7 Goals Worth Pursuing

Enjoy your life journey as you pursue (and attract) each of these elements into your life.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States, as Americans relax,
take in holiday parades, watch football games and eat turkey and
stuffing. Wherever we live in the world, we truly have much to be
thankful for-our family, our friends, our health...

At LifeExcellence, we are thankful for you, our readers. Thank you
for subscribing, and also for your comments and feedback. Please let
us know if we can support you in any way!

============================================

Table of Contents:

1. Baby Steps
2. Feature Article: 7 Goals Worth Pursuing
3. Quotes
4. Recommended Resources
5. Self-Care: The Common Cold
6. Make a Difference
7. Final Thoughts: Giving Thanks

============================================

1. Baby Steps

Our series on goal setting concludes by discussing several goals
worth pursuing. As you read today's newsletter, think about where
you want to go in 2002, and your plan for getting there. What
structures can you put in place that will help guide you toward your
destination?

============================================

2. Feature Article: 7 GOALS WORTH PURSUING

Before a commercial airplane takes off, the pilot has a very clear
destination in mind, and a flight plan to get there. The plane leaves
at a specific time, and takes off toward a specific destination. The
plane is off track, though, at least 90% of the time. Weather
conditions, turbulence and other factors cause this.

However, feedback is given to the pilot constantly. The inertial
guidance system of the aircraft continually helps the pilot evaluate
and revise the plane's position to reach the expected destination on
time. The plane takes off on time, arrives on time, and yet is off
course 90% of the time.

Now imagine you are the plane. What is your destination? And do
you have a flight plan to get there?

One of the common characteristics of highly successful people is
that they are intensely goal-oriented. Successful people know where
it is that they want to go in life, and they have a clear plan to get
there. Their "destination" is the list of goals that they have written
down, and their "flight plan" is the action plan around those goals.

I do a lot of work with my clients around goal-setting, and often
solicit feedback regarding the successes and challenges in setting
and achieving goals. The question that I am most often asked in this
area is "How do I set goals if I don't know what I want to do?"

In response to this question, and as a conclusion to our series on
goal-setting, here are seven goals worth pursuing:

1. Satisfying work or career. As Marsha Sinetar suggests in her
bestselling book, Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow.
We all want a career that is fulfilling and nourishing, not draining.
Ideally, you are positioned on a positive career path, leading to
increased opportunities and raises. Hopefully, you also look
forward to going to work virtually every day, and your earnings are
commensurate with the effort you put into your job. You invest a
lot of our hours into your work, so it's important that you are doing
something you enjoy.

2. Personal development. The world is changing and, in order to
succeed, we must change with it. The way to do this is by growing
personally. First, read every day in your chosen field. Next, listen to
audio tapes during your commute to work. Take classes or attend
workshops. Finally, establish a support structure to hold you
accountable for the results that you are committed to achieving in
your life. Hiring a personal coach is a great way to do this.

3. Financial freedom. In its simplest form, financial freedom means
having no financial stress of any kind in your life. Practical ways to
get to this point, if you aren't there already, include saving 10% of
your income, having a reserve of six months living expenses in the
bank (or a money-market account) and having no credit card or
installment debt (other than a mortgage). A big challenge for some,
but a worthy goal nonetheless.

4. Great relationships. How are your relationships with your family
(children, spouse, parents, siblings)? Do you have a close circle of
personal friends? Don't forget relationships within your professional
network (attorney, accountant and yes, it's nice to know a plumber,
too). All these relationships are important, and we can't spend too
much time nurturing them.

5. Health/Physical fitness. Health is extremely important, and yet
we often take it for granted until we are affected by ill health. Be
proactive in this area. Eat fresh, healthful foods. Drink 8 glasses of
water per day. Limit your intake of caffeine, sugar and alcohol.
Exercise at least 3 times per week, even if that means walking for
15 or 20 minutes. Finally, get plenty of sleep each night.

6. Spiritual peace. There is no substitute for peace of mind, and the
way to obtain this is through a relationship with God, or the spiritual
equivalent for you. Be involved in ongoing spiritual growth.
Contribute both time and money to charitable organizations and/or
your formal place of worship.

7. Fun/Pleasure. This is about taking time for yourself, enjoying
whatever it is that you like to do. Consistently take evenings,
weekends and holidays off. Take at least two weeks of vacation
per year, to refresh/energize/nourish yourself. Be 100% committed
to relaxation. While this time may seem unproductive to some, it
will lead to greater productivity in the long run. And it will be more
fun, too!

In the real estate business, they say that the best time to buy real
estate was 10 years ago, and the second best time is NOW. The
same goes for moving toward these "worthy goals." The important
thing is not where you stand today in each of these areas; it's the
direction in which you are moving. Enjoy the journey as you pursue
(and attract) each of these elements into your life!

============================================

3. Quotes

I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances
confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the
life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected
in common hours. Henry David Thoreau

All successful men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what
their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every
day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.
Brian Tracy

It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dreams of yesterday
are the hopes of today, and the realities of tomorrow.
Unknown

It is almost impossible to watch a sunset and not dream.
Bern Williams

============================================

4. Recommended Resources

Focal Point: A Proven System to Simplify Your Life, Double Your
Productivity, and Achieve All Your Goals
by Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy defines focal point as "the most important thing you
can do at any given time to attain maximum results." Identify the
focal points in each area of your life, then take action to create
positive change in those areas.
To order book, click here

The Inner Game of Work
by W. Timothy Gallwey

This book challenges you to reexamine your fundamental motivations
for going to work, and redefines work as an opportunity to sharpen
skills, increase pleasure and heighten awareness.
To order book, click here

Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow
by Marsha Sinetar

A must read book for anyone dissatisfied with their career. Overcome
fears, learn to take risks, and evaluate and build self-esteem.
To order book, click here

============================================

5. Self-Care: THE COMMON COLD

People seem to be getting more colds than ever in recent years and,
unfortunately, there is still no cure for the common cold. Here are a
few defenses to that unwanted illness:

Nurture your immune system. Getting plenty of rest, eating well,
and exercising will strengthen your immune system, and help
protect you from getting sick.

Take vitamin C supplements. Although the usefulness of vitamin C
has been greatly debated, there's plenty of evidence that vitamin C
strengthens resistance to viral infections.

When you feel yourself catching a cold, take echinacea (an herbal
supplement) and zinc (available in lozenge form) to ward it off and/
or shorten its duration. Both are very effective, and I take both
simultaneously to accelerate recovery once I have a cold.

============================================

6. Make a Difference

World Vision

What began as one man's vision of a world without hunger, disease
and hopelessness, has grown into the world's largest Christian
international relief and development agency.

Through sponsorship, World Vision assists children in struggling
communities throughout the world with food, education, health care
and vocational training. The organization is supported by monthly
contributions from donors.

For more information about sponsoring a child, click here.

============================================

7. Final Thoughts: GIVING THANKS

For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the homes that with purest affection are blest,
For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the "Land of the Free" --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

Thank you for reading the LifeExcellence Newsletter.
Be thankful today, and every day!
- Brian Bartes

_____________________

Are you ready to take action toward the achievement of your
goals? What if you had someone to support, motivate, challenge
and encourage you as you play at a new level?
Call our office at 734-254-9970, or e-mail us at
coaching@LifeExcellence.com to set up a free coaching
consultation.

For more information on coaching, please visit our website at
http://www.lifeexcellence.com/.
_____________________

BACK ISSUES are archived at
http://letters.webvalence.com/sites/LifeExcellence/.
____________________

For your free subscription, please send an e-mail to:
LifeExcellence-On@letters.webvalence.com

To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to:
LifeExcellence-Off@letters.webvalence.com
_____________________

Privacy Statement

We keep your e-mail address strictly confidential, and do not
share it with anyone for any reason. We do not sell, rent or
otherwise make available our subscriber list to any third party.
We want you to know that we respect and honor your privacy!
_____________________

Copyright / Contact Info

The contents of this newsletter may be copied, reproduced or
freely distributed without the consent of the author as long as
the author's name and contact information are included, and
unless expressly prohibited at the end of an article.

Example of proper attribution:
Reproduced with permission from the LifeExcellence
Newsletter. Subscribe at http://www.lifeexcellence.com/
or send an e-mail to: LifeExcellence-On@letters.webvalence.com
_____________________

All contents Copyright 2002, LifeExcellence, L.L.C. except
where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide.
Duplication or reprints only with express permission or
approved credits (as described above).

For more information, contact:

LifeExcellence, L.L.C.
P.O. Box 700424
Plymouth, MI 48170-0947
Telephone: 734-254-9970
Fax: 734-254-9973
Or visit our website at http://www.lifeexcellence.com/