After the seminar, he abolished that, and many other things. And once he had started, and saw how easy some things could be, he became more and more radical. After less than 3 months, he simply canceled 80% of his previous activities. Not even-handed over, but drained the sources of the interference and then just eliminated.
If you imagine you want to become a successful entrepreneur, you might even want to set standards in your market niche and become the market leader there. If you even want to be a role model for other people, then how important is it that you get rid of the old crap? It's the key!
It is a sign of insanity
to keep doing the same thing
and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
So, away with the crap! If you were to proceed in a strictly logical manner, then we would have to set our life goals now, after the first cleanup, and then break them down into shorter periods.
But that's not how our brain works! When it comes to long-term goals, most people can't think of anything at first. And even if we think of something, do we know if it's really important to us? And will it remain important, in the face of a world, that is changing more and more quickly?
With some guides (e.g. rework), the pendulum swings in the opposite direction: There are no goals defined at all. However, I think the fact, that the world is changing faster and faster, is overstated. Most important things don't change very quickly. I want to have a great partnership this year and I think I'll still want that in 5 or 10 years. I want to pursue a fulfilling career this year, and I suspect, that I will still want to have it in 5 or 10 years.
And we are not changing much faster than we used to. Perhaps even more slowly, because today we often no longer have the time to work consistently on ourselves. So, don't let the hustle and bustle that swirls around you distract you from the really important things!
But why do we need goals?
- I think there are at least two important reasons:
A goal is always associated with the idea that something will be different. Either better or less bad. What all goals have in common is our desire to feel different, when we achieve the goal. We do not know whether these ideas are correct. If we flatly set ourselves the goal of having a Porsche in front of the door, then we might associate it with fun, perhaps with recognition from the neighbors. But we don't know, whether it's really fun to sneak in a Porsche at 120 km/h behind some left-hand parkers on the autobahn. And we don't know, whether the neighbors will come to us and pat us on the back: "You did well with your Porsche". And the partner, we wanted to impress with it, might get sick at 150 too.
Nevertheless: These are our ideas! And feeling like we're working on something we care about spurs us on to do our best. Whereas for those with the Porsche aspirations, the prospect of a Smart may not be quite as high-performing. Seen in this way, goals are a means of self-determination and a means for better feelings. - Things take time:
Whatever I want, it takes time. Sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. Usually longer. On the one hand, these are external framework conditions. If I want to be successful with a company, then it simply takes a certain amount of time, until I have established the necessary awareness in the market and a network. If I want something different every two months, then I don't give these processes the necessary time. And it takes any chance of realization, even for good ideas.
On the other hand, for internal requirements, for some goals, I have to develop myself. If I want a million, then I mustn't have a heart attack if the 1,000 euros, I've invested in a fund, lose 10 percent in value. With one million, that would be 100,000 euros, which would then be gone. To be able to handle a million, I first have to learn to be calm and trade with 1,000, 10,000, or 100,000 euros. In the same way, I have to start a company to be able to lead a company with 100 employees, first learn to lead one with one or 10 employees. And that just takes time. Skills of world renown are learned through 10,000 hours of practice. That's 4 to 7 years of consistent work in this field.
I only have this time when I'm pursuing goals over a longer period. Even and especially when I'm not interested in pursuing goals. Olympic champions are characterized by the fact that they train every day. Anyone who keeps taking breaks from training for 3 months will never get to the top. It's the same with the job of an entrepreneur! Whereby 16 hours of specialist work are also breaks. Even if that doesn't feel like a break! You will find the background to the distinction between skilled workers and entrepreneurial activities in the article "The Entrepreneur's Tasks"). You don't learn, how to become a better entrepreneur during specialist work, you only become a better professional!
So the second reason for goals is that we and things need time to develop. And that's the only way we can become the best person we could be.
So, now we know: We need goals. In purely practical terms, however, it is often easier to start with short-term goals, rather than life goals. That's your task for this week! We start with the goals for 1 year.
We can have goals in different areas of life. I work with 7 areas of life. And if you don't already have another system, please start with the same 7 areas of life. Also, we have different kinds of goals: We want to have things, we want to do things, we want to be in a certain way, and we want to contribute. In the first step, simply collect all your goals from the 7 areas of life with the 4 different types of goals in a mind map.
Examples:
- Personality, learning, and spirituality: Learning Spanish basic and advanced vocabulary, to learning to speak visit 2 rhetoric seminars.
- Joy, emotions: 4 weeks sailing holiday, daily meditation
Partnership, and family: at least 1 full day together and 2 evenings together, regularly going to soccer games with the son - Friends, network, and social commitment: Get to know at least 12 more successful people and keep in regular contact. Join a brain trust.
- Body, and health: 5 hours of sport per week, 15% body fat percentage
- Finance, and material: Save 20 percent, donate 10 percent, and 10 percent for personal development. Buy a 6 Series BMW Convertible.
- The company, and being an entrepreneur: Complete positioning so that I am the market leader in a small market. At least 30 percent entrepreneurial activities. Increase my strategic competence by participating in 2 seminars.
As you can see, the areas are not entirely clear-cut: Sailing vacations could be in the family category, and seminars in the area of โโ"entrepreneurship" could also be in "personality and learning". But that's not the point. It's more about not ignoring any area of โโlife.
You should collect as many targets as possible first. Only when you have around 100 goals, I know that's hard, you should start to identify the most important 1 to 2 goals from each area of โโlife. Above all, what is important is what has a long-term effect beyond this one year.
Make sure that some goals are in your direct sphere of control, others in your sphere of influence. And that they are in principle achievable with your current resources. Initially, you should focus on those, who are within your direct control. For the others, pick a few that you will do anything to achieve, even if you know it's not 100 percent in your control. But these are the areas where we are growing!
Vital and happy regards
Klaus Forster
https://vitality4happiness.com/
Your tasks
- Read through your cross-off list from last week again. Did you delete something? Has something disappeared from your life? If so, then pick up your phone, now! Call a loved one, and invite them to do something, you always wanted to do. Celebrate your success together!
- Create a mind map with your goals for the next year. Collect at least 100 targets. If you already have one, then check and update it!
This also applies to all tasks: If you have already completed a task, then use the time to review it. - From these 100 goals, choose the 7 to 14 most important goals and write them down, with a nice bold pen on a whole page, in your book.
- Sign this list! That is important for your commitment.
- Mark 12 dates in your calendar at 4-week intervals. At these times, you will check your goal achievement! You will also be reminded regularly during this coaching program.
PS: The next coaching unit for entrepreneurs will explain, how to make you regularly aware of your successes and developments.