|
Author: Abi Motala Article source: http://choosetoprosper.com/. Used with author's permission.
An ideal is not the dream that can never be realised, that certain weak-willed individuals like to imagine, if only to provide themselves with an excuse for moaning about life. Nor is it a vague and flimsy speculation in which shallow people want to indulge.
Here I am using the term 'ideal' to incorporate mission, vision, and purpose. I believe that it is indispensable for you to have an ideal, since it is the key to:
A more contented life.
A less stressful life.
A compelling future.
Living longer.
Putting first things first.
Focusing on what most matters in your life.
Preventing you from living in the past.
Allowing you to realise your future vision.
Giving you the reason for doing and being.
Your ideal is:
The overall vision, mission, and purpose for your life.
Very specific and understandable.
Always bigger than you.
Never completely achieved as it usually lasts your lifetime.
The power that determines your goals.
The continuous impulse towards a desire, which, because of gradual progress, gives you the courage to persevere.
The constant effort towards the whole, the partial realisation of which provides you with satisfaction and with encouragement.
Relatively constant even though your goals and values may change.
Not a definite goal as it exists at a much higher level.
Not egocentric.
Not an abstract, vague, hazy, or fanciful aspiration.
Therefore, an ideal is a dominant aspiration which all your efforts strive to achieve. I like to compare the ideal to a chain, of which every link, complete in itself, is added to the one before it to form a durable and constantly lengthening bond.
When you have a purpose your life has more meaning, and your ideal directs your life by becoming your helm, anchor, atlas, compass and inner core.
There is no situation in life, however modest, in which it is not advantageous to have an ideal. The shop-assistant will have thought of becoming the owner of the shop, and he will direct every aspect of his labour to that one end. Of course, an ideal once attained does not cease to exist, but merely changes. Once proprietor of the shop, our shop-assistant¡¦s ideal will be to make himself distinguished among those who are in the same line of business.
And this same aspiration towards better things, while all the time progressing towards a single goal, can find satisfaction in successive victories, each of which is but a step in the right direction towards your goal. Without actually becoming a fantasy, an ideal can approach the realm of fancy as far as the perfection that you wish to reach is concerned. For certain artists this will be a flawless work of art which they continually progress towards, with each successive creation.
As an example, I am listing the various components of my ideal in the hope that it will help you to develop yours. They are as follows:
1. To strive for a better life and value my freedom to live my life as I choose, and without interfering with the freedom of others.
2. To respect and value the difference between individuals, irrespective of age, race, religion, or gender.
3. To become a positive influence and role model for others' perseverance.
4. To serve as an inspiration and role model for my family, colleagues, and staff by always supporting and encouraging their growth.
5. To remain loyal and dedicated to myself, my wife, my children and grandchildren, my siblings, my friends and my staff.
6. To make every effort to achieve financial independence.
7. To conduct all my commercial transactions with honesty and integrity.
Having established your ideal, you will have a challenging future ahead of you. The next thing that you need to do is the crucial step of goal setting.
Goal setting is about making choices. It is about knowing where you are going and why you are going there. When you define your goals you need to ensure that every goal is:
Specific - to the extent that you know clearly what you are trying to achieve and why.
Measurable - to ensure that you can gauge and quantify your progress.
Achievable - to make sure that you have the production capability to complete it.
Realistic - to make certain that you have reasonable expectations.
Time-based - to guarantee that you complete it within a predefined time constraint.
If you do not apply due diligence and perform goal setting, then you will not realise your dreams because you will have no clue about:
Where you are going.
Why you are going there.
When you should get there.
How you are going to get there.
Copyright 2005 Abi Motala This article is written by Abi Motala, CEO of Vista Information Publishing Ltd and author of "How to Unleash the Power of PERSEVERANCE". Articles written by Abi have been published in both business and IT magazines.
Abi has extensive business management experience at senior levels within large companies, both in the UK and Western Europe.
Having spent 30 years in business, he has personally enjoyed many triumphs as well as endured many traumas. During his business life he has built a significant network of high achievers in many fields, and has witnessed the impact of both success and failure on his business associates and friends.
You can get more info at: http://www.vipinfoweb.com/howtopersevere
OR perseverance@vipinfoweb.com
Personal Checks – Extreme Benefits
Why would someone decide to spend just a little bit more money when they can buy the cheaper, more basic checks? It has everything to do with customization.
Why the Stock Market is the Best Business in the World?
All the businesses that can be seen all over the world are all private businesses and they all are working for profit at the end of the day. And from where does...
Is Ghostwriting Immoral?
What are the ethics of hiring--or becoming--a ghostwriter? Is ghostwriting cheating in some way? Author-izer Sallie Goetsch examines the different legitimate us...
Delivery Mistakes – Cerebral Palsy
Many experts believe that delivery mistakes lead to many cases of cerebral palsy. Sometimes, delivery mistakes are strictly because of the mother.
The Baby Food Debate: The Benefits of Homemade Baby Food Over The Jars
How to become more savvy when buying jarred baby foods and the benefits of homemade.
The Unspoilt Beauty of Australias Top End
Australia's tropical Top End is undoubtedly one of the last great secrets of adventure travel. Closer to Asian cities such as Jakarta and Singapore than it is t...
Adsense, Boost Your Payout 400% No Really
Proven, not only by myself. How long can we get away with it? Who knows? Start now and you'll get away with it the longest you possibly can. Saying that Google ...
Ready to Lose Weight?
This article explores the stages of change, as applied to weight loss. Find out why you may get stuck if you want to change, but are not yet ready.
Furniture Slipcovers – The Cheap and Easy Way to Give Your Furniture a Makeover
If you want to change the look and feel of your room, a cheap, simple and very effective way can be as easy as just adding furniture slipcovers …
How to Create Quality PR Results
One of the pathways to quality public relations results is that equally certain reality that good public relations planning really CAN alter individual percepti...
Why Blogs Have Become the Search Engine Optimization Equalizer
The one thing that eight of our top ten sites have in common is that they are content driven destinations and they add new, original, and exclusive content on a...
Lessons From Innovative Companies
What do the companies 3M, Polaroid, and Walt Disney have in common? All have innovation in their blood. All encourage an innovative spirit at every level of t...
The Ultimate Weight Loss Red-Flag Guide
This weight loss article dispels the many myths and lies that weight loss products and companies use in an effort to get you to buy into their many claims. If ...
The Advantages of Spa Gazebos
While many people own an outdoor spa, few have considered a spa gazebo. With a spa gazebo, a nice, hot, outdoor jet bath is available anytime, rain or shine, i...
5 Tips to Reduce Holiday Depression
While war and poor economic conditions begin to affect people all over the world, more and more people suffer with depression. The more we focus on news events ...
Revealed! The Secret Fuel that Powers the Net and Why It Should be Part of Your Marketing Strategy
This article reveals the 'Secret FUEL' that Powers the Internet and why you should be using it as part of your marketing strategy.
Coumadin Users Can Avoid Unnecessary Complications By Wearing Identification
Coumadin is an anti-coagulant, or blood thinner, that helps to prevent the formation of blood clots. Those with certain heart conditions or who are subject to i...
Flowers in Her Hair
Before George W. Bush became a President, John Quincy Adams was the first son of a President to become a President himself. But while John Quincy Adams lost th...
Male Enhancement Drugs Such as Zenegra, Viagra, and Cialis Offer Many Benefits Not Without a Fee
Men looking to enhance their sexual activity with prescription drugs should be aware of the side effects involved. Zenegra, Viagra, and Cialis might not be wor...
VIX
No, this is not a symbol for some Latin number. The Wall Street mavens talk about this market timing device as if they knew how to use it to determine which way...
Indecent Proposal in the Workplace – An Overview of Workplace Harassment & Employer Liability
An allegation of harassment in the workplace is a growing phenomenon facing companies across the U.S. Let's review steps companies must take to protect themselv...
Alzheimers and Challenging Elders: Behavioral Strategies
Jacqueline Marcell,well-known eldercare expert/speaker and author of the best-selling book, "Elder Rage", offers solutions for effective management of challengi...
Stem Cell Factor (SCF)- The c-kit ligand
Hematopoiesis is governed by a number of cytokines that promote the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cell...
How You Can Eat Carbs and Still Lose Weight
When I decided to lose weight I of course decided to do as much planning as possible. It seems the older I get the harder it is to do anything without completel...
|
Print this page