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Choosing between logic and passion in creating your vision January 2, 2013

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Purpose.
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In our efforts to seek out our life purpose or our vision for our lives, we may become aware of the limits of trying to do this on strictly an intellectual basis.

On an intellectual basis, for example, we might be good and talented at performing a specific skill set, so logically that skillset would seem to be something we should focus on.

However, the things we are good at are not necessarily the things we like or enjoy doing. What we enjoy doing, or have our heart involved in, might be an area in which we are not particularly talented.

The choice then can sometimes be between passion for, and the love of doing something, and intellect, or the ability to do something well. Or, viewed another way, a choice between the ego and our intuition.

In making choices for our vision or life purpose, a comment by Carl Jung provides some insight: “Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside awakes.”

The need for planning and action in achieving goals January 13, 2007

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Planning.
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One of the key factors in setting a goal or a number of goals or goal set for ourselves is that we need to have a plan of action for achieving them. The plan needn’t be elaborate; in fact, if the planning is too intricate we may find that we spend more time planning than in doing what is required to reach our goals.

Basically, just writing out a goal is an important first step in achieving it. Writing out our goal(s) also represents the first solid component in an action plan. And the key to achieving any goal is to take action in some sort of organized approach.

It’s also import that we visualize our goals as being realized. Having a mental picture of where we want to get to in any area of our lives can be likened to traveling and seeing our destination in the distance. It makes the objective seem more achievable, particularly if the goal is a difficult or substantial one.

Visualizing is also an important part of using the law of attraction effectively. If you want something to come into your life, whether it is an improved job, a better home, or an extra source of income, visualizing it with mental pictures of what it would be like right now to have achieved your goal can help put you in a stronger frame of mind for achieving it.

Although it is more work than many of us realize to constantly focus on the positives instead of the negatives, additional work must also be done in doing real work towards achieving our goal sets. An action plan, plus strong visualization, plus specific actions equals effective goal management.

It doesn’t matter if the plan has to be altered along the route to success in achieving the goal. In fact, the intended route will probably change as you work toward your objectives. . Generally the “how” aspect of achieving a particular goal is often difficult to pin down precisely in an initial action plan, but the methods will emerge and become clearer as you take the actions outlined in your list of things to do to work towards your goals.

Making up a plan is also one of the ways to bring your goal more into the focus of your present life rather than on the future.

Planning makes you think about your goal in tangible terms “in the now” and can help you feel the benefits in the present moment as if the goal as actually achieved. Planning also helps to bring a more positive focus into the goal management process because it presents the goal as much more doable, than if the goal is simply something “out there” on a vague life horizon.

Stephen R. Covey makes an interesting comment in relation to goal achievement as a function of time management in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In the section on Habit Three, or Putting First Things First, Covey comments, “I am personally persuaded that the best thinking in the area of time management can be captured in a single phrase: Organize and execute around priorities.”