2012 is off to a great start; and just about everyone I know is feeling incredibly optimistic about this year!
As is common at the beginning of any year, many of us are setting resolutions for what we want to achieve, such as eating healthier and exercising more; or making specific amounts of money for our business.
Whatever your goal, in order to give yourself a fighting chance of not just sticking with it, but achieving it, there are a number of critical steps that you have to follow.
The first is, start with the end in mind. What is the end state that you want to reach by 31 December 2012?
Put another way: if one year from now you could have your ideal life, what would it comprise of? Visualise it clearly in all its aspects in your mind.
Consider what kind of career would you have; and the major opportunities that are coming your way. How about your transport – what car would you drive? And your home ÔÇô is it beautiful and serene, surrounded by nature; and does it make you feel secure?
What about your relationships ÔÇô with family, friends and colleagues ÔÇô what are they like? And your romantic life; are you in a supportive, nurturing relationship; or are you on your way to creating your ideal family life?
Take time to really think about what you want to achieve in eight key areas: Career; Abundance; Your Body; Your Mind; Relationships; Home; Family and Transportation.
Don’t focus on things as they are now. Remember: you’re aiming for improvement. Allow yourself to think and dream in only the most optimistic terms. How bad things have been really has nothing to do with how good they’re about to get!
Write down what you want to achieve in each area. Allow it to flow forth from you. Write as long as it flows naturally and don’t try to force it.
Next, under each area, think about ‘why’ you want what you want (not ‘how’ you will achieve it).
Bask in the good feelings that this generates. What’re all the things you could do with more money; and how would living in the house of your dreams make you feel?
Remember: thinking about what we want and feeling good while we’re at it really is the crux of manifesting our desires.
Finally, for each area, write down the following: ‘I know I will achieve this goal for the following reasons:’ and then write down why you believe you will achieve your goal. What reasons can you think of? Is it because you’ve achieved similar goals in the past? Or are you meeting lots of people who’ve achieved the same goal and therefore feel like you could do the same?
This final part of the exercise is really designed to help you convince yourself that you can achieve your goals; because if you can conceive and believe anything, you will achieve it!
Accept that what you want has already been achieved in the spiritual realm. All you have to do now is allow yourself to see evidence of it in the physical world by not blocking it with contradictory thoughts.
Do you remember what Jesus taught his disciples? “Say not ye, there are yet four months and ten come the harvest…lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they are ripe already to harvest.”
What he meant was, see your life as you want it! See your goal as having already been achieved. Be like Jesus, who never obsessed over what most of us would call ‘reality.’ When he came across circumstances he didn’t want, he resolutely focused on what he did want and through his unwavering vision, performed miracles! That’s how he cured lepers; and fed a multitude of 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Don’t keep taking score of where you are; or fretting about how you’ve set big goals in the past and never achieved them. Cultivate faith: “…If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
Most of us don’t believe anything until we see it in physical form in our lives. Yet unless you believe it first, you will never see it!
As you go throughout 2012, every now and again, take out your goal sheet and look at it. See if you feel inspired to take action in any particular direction. Inspired action feels like the next logical step towards your goals. It doesn’t feel scary or overwhelming.
Anytime you feel prompted to act from within ÔÇô whether it’s to call someone and set up a meeting or do some research on the Internet ÔÇô follow that urge! It will lead you towards the achievement of your goals. If you get ideas to pursue multiple steps, write them down so you don’t forget them; and then act on them as and when appropriate.
Also, don’t be surprised if your life starts to lend itself to all sorts of magical occurrences. I know that when my mind is really fixed on my intentions, sometimes within just days of writing down what I want, out of nowhere, someone creates it for me and sends it to me, for free!
This year, take time to think about and devise goals that are meaningful to you. More importantly, make sure you stay in a good feeling place about what you want.
When plagued with doubt, remember 1 Corinthians 3:16, which says: “Surely you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit lives in you!”
You are wired for success. Believe it!
*Primrose Oteng is a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) and the Founder of the Positive Peace Project, an organization dedicated to creating positive change through personal empowerment. For more on our workshops and other services we provide, check out our Facebook page or contact: [email protected].
