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5 Things You Must Focus On To Achieve Your Goals

5 Things You Must Focus On To Achieve Your Goals

by Loretta Love-Huff

Goal-setting is an important activity for those who yearn to live an accomplished life. Yet, many people do not set goals and others who do, don’t set them well.

There was a purported study inaccurately attributed to Harvard or Yale about about the impact of setting goals. The ‘study’ concluded that 83%of the population didn’t have identified goals. It further showed that 14% had goals but only a mere 3% of the population had written theirs down. It went on to say that years later, the 3% with written goals had earned 10 times more than everyone else. (The statistics vary based on whose interpretation of the ‘study’ you read.) As it turns out, that study never happened.

‘Facts’ aside, it reinforces the concept of writing your goals down.

An actual study conducted later by Gail Matthews, PhD at Dominican University revealed 3 important conclusions:

1. Be clear on your goals and write them down.
2. Develop a plan on how you are going to achieve them.
3. Develop an accountability mechanism.

I haven’t conducted a study. However, I have been active in the performance improvement and performance enhancement field for a surprisingly long time (read, “decades”).

Here’s my take on the 5 critical components of what it takes to make magic happen.

1. Have a clear goal
OK, this is a pretty consistent first step across all platforms so I won’t spend a lot of time on it. Yet it is still one many people skip. Don’t be one of them. ‘Nuf said?

Know where your end destination is, whether its later today or later in life. Pick a specific, measurable ‘what’ you will accomplish and a ‘by when’ it will be done.

2. Know your “Why”
Knowing why you want to achieve the goal is at least as important a motivating factor as knowing what it is you want. Accomplishing goals, especially big, hairy ones, will likely take an inordinate amount of effort. You’ll probably NOT have smooth sailing along the way, so having a deep urge, a deep longing, an important reason to continue in the face of all of the crap on the road is critical.

3. Feel your success
Imagine how you’ll feel once your end goal is reached. Will you feel fulfilled, safe, secure, happy, proud, satisfied, excited, peaceful, powerful, confident? What ever the emotion, start ‘practicing’ feeling it NOW, even before you have the ‘thing’. Don’t wait until you get there, feeling that ‘future’ emotion now will make life more enjoyable, help support your motivation factor and actually help draw in the resources, ideas and connections to help you get there.

Time will pass more easily if you’re not waiting for the future to feel good. Be that feeling now.

4. Think about how you’ll make it happen
I was listening to Brian Tracy speak at the Arizona Chapter of the National Speakers Association earlier this month. He had conducted a study of high achievers. He said there were two factors that distinguished top performers from everyone else. First, they had big, clear goals. And, secondly, they thought constantly about how they could achieve them.

I would veer away from the idea of constantly thinking about ‘how’. I would say, constantly focus on the ‘what’ and the ‘feeling’, but allow for the creative process, for divine intervention, coincidence, providence, unexpected inspirations to light the path forward for you.

5. Be happy now
This is related, but slightly different that point 3. The tip here is to focus on things that RIGHT NOW are going well: things your grateful for, things you’re happy about TODAY.

I was listening to Marshall Sylver, host of the Million Dollar Television Network. He was also talking about focus and achieving goals. He said “You get what you focus on.” So instead of focusing on all of your problems, focus on what you want more of in your life.

Pharrel Williams also was definitely on to something with his inspired song, Happy. The words, energy and message resonated with people around the world. The song extols the virtues of being happy.

In one verse, he describes the feeling of letting things roll off his back. “…Here come bad news, talkin’ this and that. Give me all you got, don’t hold it back. I should probably warn you, I’ll be just fine. No offense to you, don’t waste your time. Because I’m happy!”

So, to quote another song from way back, “Don’t worry. Be happy.” Focus on what matters. Your goals, your dreams, your happy, grateful, positive feelings and what you want are what really matters.

Copyright 2014 Loretta Love-Huff
All Rights Reserved

Would you like to learn more simple ways business owners and career professionals can EXCEED their dreams: accomplish bigger goals, earn more money, and generally live a happier, more productive life? Check out my website www.EmeraldHarvest.com/destiny for free resources. Award-winning consultant, speaker, author and coach Loretta Love Huff, is “The Dream Leader for Business™.”

Should I write a list of desires?

Should I write a list of desires?

Question: Would it be helpful to write a list of my desires, if so, and how would I use it?

Answer: It’s very helpful to have a list of your main goals, like your top five or ten. I keep an index card of my current goals on display on my desk. I learned about doing this from Napoleon Hill’s book “Think and Grow Rich,” where he describes writing your goals, and reading them at least twice a day. I had a friend who built her business this way.

To increase your faith and confidence, I’d suggest that you write a positive statement on the top or bottom that affirms that the Universe is manifesting them. Something like, “The Universe takes these desires and manifests them, or something better, in the Divine Right way.”

Make sure you  read them at least twice a day, in the morning and evening. Or you could carry the paper with you, and read it several times during the day. The more you read them, believing in their manifestation, the quicker they’ll manifest.

Copyright 2005, 2014 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Adjust Your Mindset to Achieve Your Goals

Adjust Your Mindset to Achieve Your Goals

Is your mindset on board with your goal or desire for success and abundance? If not, you’ll have a much harder time achieving it. Once you adjust your beliefs to be in alignment with your goal, your actions will be much more successful. Learn 4 ways to get your attitudes to support you in your progress towards your goal.


If you want to get unstuck and break through your inner barriers to create a life of more success and abundance,  get Linda-Ann’s free MP3, “Keys to Recreating Your Life: Shatter Your Barriers to Success and Abundance.”

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #13 – Habits

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #13 – Habits

In this last of these rare videos, Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich,” discusses the law he calls “Cosmic Habit Force.” It has a positive and negative aspect. The negative one will attract what you don’t want. In its positive aspect, you draw to you the situations and circumstances you do want. He compares this law to Emerson’s idea of “Compensation.” Essentially, it’s a description of the current popular principle called the Law of Attraction.



~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Giving Is NOT Better Than Receiving

Giving Is NOT Better Than Receiving

by Barb Wade

I love to give gifts, and give thanks, and give service to others – that’s one reason I love the holidays so much. But for those of us “givers” it’s sometimes a little more difficult to receive.

The ironic thing is that receiving is actually an innate “skill” that we all have when we are children. But at some point, we are told that it is selfish or wrong to enjoy receiving.

We hear, “It is better to give than receive” constantly. But that is an erroneous equation. Both giving and receiving are rich in their own gifts, and both are necessary to have a balanced life.

This is from a book called Soul Currency by Ernest Chu:

“Most of us, as we conduct our everyday lives, exhibit difficulty in receiving… We too often subordinate our needs to those of loved ones and friends. […] When the circulation of love is stopped by an inability to receive, then eventually we have little or nothing left to give.”

You must complete the “circuit,” as it were, in order for the most powerful flow to happen. It’s strange that we think of  giving being an act of humility, but I have often felt most humbled when I truly accepted someone’s love through receiving.

Just imagine how your finances and income is influenced by your inability to receive – if you can’t receive, money can’t flow to you!

One of the ways that we block ourselves from attracting abundance is by giving more attention to the lack of what we want rather than the fulfillment of what we want. Then, by the “like-attracts-like principle,” we recreate the lack of what we want.

And remember: we’re not just talking about receiving material objects and items. This is about our ability to open up to joy, love, well-being, abundance, and all the other things that are available to us.

Have you ever had someone complement you on what you are wearing and your reaction was “Oh this? It’s just a thing I threw on. I got it on sale…” etc, etc.

That is just one way of not receiving or deflecting love and affection. But you not only cheat yourself out of fully experiencing that love, but you short-change the giver’s experience of happily contributing.

So during this season of giving, isn’t it a good time to start practicing gracious receiving as well?

The next time someone gives you a complement, try this: smile, fully take it in, and simply say “thank you” – no deflecting or excuses, just put your focus on connecting with the other person and then notice how you feel.

You see, giving and receiving aren’t really opposites. They are part of an energy loop that is only truly effective if the circle continues and grows unbroken.

Business Coach & Mentor Barb Wade specializes in teaching entrepreneurs how to make more money more easily while enjoying a business and lifestyle that reflects their priorities. Download Barb’s “Word-for-Word Scripts To Overcome Objections” and book more high-paying clients now at www.BarbWade.com

Book Review- “Stop Walking In Circles”

Book Review- “Stop Walking In Circles”

Stop Walking In CirclesStop Walking In Circles
by Les Taylor

As the New Year approaches, many people are gearing up to make New Year’s Resolutions. Unfortunately, most of these resolutions will be broken within a few weeks because they haven’t been broken down into a series of achievable steps.

That’s where this book can help. Although it’s aimed at business, these ideas can be adjusted for any type of goal. Studies show that if a person doesn’t focus on a point on the horizon when they’re lost, they’ll simply walk in circles.

Les compares this to individuals, organizations and businesses that don’t have a plan in place to take them in the direction they want to go. Without goals or a map to show the next point on their path, they’ll just stay in their rut and never make any progress.

To remedy this issue, Les gives specific directions on how to set up and achieve goals through his simple performance plan. He’s formulated a blueprint to follow to create a vision of what you want, with the areas you need to address. Success doesn’t come from creating goals. Success comes from achieving them. This book gives all the elements to allow you to be closer to success than 95% of people.

I’ve followed his instructions and have set up a performance plan for myself. It’s made it easier for me to focus on the activities that I need to do to move my business forward and it keeps me organized.

If you create New Year’s Resolutions, this book is especially good for them. By creating a plan based on this book’s instructions, then working that plan, your resolutions will be significantly likelier to become a reality.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #12 – Accurate Thinking

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #12 – Accurate Thinking

In this rare video, Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich,” talks about separating facts into the important and unimportant. Important facts are those who will move you forward to your goals. He also describes how many people who express opinions don’t base them on anything. Opinions need to be based on facts, and if you’re able to give your source, all the better. He then gives 7 rules to follow to be an accurate thinker.



~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #11 – Creative Vision

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #11 – Creative Vision

In this rare video, Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich,” talks about your imagination which builds your plans and purpose. He describes the two forms of imagination, synthetic and creative, and gives examples of each. When you use your imagination, you’re able to formulate new concepts and products which can serve others and bring you ample compensation.



~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #10 – Overcoming Adversity and Defeat

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #10 – Overcoming Adversity and Defeat

In this rare video, Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich,” says that a positive mental attitude is the only way you overcome adversity and defeat. Sometimes adversity pushes you to fulfill a greater potential. Without the difficulty, you probably would never have been propelled to achieve more. As you look for the benefit within any challenge, you open up to the possibility of leading you to more success. Failure only occurs when you accept it as such.



~ Linda-Ann Stewart