Do You Know Where You Are Going? (Start Setting Outcomes)

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Have you ever asked yourself that question? I hope you did and if you did not; Then here is your chance, because today we are going to talk about goal setting with a twist. Because the word goal does not have such a positive value for me, I'm supplementing it with outlet. Outcome has a whole new ring to it and I like it.

I would like to share my process with you around the subject, so if this is a challenge for you, you can learn from my experience instead of having to go through it yourself. However if you like to learn the hard way, the choice is yours.

Let me give you a heads up when it comes to my relationship to setting outcomes. Setting outputs used to be a challenge for me. Just hearing the words "Setting Goals" would make the hair on my back stand up. No worries, I do not have a lot of them. (The hair I mean.) The concept of writing things down in a linear fashion just did not appeal to me one bit. I had a lot of resistance towards it. So I simply did not do it.

But what I came to realize is, every time I wanted something in my life I would think about it and in time it would end up becoming a reality. Years later, I started reading all sorts of materials about how to get what you want in your life and a lot of these materials were talking about writing things down and how much more powerful that was than just thinking about stuff.

Then then I understand that if there is resistance there is learning and I started to look into it. What I came to find out is this: I was trying to apply a technique without being connected to myself. Creating a list out of just intellectual wants is very different from creating something that comes out of being connected to yourself and connected to the bigger picture of your life. In order to do that, I needed to spend some time just with myself. (And that is a challenge for a lot of women entrepreneurs. Sitting still is not one of the top favorite business techniques.)

This was a big revelation for me. So the question now was: How was I going to make this work in the way that was fun, easy, creative, and resonated with who I was?

After trying a lot of different things this is the formula I came up with:

1. Get clear on what you want. I know for a fact that when I'm not clear with what I want, things end up stumbling in my life. Here is the first rule of thumb: Get clarity with yourself. Pick one or two results that are most important to you. Too many outputs at one time will most likely de-focus you.
2. Write it down. Since my resistance, I have to say writing your results down makes it more concrete, more tangible, and clearer. Figure out the best way for you to write things down. Some people say "make your outfalls as tasty as you can to the last detail" and some say "your outcomes can be more general." What works best for me is somewhere in the middle. Different things work for different people. Try both ways and see what happens with each.
3. Create a visual image of your outcome. This step really makes it work for me, because I'm a visual person. Create a collage of your desired income and put it somewhere you can see it constantly. This way, visual images can get imprinted in your subconscious mind and you are more likely to manifest it into reality. Just pull out your old magazines and cut out images and words that speak to you in relationship to your goal. Glue it together on a piece of paper and voila! You have created a visual anchor for yourself. This is a very powerful tool that greatly speeds things up if you use it in combination with writing. Remember your brain sees pictures before it sees the words. Utilize it for yourself!
4. Create a game plan. Now it's time to look at what are the steps to take to make your out happen. Having a game plan in easy steps pulls it all together, so you can take action. Action is what gets things moving. If you just sit there and do nothing, hoping for the best, not much is going to happen. Trust me I tried. This is what I suggest: Get your butt off the couch. As you are taking the steps pay attention to what they feel like. Do not just do things because you think they are right. Do them when they feel right and you'll be able to see a big difference in your results.
5. Find a support buddy. Since staying consistent with one's action on a daily basis can be challenging and our motivation can only carry us so far, this is a way to take care of that. I know it has been challenging for me. You do not have to do it alone! Get someone in a circle of your friends who wants to work on something in their life and you can support each other and keep each other accountable. This way you are more likely to stay on track and not procrastinate. If you can not find a friend, nowadays there are plenty of places on the net where you can find someone who is looking to have a support buddy and do it that way.
6. Watch for the clues in your life. This is the exciting part! Here is where you pay attention and look for a thread that holds the pieces of your puzzle together. In plain English, you are watching for signs that will show you that you are on the right track. It will be little things that start to manifest. For example: Say your income is to publish a book. You go to an event and you happen to meet a publisher. That is a great sign you are on the right track. You could not plan this better if you tried. Pay attention to how the universe speaks to you and you will get much more than just making lists.
7. Celebrate your successes. This is as important as the rest of the steps. Why? Because in our over-productive society we have a tendency to just keep going from one thing to the next without acknowledging what we have accomplished. Or better yet, we belittle what we have done. By celebrating our successes (however big or small) we create space for greater things to happen in our life, and at the same time it is a way to honor ourselves and our journey.

Now you try! Let me know how it goes. Here is to your success!

Enjoy and whatever you do, do not forget to have fun!