The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are one of the best examples of setting and achieving personal goals. They are required to write down their goals and to monitor their progress throughout the journey. The journey could be for a merit badge, promotion to a higher rank, or for a personal goal unrelated to the scouts.
A friend of mine’s son has earned the distinction of “Eagle Scout” and for anyone not familiar with being an Eagle Scout, it is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America. Any employer who reads Eagle Scout on a resume knows the hard work, dedication, and responsibility that come with it. Gerald Ford was an Eagle Scout and it is a distinction that brings much prestige to the person. Hence the saying goes, “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle”.
I remember reading about a girl scout who was extremely successful selling cookies and won a free trip to the annual Jamboree for herself and her parents. Yes, eleven year old girls have goals just as we do. I can’t remember how she sold all of those cookies but it seems she had excellent teachers/coaches. The Boy and Girl Scouts are excellent organizations that teach many of the life skills and success skills that we need in all parts of our lives.
When you write down your goals for the next 90 days, six months, or twelve months, you should also visualize your end result. See yourself as already having attained your goal. See yourself wearing your celebration suit, in that high dining experience, or driving your new car. You should reward yourself with little celebrations for your small steps as well as a major celebration for your overall goal. Napoleon Hill calls this your Major Definite Purpose. Your Major Definite Purpose is your big, audacious goal that will allow you to attain all of your smaller goals.
Do you know your three P’s?
After you have written down your Major Definite Purpose, I recommend that you create an affirmation that reinforces your goal. This affirmation is a statement that you repeat to yourself several times a day. One example of an affirmation may be “It is December 31st, 2010 and I am so happy and grateful that I have earned $100,000 in insurance commissions”. Another may be “it is March 1st, 2010 and I am so happy and grateful now that I weight 165 pounds”. You must write or recite your affirmation using the three P’s.
Present tense: Your affirmation must be stated in the present as if you are already in possession of your goal. The examples above are “it is December 31st 2010 or it is March 1st, 2010.
Personal: You can only have a goal for yourself and not for another person. For example, you cannot have an affirmation for your husband or wife to weigh 165 lbs.
Positive: Your subconscious mind will only work toward a statement that is positive. For example, you cannot say “I no longer weigh 175 lbs”. That is a negative leaning statement and you must say “I weigh 165 lbs”.
Your Call to Action: Take fifteen minutes and write down your Major Definite Purpose for the next 90 days, six months, or twelve months. If you would like to share your affirmation with me, I will be happy to review it and to give you some constructive feedback.
Make it a great day and stay connected,
Leo Llonch