Sunday Newscape Magazine

I can only imagine people’s eyes opening wide after reading the title of this column. My intention is not to shock you, but offer a down-to-earth perspective on something I feel needs attention. I am comfortable knowing that I am right on this; though you can ponder the facts behind my assessment and come to your own conclusions.

We all know this system and know it well. Goal setting has been around forever. It has been installed in us as the only way to succeed in life. Just as people who do not graduate from high school are told they will never amount to anything, goal setting is taught with the same tone.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m a true believer that if something works for you, do it. That is why we use the term “belief” in our language. One’s belief in something creates a deep conviction. Those words are the same in meaning, but in vibration level you can not compare the two.

My conclusion was not just pulled out of thin air, mind you. It was arrived at through years of personal experience, research, and the belief there was a better way to achieve what you want, that if something does not work the way you like, then find another way or make it better. In other words, don’t follow the “herd” mentality like everyone. Take what you have learned, then create your own path for success.

So let’s go through this process. Throughout our growing years we were conditioned to follow a system of setting goals. Most likely you were taught to pick out what you wanted or what you were striving for and put a date to attain that particular goal. So you followed this process and instructions and most likely the date came and went without you attaining what you wanted. Being the tenacious creatures that we are we were told “don’t worry” just set a new date and try again. Around the third or fourth time our minds usually became defeated and we finally said Uncle!

A couple of factors here made goal setting questionable to me. First is that dreaded timeline for attainment. In a high pressure society the last thing people need is more pressure. Even if it is going to make them a better person they must enjoy the process not pull their hair out!

Next to achieve something, you must change your life and that requires a plan. This is where most people get scared because of their fear of change, or a host of other internal issues. That also could be fixed if the person knew or was taught how to use their brain, and most important, how to install a new belief. That could be accomplished through repetition, discipline, and the basics of psychology 101.

You could tell me I’m wrong on this assessment, but just take a look around. It is amazing how many overweight, broke, uneducated, miserable, and over medicated people we have among us. I could only imagine how many goals these poor individuals set before ultimately just giving up. If you think about it, what is the first thing people who are in these situations experience when they ask for help? The person on the other end of the table usually wants them to set goals to do what these people tried and failed to do in the first place. You understand now why they can’t change? Ultimately it is the person who must accept responsibility, but try telling that to people who have been conditioned to believe otherwise.

Can you imagine some of our deceased notables who founded this country following this system we have today? Thank goodness they had conviction and a daily reminder of what they wanted to accomplish. That daily reminder was their journals which became their lives they wrote morning and night. In other words, they became what they wrote. They became what they envisioned. As Napoleon said; “I see only the objective, the obstacles must give way.” That focus and vision is all you need to achieve anything you want in life. If you have Passion, Patience, and Persistence, everything you want you will attain. Just keep your eye on the big picture and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Thomasina Maldonado - Don’t Give Yourself a Timeline - Give Yourself a Chance