By Jernavis Draughn
Over the years I’ve learned that setting goals are essential to achieving anything you want in life. It’s truly the Holy Grail to becoming successful in work, business, relationships, personally and health. It is a well thought out concept, where you spend time creating the things you want mentally for your life and writing it down. This triggers your mind to begin discovering ways on how you can reach those goals. There is a part of your brain called the “RAS”, reticular activating system, which directs or tells you what you should be focusing on.
For example, have you ever noticed when you buy a new car you tend to notice or see that new car on the road more often when driving? That’s the RAS part of your brain that controls what you value and focus on. The RAS helps you see what you want to see and in doing so, influences your actions.
Wherever our focus goes, “GROWS”. It is true we become what we focus on most of the time. Which is the reason why goals are so valuable. Most people are just GOING through life, instead of GROWING through life. People say there are two great days in a person’s life: the day you were born and the day you discover WHY!
When we set goals they should be big enough to stretch us to grow as a person. WE can’t achieve anything in life if we are not growing personally. Jim Rohn says, Success is attracted to the person YOU become. And so becoming a person of VALUE is key to attaining success in all facets of life. Your personal VALUE will determine your INCOME. You must see VALUE in yourself to add VAULE to yourself.
From personal trials and tribulation in my own life, I’ve learned you have to become “Growth Conscious vs Goal Conscious”. And as I learned from John Maxwell’s book, “How Successful People Grow”, he suggest that there is a distinctive difference between Growth Conscious and Goal Conscious. Maxwell states it this way:
Goal Consciousness:
-It focuses on a destination
-It motivates you and others
-it is seasonal
-It challenges you
-It stops when a goal is reached
Growth Consciousness:
-It focuses on the journey
-It matures you and others
-It is life long
-It changes you
-It keeps you growing beyond the goal
Growth is the goal. Focus on personally growing and becoming the person who can achieve the goals you want in your life. Whatever you don’t have now, is a direct reflection of who you’re not and need to become. Commit to personal mastery, daily studying, reading, lifelong learning in any field that you would like to become great in. The only way you WILL attain the goals you want for your life is to become a person of VALUE. Always remember, “In life, we don’t get what we WANT, we get what we DESERVE!”