How can I encourage and motivate others to achieve what they set out to do? These are questions I’ve been asking myself.

How can I be engaging, inspiring and helpful in motivating others to achieve their success?

I’ve made a habit of writing out my life goals .. checking and updating them regularly. Looking back it is amazing to see, by God’s grace, how many have been achieved. Apparently, only 3% of people have written goals. If you don’t write your plan down … you are less likely to achieve it.

The Bible provides illumination.

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Proverbs 21:5

Diligent can mean hard working, industrious, conscientious, thorough, attentive, and careful. These are all great character traits of a successful person. A diligent person develops a plan to reach his goals. Having goals is of no importance unless you have a plan for achieving them. Just like paint in a can is useless unless it’s applied; goals are useless until you take steps to achieve them. Tweet that J

Though written in 1937, the principles in Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich are still relevant today. Selling an amazing 75 million copies, it is considered the grandfather of success literature. Hill interviewed the success stories of the day: Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, John D. Rockefeller and the like. From this, he compiled a list of the secrets of successful people. I don’t agree with all that he wrote, but I’ve extracted six keys for achieving your goals. See for yourself.

1. You must have a specific goal. Rather than having a goal of building wealth, have a goal or reaching a specific dollar amount.
2. You must have a specific time to achieve your goal. Not just someday but a specific time frame.
3. You must write it down. Put it where you will see it regularly.
4. You must develop a plan to achieve your goal. See Life Plan.
5. You must decide what price you are wiling to pay. What are you willing to sacrifice? What’s at stake? What is your motivation?
6. You must think about your goal every day. That’s why you write it down and make it visible.

If you don’t write down specific, timely goals .. and the plan to get there .. you just have dreams.

I keep mine written on the back of a business card in my bathroom drawer, in my wallet, and in my truck.  Currently, I have just 3 point form goals. I kept them simple and am reminded of them regularly.

Start a list of goals. Edit it down to a maximum of 6 over the next week. Then focus on them daily. Check your progress after 30 days.

Imagine if you had this clarity in terms of your goals. How focused you’d be in achieving them. Envision looking at them daily to give you this clarity.

Attitude:   Consider the areas of your life where you’ll take action.

Action:   Start your goal list and refine it. Keep it simple.

Question:   What is your plan for achieving your goals?

Recommended Resource:   Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich (paperback)

Kindle version