want out of life then place your order. God is listening and waiting for you to make a decision to live your best life.
2. Write it down on paper
Now that you know what you want take the next step and write it down. This is probably the most crucial step in the process. The act of getting the dream out of your head and writing it on paper by hand tells your mind you are serious. Your dream is now an official goal.
3. Keep it a secret
At the crucial stage in your goals game, it’s easy to be excited and tell everyone you know what you want to do. This is a mistake because not everyone is excited about your success. Some people want to see your fail so they will discourage you openly or secretly wish you fail. Their negative energy can affect the outcome of your goals. The best thing to do is keep your goals to yourself. Put your list in a safe place and away from prying eyes. They need room to grow.
4. Go live your life purposefully each day
Now that your goals list is tucked safely way, go live your life. It seems too simple but this is the strategy that will bring the best results. When you are living your life day to day keep your heart and mind open to the possibilities. You will meet the right person, have an encounter, or come across the right opportunity that is a step toward your goal. Letting go of expectations and following your intution will cause the goals you’ve written to manifest in unexpected ways.
5. Say yes to opportunities that feel right for you
Your goals are tattooed on your brain by now so when opportunities come along you will know if it is right for you. When you do not have goals every opportunity seems like a good one but it really isn’t. With your goals in the back of your mind you know when to say yes or no to opportunities that will bring you closer or take you further away from your dreams. Pretty soon you will go back to your list and see how many goals were reached because you made the best choices in your day to day life. Goals will do that for you.
Bonus 1: Be grateful for what you have
Gratitude is huge when it comes to goal setting and seeing them come true. Look at your goals list and say thank you to God for each and everyone of them even before you have it. This action makes the goal even more real to your mind and it goes to work to make it a reality. Get in the habit of giving thanks every single day for your life, your blessing, and even your failures. Those failures contain lessons that you can use to help reach your goals. Simply be thankful.
Bonus 2: Share these strategies with another hungry soul
I mentioned that I shared my goal setting habit with my family and friends. The ones who followed my strategies had amazing success in their lives. I encourage you to share these strategies with people in your life, especially those who are struggling to make a life for themselves. You have more influence than you think so give them the gift of goal setting and then celebrate with them when they begin reaching their goals.
Free Goals Worksheet Download for You
Would you like help figuring out how to set good goals for your life? I like to call them sexy goals. It just sounds more enticing.
I have a free resource that can help you create Sexy Good Goals. Download the Sexy Good Goals worksheet here and begin your journey of a life well lived.