Step Two: MAKE GOALS THAT SUPPORT YOUR CORE VALUES

Step Two: MAKE GOALS THAT SUPPORT YOUR CORE VALUES

In the last chapter we uncovered your true core values. It is often difficult to see our core values because the necessities of life take up all our mental awareness. In the same way it is often difficult to choose the goals that will support our true core values. This is especially true of people who are exceptionally smart or talented. They enjoy so many activities and are good at so many projects, that they have a hard time focusing on one or two objectives so they can excel and be successful. The weekend warrior is mediocre at a dozen different sports. But the Olympian has focused their attention and training so they are #1 in their field. Which would you rather be: the weekend warrior or the Olympian?

The “I Want” List

Make a list of potential goals. Call it the “I want” list. These can be material objects like a new home, car or boat. They can be achievements like a new job, promotion or ideal weight. They can be spiritual like more family time or volunteering at a homeless shelter. Go ahead and list everything you think of that you would like to have, achieve or do. Don’t leave anything off because it seems unattainable or silly. Listing some wild ideas may lead you to something really powerful. We will clean up the list later. Now, go back and look over the list asking yourself, “Which of these really support my true core values?” Put a checkmark by the ones that would really support your core values. That should knock out about two thirds of your list. Another way to think of it is to check those that your inner self would support the act of fulfilling. For example: say one of your core values is family. You want to spend as much time with your family as possible and develop true closeness. But one of the things you have always wanted to do is sail around the world solo. You may as well drop the world cruise because your inner self won’t let you accomplish it. It is contrary to your core value of family. Of course, you can also alter your goal to being able to afford to take your whole family on a two week Caribbean cruise. Now your inner self will support you fulfilling that goal. Now, go over the list of “I want’s” that you checked. Ask yourself, “Which ones excite me?” What really jazzes you from the list. When you read it from the list, do you feel giddy? Do you get excited imagining it. These are the goals you should focus on.

Imagine Yourself Rich

Have you ever daydreamed about being extremely wealthy? If not, it is time to start.
Sit back and imagine you have more money than you can spend. If you can spend a lot, just imagine more money. Your time is your own. You can do whatever you want. You can buy whatever you want. This can be a difficult exercise for a lot of people. We don’t want to seem so “selfish” as to have all that money and just spending on ourselves. But remember, this is just an exercise. It is not real life. So indulge yourself. What would you do? What would you buy? Who would you be with? Don’t imagine just a day, but imagine weeks, months even years of having everything you could possibly want. The reason you need to extend the time frame is that most people start by imagining some sort of extended vacation. Lounging around on a beach, reading good books, going fishing, or just doing nothing but being pampered at a spa or resort. But if you can imagine moving from hot tub to massage table every day for a year, at some point you will think, “This is getting boring.” You want to do something, to matter to someone, to make some kind of difference in the world. Now you are starting to get down to your inner self. If you didn’t have to worry about making money to pay the bills or keep a roof over your family’s heads, what would you be doing? What is it you would do whether you were being paid for it or not? Now you are probably looking at a goal that supports your true core values.