Steve Davidson, Ph.D. - Goal Setting

Goal Setting

I believe people have one or more missions in life - the things they were "meant" to do, their deepest desires. But, of course, it can be hard to figure out just what those missions are! Here are some techniques for identifying your personal "dream life":

1. Blue-skying - Sometimes you may be a little anxious to even consider what we'd like! We think, "Oh, I could never do that! Not me! It would just be too impossible. (Even though I really want to!)" Blue-skying is kind of like
brainstorming. You kick back, relax, let go of all self-doubt and self-criticism, and just ask yourself, "If I could do it, what would I really like to do with my life?" Write it down - then take a look at it. It's surprising how often blue-skying connects you to your real inner self, and then, if you think about it -- maybe you actually could do some of those things!

2. Five Years from Now - A lot of times you may think "In five years I'll be . . .," in a kind of casual, unconscious way. But that's a great little trick for figuring out what you might really like! Once again - put aside all practical considerations for the moment, and just freely visualize where you want to be a bit down the road. Then, at your leisure, you can evaluate what you've come up with. If your ideas seem to work - you can start putting the first steps into your schedule, and you're on your way!

3. Looking Back - Imagine yourself far in the future, looking back on your life. What do you see? What jumps out at you? Anything missing? What are you proudest of? Most importantly, what do you wish you had done? Well, now that you know, the good news is - you still have time to do it!

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