Goals On The Wall - What Do Minnie Driver And Genghis Khan Have In Common?

Surprisingly few people regularly make lists of their goals and even fewer put their lists where they can see them. This article suggests that it is worth doing both. It also takes a look at the life goals of Minnie Driver and Genghis Khan.

A lot of money was once paid for the following famous goal setting advice given to a rich businessman:

Each night make a list of 6 things you need to do tomorrow and list the 6 tasks in order of priority. When tomorrow arrives, start on the first task and complete it. Then move on to the second task. If you don't finish all your tasks add the unfinished ones to your list for the next day.

Goals could be listed for each day, each week, each month, each year and for life. You could even make lists for each project you are working on.

Recently, Minnie Driver, the singer was asked: "What drives you?" She gave a thoughtful reply:

? To live fully - to pursue every gift I've been given.

? To think what am I going to bring to this day as opposed to what I am going to get from it.

? I want to have kids and live by the sea and write records, have a great partnership with someone and maybe do some teaching.

Very few people could have come straight out with such a clear life mission statement. Minnie is going to make the most of her singing talent and give rather than get. She wants kids and wants to live by the seaside and so on.

Ask yourself what the main goals of your life are? Could you come up with a great list like Minnie Driver's if someone put you on the spot? Do you plan:

? To become all that you can become?

? To help others become all that they can become?

? To live an extraordinary life?

? To help humans, animals and even insects?

? To see the wonders of the world?

? To love your neighbour as yourself? etc. etc.

It is worth making a list and revising it regularly. You can always change your mission statement or list of life goals whenever you wish to. In the mean time life goals will give you a guiding light for much if not all of your life.

However, goals are soon forgotten unless you look at them and revise them regularly. Some people put their list of goals on post it notes and stick them on their computers. Some buy computer software that will parade their goals across their computer screen.

I put my goals on the wardrobe to my right where I can look at it all day. This reminds both my conscious and subconscious minds to focus on the goals. They are thus much more likely to be completed. They will also be finished with much less conscious effort.

Try sticking your goals list somewhere prominent where you have a bit of space. My walls are already covered with A4 sheets of things I need to remember so my wardrobe is the only space left.

One of my goals on the wardrobe list for today is to finish this article. I now have the satisfaction of crossing it off my list and moving on to my next goal which is to prepare for a class I am teaching this evening.

We all need to get a move on with our goals before our time runs out. Genghis Khan's life goal was to conquer the whole world. In the end he conquered a huge space twice the size of the Roman Empire but he died too soon to fulfil his life mission. At the age of 65 on his death bed he said:

"I have conquered for you a large empire but my life was too short to take the whole world. That I leave to you."

Even after death, the power of his goal lived on.

His sons doubled the size of his empire. They invaded Russia, Poland and Hungary but as the Mongol armies approached Vienna in 1242, Ogodei Khan, the son of Genghis died and all his armies went back to Mongolia for his funeral. They did not return to Europe.

A century later his empire began to crumble. However, genetic studies suggest that 1 in every 200 men on the planet today are genetically related to Genghis. Some goals will never die!

What do Minnie Driver and Genghis Khan have in common? They both set themselves clear life goals. The resemblance stops there. Minnie Driver's goals are much, much greater than the goals of the Universal Ruler - Genghis Khan.

About the author

John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams.

They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.

The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, Pictures And Quotes...Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles"

The book can be found at this URL: http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php

The book uses acronyms, stories, pictures and quotations to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.

Ezine editors / Site owners

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include the resource box as listed above.

Goal-setting maverick accomplished much in life
Vancouver Sun,  Canada - Jul 8, 2008
I had the privilege and pleasure of working for Bob Ackles as an SFU student a few years ago, during the time that he began collaborating with Ian Mulgrew ...

Second Life,
CNET News, CA - 14 hours ago
LifeTango's brainstorm wizard steps you through the goal-setting process, nicely leaving each item private by default. You can also send items on your list ...

ITV.com
Bush Hails G-8 summit's work on climate change
The Associated Press - 53 minutes ago
"We made clear, and the other nations agreed, that they must also participate in an ambitious goal," Bush said, "with an interim goal, with interim plans to ...
Video: G8 Leaders Dig Into Environmental Issues AssociatedPress
G8 to unveil climate change deal Aljazeera.net
Developing, developed countries far apart on climate change ahead ... International Herald Tribune
WalesOnline - Independent Onlineall 1,621 news articles

G-8: Nations must share CO2 goal / Major powers ask parties to UN ...
The Daily Yomiuri, Japan - 16 hours ago
The G-8 leaders praised the Japanese-proposed sectoral approaches--the idea of setting a reduction goal for each industrial sector--as "useful tools" for ...

Open book: Tell-all Web site should be Utah's goal
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 10 hours ago
Lawmakers on the board have been wisely arguing in favor of setting the table for full exposure and disclosure by building a maximum-capacity, fully stoked ...

Business ideas and goal-setting
Grand Junction Free Press, Colorado - Jul 3, 2008
By Sheri Fisher When my kids were younger, it felt like life would be better if my hands could simply keep up with the voice in my head. ...

Metformin may help obese teen girls lose weight
Reuters India, India - 18 hours ago
In the current study, researchers evaluated the effect of adding metformin versus placebo to a program of personal diet and exercise goal-setting for 85 ...

Environmentalists unhappy with G8 emissions goal
Belfast Telegraph, United Kingdom - Jul 8, 2008
However, the Irish branch of Friends of the Earth says the G8 countries are responsible for the vast majority of pollution and should be setting binding ...

Gory day in Afghanistan offers snapshot of record-setting violence
The Canadian Press,  Afghanistan - Jul 7, 2008
A reputed Afghan expert argues that's precisely the insurgents' goal: to slowly win local support while a steady drip of bombings, suicide-attacks, ...

New Online Goal-Setting and Assessment Tool Provides Colleges and ...
PR Web (press release), WA - Jun 30, 2008
Goal Setting−Students and institutions can set micro- and macro-level goals, as well as define realistic deadlines. To ensure persistence, UPortfolio ...

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Achieving Success Through Effective Goal Setting