Set your goals clearly and wisely

SUCCESS is the infallible mantra of the present century. It is the crown which ultimately decides who wins and who loses in present day society. A successful person can open many doors and create unprecedented opportunities for himself/herself at the flick of a finger. He/she becomes a brand and commands his/her price for work. Success thus is the most desirable goal in today’s frenetic lifestyle. Most successful people define success as a combination of hard work, a winning personality, sheer staying and surviving power and lastly, the Grace of God. Many people are ambitious and want success. But they do not know how to set their goals and pursue them relentlessly until they are realized. Setting up a goal needs a careful examination of one’s skills, inclination, likes and dislikes as well as strengths and weaknesses. Once a goal has been identified, the best and shortest route to achieving it must be charted out. Goals and the manner of achieving them change from time to time. Hence, a certain element of fluidity must be allowed while a determined effort is made to reach them. Sometimes, a great deal of energy is wasted when unnecessary interests and activities take up the ambitious person’s time. The correct and balance use of time must therefore be cultivated as a fine art. Time and energy are the sacred gifts of God to human beings. They must be used with good sense and constant awareness of one’s goals.

An interesting example illustrates the point. A traveler was once bound for Delhi from Mumbai. He walked for days and did not know how he had reached. So when he noticed tow other co-travelers, he stopped them and asked, “Am I on the right road to Delhi? How far am I from my goal?” The listeners said, “If you go along the road you have taken, it will take you two years to reach. But if you turn around and follow the path we show you, you will reach there in one month.” The point made by this story is that the path to a goal must be checked from time to time. When the path is found, unnecessary turns and roundabouts must be avoided so that energy is conserved to reach the goal.

Doing an audit of your goals helps in achieving them systematically. It is necessary to list long term and short term goals in a systematic manner. Then check these goals and weed out those that are unattainable or put them on the back burner. Prioritize the remaining goals and write down the strategies for attaining them. Set out time limits and the resources needed to reach them. Then, with peace and an unhurried pace, go towards each one of them or several of them simultaneously, but with care and patience. Concentrate on one goal at a time when you are working to achieve it and don’t confuse one goal with another unless they are linked by their own nature.