In the following list of written goal statements, which is best and what do the four written statements all have in common?
1. I will lose weight.
2. I will lose 20 lbs.
3. I will lose 20 lbs pounds by March 1st 2010.
4. I will weigh 180 lbs by March 1st 2010 by exercising and dieting.
So which one did you choose? You probably chose number 4, because it gave a definite goal and a specific date and how you’d achieve the goal. After all, the more specific your written goal statement is the better. Congratulations. You’re right! Were you able to find what the four written goal statements have in common? Let me tell you. They all SUCK! Let me show you why.
Goal statements should be written in the present tense.
Written goal statements should be written in the present tense. I’m serious. This is because the nonconscious mind can only think in the present. Your mind can’t focus towards your goal very well if it’s written in the future tense. Your nonconscious mind works in the present tense. Have a look at the table below.
Conscious mind and Nonconscious mind.
| Conscious | Nonconscious | |
| Brain mass | 17% | 83% |
| Speed of impulse | 120-140 mph | over 100,000 mph |
| Bits per second | 2000 | 400 billion |
| Control of perception and behavior | 2-4% | 96-98% |
| Function | volitional | servile |
| Time | past and future | present |
| Memory horizon | up to 20 seconds | forever |
-Table taken from “The Answer” by John Assaraf & Murray Smith.
Two important things you should know about the human mind.
Firstly, the conscious brain is what actually sets goals and assesses results. On the other hand the nonconscious mind carries out the instructions to achieve the goals it is given. People are usually great at using their conscious mind to set goals, but unfortunately suck at achieving their goals.
Secondly, notice that the nonconscious brain only operates in the present. It’s unaware of past or future. “The conscious brain perceives past and future. The nonconscious brain has no perception of past or future; to the nonconscious brain everything is happening now.” (“The Answer” by John Assaraf & Murray Smith.)
It’s the nonconscious brain that is the driving force of your success. You achieve success by creating and carrying out good habits. Good habits are formed by repetition. Your habits come from your nonconcious mind, not your conscious mind.
Your nonconscious mind is responsible for most of your behavior, so don’t waste time and reduce results by writing and stating goals in the future tense.This is only useful for your conscious brain. Instead write you goals in the present tense.
How to write a powerful goal.
Make sure your written goal statements use the following:
1. Written in the present tense.
2. Use emotion.
3. Have specific goals.
4. Contain what actions you do to achieve and maintain that success.
Here’s two examples of strong written goal statements.
2-Year Health & Fitness Goal.
“I am 190lbs. I feel energetic and happy. I love it when people compliment me on the change in my appearance. I eat five healthy meals per day, drink 3 liters of water per day and exercise five days a week with a combination of cardio and strength training. I’m able to buy fashionable clothes now and sleep really well each night.”
3-Year Professional Goal.
“I am enthusiastically building my blog Lifestyle Design 4U into the number 1 blog on lifestyle design in the world. I’m thrilled to hear and read the stories and comments of people whose lives have been improved by reading and using the information and products on my blog. People love reading my blog and I have fans all over the world. I happily write my 3-4 blog posts per week and happy that they get thousands of daily views. My blog earns me US$120,000 per year and is increasing. I have bought a house as a result of my blog’s income. Money is flowing in quickly and I’m excited that big name lifestyle designers and bloggers contact me to cooperate on projects. I’m enjoying my work and love working from home on my computer and having time to exercise and study. I have more and more opportunities coming in too. Life is getting better and better.”
Those are just a couple of examples of how you can write a powerful goal. Notice that they contain emotion, specifics, what you do to achieve and maintain your success, and are written in the present tense. You can also have goals related to your love live, family life and other academic life or whichever areas are most important to you.
Make your written goal statements visible.
Once you’ve worded your written goal statement, you need to place it somewhere where it’s visible. I would suggest printing two copies and sticking one on the wall above your work desk and one next to your bed. That way you can read it often. It would be ideal to read it when you’re alone. Read it in different ways. Read it out loud. Whisper it. Sing it. Read it with inspiring classical music playing. Read it just before meditating and then meditate on it for 10 minutes. Really see yourself like that. Feel the emotional happiness.
Read it as often as you can, at least three times per day. The best time to read it is when your nonconscious mind is most easily accessible, which is just upon waking and just before going to sleep. When you’re sleepy, it’s easier to bypass your conscious mind. Read it while sitting; read it while standing; read it while walking around; read it while dancing. You can also record your written goal statement onto an Mp3 player and listen to it when you’re going for a walk or sitting on a bus or train. Most importantly, believe it! Believe that the successful you exists now, not somewhere in the future.
Conclusion.
At first it may feel silly or even ridiculous. After all, you know you’re not that way now. Don’t let that dissuade you. Remember, your nonconscious mind won’t know if it’s reality yet or not. You are what you think you are. Once it’s ingrained into your nonconscious mind, you’ll find yourself carrying out those habits that will lead to success. You will become what you want because you deeply believe you are that way now.
Homework.
This homework is for everyone, but I’ll be especially checking my most loyal commenters’ written goal statements. Mike, Kevin, Robert, Nathan, Antti, Grant and others can share your powerful goal statements below in the comment’s section. Cheers.
Related posts:
- Create Powerful Affirmations For Lifestyle Design.
- Lifestyle Design: Take Action, But Don’t Be Attached To The Outcome (Up To A Point).
- The Lifestyle Design Anthem: “My Way”.
- How Self-confidence Can Strengthen Your Lifestyle Design And Personal Development.
- Lifestyle Design – Three Ways To Know You’re Ready!
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G'day! I'm Gordie, founder and editor-in-chief of Lifestyle Design For You. I want to welcome you to the center of the universe when it comes to lifestyle design and personal development blogs. We're a team of ten writers providing you with articles to help nourish your mind and improve your life. Lifestyle design is about designing your life so you can do what you want when you want. 
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I liked your other site better. Also, why did you change your address?
gordierogers.com was way, way better.
Hi Paul, I can understand that in some ways.
Actually, the website is the same. http://www.GordieRogers.com now redirects to this address. I chose the new address, to help me get more relevant google traffic in the long term. It’s still about lifestyle design, blogging and entrepreneurship, but it’s just the name and look that have changed. I understand that when it was GordieRogers.com, it was more flashy and had more widgets. Some people like that. However, I made a conscious choice to lean towards a simpler, decluttered look to have less distractions for readers. It has also improved the speed of the site.
Thanks for the feedback though, Paul.
Gordie – your site looks lean & simpler. I like the colors, they mix well together & it looks ‘sleek’. Your content has improved dramatically. I liked the name – GordieRogers.Com, though (really catchy).
Keep it up!
Thanks for the feedback, Chris. Because I eventually want to get up in the search rankings of Google for the keyword phrase “lifestyle design”, I thought it made sense to have the keyword in my URL. I believe that more people would search for “lifestyle design” rather than “gordie rogers” in the longterm. If I was confident I could have got top spot for “gordie”I wouldn’t have changed it, but unfortunately there is a ice hockey sports celebrity named Gordie Howe. He gets most hits for “gordie”.
BTW, I’m in China, so I an’t get onto blogspot blogs. I’d love to check your site out, but I can’t as long as I’m in China. Any chance of you moving it to your own URL in future?
Cheers, Chris!
Goal statements always seem to change for me. I’ve never knuckled down to write any. Just kind of had them in my mind.
So let try and see if we can do this right.
I will get over my flu by next week. Does that count.
Seriously.
I will start cycling every day.
I will increase my blog readership by 20% by the end of the year.
Okay, then, but I’m still going to need to see a note from your mother.
But you’re supposed to write it in the present tense! Oops.
Thanks for that Gordie – I didn’t know about the present tense thing, and I’ve now changed my goals to reflect it. Here’s my end of 2009 professional goal:
“Our two main sites are generating more than 40,000 page views a month, and creating an income of more than $8000 a month between them. I’m well established as a leading expert helping new and learning bloggers derive a long term sustainable income from blogging, and I work extensively with other well known bloggers. My new book (co authored with Nathan Hangen) Beyond Blogging has just been released and is generating huge web traffic and interest, and has sold more than 10,000 copies in it’s first three weeks. I’m planning trips in early 2010 through the US, then Europe, to both promote the book and to speak at various blogging related conferences.”
I also love the idea of “reading it out loud, whisper it, sing it.” As a way to make the daily mantras more interesting. I’m just trying to find the right tune………….
That’s awesome, Mike. I have a feeling you’ll get there. Good luck!
Nice post Gordie. I went to a Jack Canfield conference in 2007 and was told to do goals in the present tense with positive emotion attached exactly as Mike CJ has enunciated them here.
Re the namechange, is there no way you can divide your blogs with GordieRogers.com being a repository for feeds from here and other things you write, find interesting etc and also act as a backlink generator for the current site
In regard to the URL, I think that at this stage, I’ll keep the gordierogers.com redirecting here. I really want to focus on making one blog really good. Cheers, Graham.
Great post and I like the simplicity of Thesis in this application.
As for my statement:
I walk into the local Barnes and Noble and see a hardcover copy of Beyond Blogging and casually stroll to the front to tell the cashier that I’m here to buy a copy of my own book. In the meantime, my blog has reached 1,000 visitors per day, my Webrepreneur’s Guides are selling like wildfire, and I’ve inked a deal for a 2nd book. I’m considering a move to cash in all of my web property and retire to the Caribbean, where I’ll write from the sea and spend as much time as I can with my wife and children while we travel the world.
That sounds cool. Thanks, Nathan.
Lots of chatter about this new site, Gordie. It really looks great, and as you’ve pointed out, no distractions.
I enjoyed this post and will be fine tuning my goals, as I’ve clearly been writing them for the future. Can’t keep doing the same thing and expect a different result
All the best to you.
Thanks Jimi, don’t forget to DM me your next post on Twitter. Looking forward to it.
Now that’s what I call “a call to action”, force it with a name
Anyway, great article, a lot to chew on to be honest. I was very inspired by Mike’s comment there, great plans, great goals and I’m sure those will fulfill. As for me…
It’s the new year’s eve 2009, my blog is getting 500 unique visitors a day and my 750 RSS subscriber list is growing steadily. My new email list is getting it’s fair share of the new visitors subscribed and I’ve built a free eCourse with loads of information to be delivered to anyone who subscribe to the list. I’m continuing to build relationships with fellow bloggers and Internet business entrepreneurs. 2009 was a great year, but 2010 will be a killer.
I love it. Let me know how I can help.
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