This list of 6 questions comes from Brian Tracy’s Psychology of Achievement. Brian Tracy is a motivational speaker and author who is all about goal setting and putting yourself first:
“You are the architect of your own destiny; you are the master of your own fate; you are behind the steering wheel of your life. There are no limitations to what you can do, have, or be. Except the limitations you place on yourself by your own thinking.” – Brian Tracy
There’s no time like the present, so grab a pen and paper and answer the following questions in 30 seconds or less. No judgement, no time to think and analyze. Just write the first thing that comes to your mind.
Ready?
Go!
1. In 30 seconds of less write down the 3 most important goals in your life right now.
2. What would you do it you won $10 million in the lottery tomorrow?
3. In looking back over all the things you have done in your life, what type of activities, what sort of things, what sort of circumstances give you your greatest feeling of importance, of mental well being, of self-esteem? What makes you feel the best?
4. What great things would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?
5. What would you do if you found out you only had 6 months to live?
6. What would you never get involved with again, if you knew then what you know now?
Analysis:
Take a look at your answers.
Do you notice a pattern? If so, what is it? Are your goals aligned with what you are currently doing? If not, could they be? What would have to change in order for this alignment to happen? Can you find elements of your goals and what is important to you in what you are presently doing? If not, maybe it’s time for a change.
In my interpretation, the second and fourth questions are designed to remove the often limiting element of finances – and other constraints – from the equation of your life. If money were not an issue for you, what would you be doing with your life? Put the constraint of money back in. Is it possible to do what you want to do? If not, how can you make it possible? There must be a way. If you can dream it and see it, you can achieve it. I know, I know. It’s cheesy. But if you believe it to be true, it shall be so.
The third question is designed to help you understand what sorts of emotions and activities need to be present in your life in order for you to be happy. For example, if you feel at your best when you are surrounded by people, but your career goal has you sitting behind a desk without much social interaction, something likely needs to change. Maybe you don’t need a full career overhaul, but perhaps you can get creative and find a way to get more social interaction within the scope of what you are already doing.
The fifth question is to remind you of what’s really important to you. If you want to spend your last 6 months with your family, but you don’t currently make any time for them, perhaps it’s time to realign your personal goals to include more quality family time.
Finally, the sixth question is just a reminder of a mistake you made that hopefully (and likely did) made you stronger and wiser. Remember to take the lesson from that experience, and leave the “mistake” in the past where it belongs.
