What do you think the dictionary definition of power is? It’s simply: the ability to act. So, if you have the ability to take action, then you have the power to achieve.
But are you achieving what you want in your life? Ask yourself: what drives my behavior, what is it that makes a difference in my performance? It all comes down to one thing: your goals. If you have the ability to act, you can achieve anything. All it takes is a direction for you to focus your actions, and your power into. Pick the direction, stake out your goals, and you can achieve anything. I’ll show you how.
This article is the first in a series of articles I’m planning about goal setting. I believe it to be a cornerstone of training. Think of it as the core workout for your mind during the training process. And the first sets of excerises are going to burn that extra fat out of your mind. We’re going to give some shape and focus to your life, by identifying just what it is you want to achieve—what your goals are—and the fun part: thinking about what achieving those goals is going to do for you.

If you’re onboard so far, then you’re ready for the first step. What I want you to think about here is two types of goals you’re going to set for yourself: the micro and the macro. All you have to do is generate a list of your micro goals, and another of your macro goals. Think big and small here. Nothing is too outlandish. If you dream it, you can achieve it. So when you write do it in the positive. For example don’t write: I will never eat chocolate cake! Write: I will eat healthy. Once you’ve laid out all your goals, you’ve already taken the first step in achieving them.

The fun part is thinking about what achieving those goals is going to do for you. Once you’ve generated your goals, try writing about what the outcomes of those achievements will be. Again write in the positive, and visualize exactly what it will feel like. It will help you with the next installment of my goal setting workshops.

Think about the habits you have now and how they affect virtually every aspect of your life. Your weight and health are determined by your eating habits. Your relationships with people are determined by your social habits. Your success at work is determined by your work habits. You have sleeping habits that dictate how well you sleep. You have sexual habits. You even have buying habits; just take a look around your house and you will quickly see them. Our character, health and virtually every aspect of our lives are indeed determined by our habits.

If you ask ten people on the street what the word habit means, nine out of ten will tell you that a habit is a negative action that people do over and over again, like smoking, or procrastinating, or eating too much. Bad habits get all the press. Let’s look at the results of just one bad habit: smoking. Every year, over 400,000 people lose their lives to smoking-related illnesses in the United States. Imagine then, the negative power that exists in just that one bad habit. It is staggering.

Now I want you to think about an even greater power, a power that can bring you success, health and happiness; a power for positive, permanent, and automatic personal growth: the power of positive habits. Let’s look a little closer at the meaning of the word habit. Random House dictionary defines habit in this way:

Habit: An acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.

The important words in this definition are acquired and almost involuntary. Let me ask you a question. When is the last time you sat down and said to yourself, “Today I am going to add a new habit to my life?” I would venture to guess that you have probably never said those words. As you read this article, you will see how easy it is to add positive habits to your life and the great power they have to change it. Think about the words almost involuntary. This means the habit is so powerful in your mind that it is almost unstoppable! With respect to bad habits like smoking, procrastination, and overeating, this is very bad. But with positive habits, this is very, very good.

What is a positive habit? A positive habit is simply a habit that produces positive benefits, actions and attitudes you want to acquire and make a part of your life. Why is there such great power in positive habits to effect change? Because habits, by their very nature, are automatic. After a period of time they can become permanent.

So how do we go about adding new positive habits to our life? It’s really quite easy. You simply begin repeating an action, attitude or thought process every day for at least 21 days. Research has shown that an action that is repeated for a minimum of 21 days is likely to become a permanent habit. Remember that positive habits have positive benefits and you will reap those benefits for as long as you maintain that habit. So now that we know what positive habits are, and how to acquire them, let’s look at some simple positive habits that will help you reach your goals and get more out of life.

Positive Habit – Make it a habit to set goals

Since we are talking about goals, what better habit could you have than the habit of setting goals? Did you know that the most successful people all share the common positive habit of goal setting? A study was done to determine the importance of goal setting. College students who had gone on to achieve great success in business were asked to list their habits. The students who had made a habit of setting goals were in the top 3% of earnings in the population! It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of goal-setting as a positive habit. Goal setting is simple, yet 97% of the population never do it. By making goal setting a positive habit, you can start placing yourself in the top 3% of the population of successful people.

Here are some simple steps to help you start making goal setting a positive habit:

Step 1 – Define your goals, write them down, and be very specific; capture your goals on paper. It is amazing how many people never take the time to write down exactly what it is they want in life. Remember, you can’t hit a target if you don’t have one.

Step 2 – Determine what the time line is for reaching your goals; set specific deadlines for each goal.

Step 3 – Identify any obstacles that may stand in your way, list them, and state how you plan to overcome them.

Step 4 – Make a list of the people and/or organizations who will help you reach your goals.