Goodbye Procrastination & Hello Goal Setting

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Alright, as you can tell, I am on a mission about this goal setting thing.

This is for your benefit and mine as well. We both need it.

I want to trigger something in your brain to energize you to get into the habit of writing and achieving goals.

Here’s the deal: On my last post or episode, if you are listening to this, I encouraged you to write down 25 goals that you want to accomplish in the New Year.

Many of you got stuck and experienced what is called “writer’s block”.

Now, if that’s you, let me help jump start your imagination.

I created a list of possible goals for you. Of course, we each have different priorities. Nevertheless, my list will help steer you in the right direction.

I know that’s what it did for me. But remember this…

Make sure you write down something you really want. Don’t be like the kid who cries for toys at the toys store and don’t even bother to look at them at home.

Basically, before you pray for something, make sure you want it in the first place.

Alright, here’s the list:

1. Buy yourself a new home
2. Remodel your existing home
3. Get rid of clutter around your house or office
4. Buy your parents a home
5. Remodeling your parents home
6. Spending more time bonding with your parents
7. Forgive your parents for they did or what they didn’t do.
8. Buying yourself, your kid, or parent a new car
9. Asking your boss for a raise
10. Take 3 trips to Europe, the Caribbean or Africa this New Year
11. Spend more time with your kids so that you don’t regret not doing it later
12. Be more involved with my kids education
13. Spend more time with your grand parents
14. Organizing your office
15. Delegate more often and focus on what you are really good at.
16. Get out of the way and allow others to do their work.
17. Learn to stop controlling others.
18. Mastering the art of prospecting, presenting and following to boost your sales
19. Get rid of your toxic friends
20. Fall in love with your ideal soul mate
21. Say I love you to your significant others more often
22. Complain less and be more grateful
23. Read one hour every day about how to get better in your field.
24. Attend 2 seminars to improve your skills and add more value to your work.
25. Become a better listener… God gives us 2 ears and 1 mouth so that we can listen more
26. Be a better communicator
27. Join Toastmasters International to learn to improve your speaking skills
28. Become more computer literate… Learn that new software at work
29. Take a writing class and practice your writing skills.
30. Write your first or second book this New Year
31. Finish the book you started a while back
32. Make the sacrifice and start my business
33. Spend more time communicating with your spouse to make your marriage work
34. Give up some bad habits like smoking, or drinking
35. Reconnect with my maker and go to church more often
36. Meditate for 15 minutes every day
37. Stop procrastination and become a do-it-now-type of person
38. Become a better time manager and stop hanging out with time wasters
39. Force yourself to write and achieve goals
40. Be more punctual… Show when you say you are going to show up
41. Finish what I started and never finish
42. Stop being too selfish and be more considerate of other people’s feelings
43. Be more diplomatic and tactic when dealing with others and stop being mean
44. Change your eating habits, workout daily to get back in shape
45. Volunteer my time to serve in some capacity in the association you belong to
46. Reconnect and stay in touch more often with my friends and past clients.
47. Forgive everyone and release your grudges for good

My friend, be a person of resolve. Do what you say you are going to do.

I started in tiny and impoverished village in Haiti struggling with diseases. I arrived in America with $5, two shirts, one pair of pants and no ability to speak English.

I had no resources and connections in this country. I had to start from scratch. I was a janitor mopping the floor of the food court at 163rd mall in Miami.

I launched my speaking career while I was a doorman carrying bags at a hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.

Today, I am traveling this country dining with top level executives, staying in posh hotels and driving in the back of limousines. That feels great especially because I don’t pay for any of those. The meeting planner takes care of all that.

This is not to brag. It’s to make the point. I am often asked about my secret to success. I can boil it down in one word. Resolve. I am not a quitter.

Oh, yes, I had many challenges in my career but I stayed with it.

That’s the kind of attitude I wish for you this new year.

Press on!

8 Comments

  1. Thom

    Rene,
    So very True. I would like to also encourage all those that read this to really resolve to set goals and work towards them.

    I returned to the USA after living in New Zealand for 26 years. There is so much opportunity here in the USA. I have always been a procrastinator and early last year I decided it was time to be a doer. Even though I have not accomplished all the goals I had for 2007, I have accomplished at least 80% of them.

    I have just set my goals for 2008 and I’m excited of the prospect that 2008 have in store for my family and me. I have to also say, I have heard you say so many times that you do not mentor. Well I have to disagree with that statement. You have been mentoring me for at least 6 months and look forward to recieve more mentoring in the coming year.

    Now let me explain that since I have never spoken to you or even met you. By listen to your CD that I bought, reading this blog and I’m soon going to buy your book. We can be mentor by anyone by purchasing the products of those people that we want to be mentored by.

    So thank you Rene, I look forward to the help, advise, and wisdom from you in the coming year to help me build my business.

    Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from your eager student!

  2. Challa S.S.J.Ram Phani

    Thanks for the goals set for 2008 which are very practical and achievable. Me too, started as a small clerk and today as HR Manager (may not be a great achievement, but every paise self-financed and I have realized my goal within a span of seven years while working and studying started at the age of 38)

    I am responsible for training and recruitment in an US HQrs Company, having its operations in India.

    Rene, your motivational mails always helped me to hang on and to perform consistently.

    thanks a lot for the same.

    Happy New year 2008 to you and your team.

    Looking forward for more in 2008.

  3. paula hayes-cottoy

    i am my own worst enemy and i do’t know how to get started with writing my first book, making my first movie, opening my 24 hour 7 days a week, 365 days day care center and last but not lease, my elderly folk home for African people in America.

    My home in going into foreclosure, i lost my job and all five of my sons are against me for begging them to stop smoking weed, and many other problems i have with them.

    No one has a job and everyone continues to depend on me and i can’t do this anymore. I have no church that i love or respect anymore since every one i have ever gone to only took all my money and never ever did one dam thing for me or my boys.

    I do love God, his son Jesus Christ and i am inlove with the holy spirit since i do have a good relationship with all three. I would like to improve my life in every area. I would like to help my family but i can’t reach any of them.

    They take all my love, energy, money and efforts, there is nothing left for me. Please help.

    God Bless u and happy new year.

    Thank You

  4. Subhash

    Dear Rene,

    This is amazing. I was moderator for one of the yahoo groups, and one Gentleman passed information about your site. I’ve gone through your articles. It’s quite inspiring and immediately subscribed to your news-letter.

    With only $5 in hand and two shirts you came to America and the way you progressed and your ambition to make the people think one can bring “the Change in the world”.

    Till one hour back I don’t have clear SMART goals in my mind, I thought of writing in the second week of December, kept on postponing till today.
    Now I’m richer by 34 Goals. (five I picked from the list you mentioned, thanks for that). Since I know the target I can aim for the best.

    Thank you Rene for giving me the much needed inputs to write my goals.

    Have A Great Day..

    Cheers
    Subhash

  5. kingsley paa grant

    hi big bro, thanks once again for thinking about me.
    Infact you made my holiday a wounderfull one especially those words you sent me. thanks and keep it up.
    kingsley

  6. Zamile

    Rene has become a personal friend even though I have never spoke to him but the way that he motivates me is always reminding me that I have a duty that needs to fulfilled, and that is being an example to my children and my family and more especially my young brothers.

  7. Vida Tampogre

    Rene I still see things impossible but from your exp I can assure myself of sucess. You will hear a very different story from nex year.

  8. Sami

    Hi Rene,

    How have you been? It’s been many months since i subscribed to your address book and until now i don’t regret even a cent.

    You have totally changed the way i look at things and issues of life. Reading your postings has revolutionized my way of thinking and approach to life.

    I now know how to approach life positively even when when there are obstacles on my way.

    For about a year i had been looking for a media job and to tell you the truth it was not a smooth ride. I have trained as a journalist and that has always been my passion.

    I got so many people who tried to persuade me to change career because a media job wasn’t opening up for me.

    I actually thought of doing that, but upon reading one of your motivational book that i downloaded from the net, i stopped thinking of changing career and chose to believe that even if getting a media job was proving hard, i will one day get it. And true to that, yesterday, i landed a very rewarding media job in an international NGO.

    I am writing this to sincerely thank you for keeping me positive even when the going seemed so hard. Thank you so much and thanks too for those articles that you keep sending. God bless you.

    Sami, Nairobi, Kenya.

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