recreatingreality.com

This is a key to achieving any goal.  It’s a simple statement, but harder to stick to.  We all have those moments when we think of deviating from our original goals.

A goal must be stated with no alternatives or it isn’t a goal.  It would be a wish.  It would be filled with “if.” 

Look at the statement:  I will pay off my credit card debt.  As you think of that goal statement did you include a mental “if”?  For example, you are expecting a pay raise.  (Lucky you!)  So you may write out this goal something like this:  I will pay off my credit card debt if I get that pay raise I have been promised for January.

Any time you put “if” or “but” or any other word that will make your goal dependent on something happening in the future, you have not set a real goal.  You have set a possibility that is contingent on other occurrences. 

Think about this for a minute.  If you cannot state your goal with no alternatives, you are making a wish.  If the stars line up, if the wind blows from the south, if it doesn’t rain… if, if, if… then I will pay off my credit card debt.

Think back to believable.  When you state a goal, or what is really a “fuzzy” filled with “if’s” you need to go back to the believable test.  Do you really believe you can achieve this goal?  If so, state it with no alternatives.  Don’t ride through life depending on what if this happened or what if that doesn’t happen. 

If you are considering “I am going to pay off all my credit card debt” as a goal, make sure that on paper and more importantly, in your mind, there is no wiggle room and no contingency factor.