Online Reporter
Some days ago, I came across an old notebook in which I once wrote my goals back in 2006. These were things I wanted to achieve within ten years and they included relocating to Harare, starting life afresh, obtaining a driver’s licence, going to college, having a happy family etc.
As I went through these now ancient goals, I laughed at the way I had termed them in bold; “MY VERY BIG SCARY GOALS!” Now, that I am looking at them from this far point I am at, they don’t seem big or scary at all. In fact, achieving those goals within that time frame just came about naturally. It was as if the course that my life took was just the natural order.
However, I remember with clarity that during the period I wrote these goals, I was going through a lot of strife in both my personal and career life. Looking back now, I can see the struggles I encountered and conquered, the difficulties I got in and out of, the rivers and deserts I crossed and how they all helped into developing me into the person I finally became — a person who managed to achieve the big and scary goals she had set.
I now know what happened between the time I set those goals and the time I achieved them; I experienced, learned and developed. I became better than I was back then, that is why achieving them just felt so natural.
This is also about you, dear reader. I know you have got your goals and dreams (they should be big and scary, by the way) and you no doubt have got your struggles too — your seas and deserts to cross. This is all connected. If you continue on persisting through the difficulties (which will no doubt pass), learning through mistakes and failures, conquering the setbacks and developing yourself, one day you will look back and realise that you already achieved your dreams!
You’d laugh at how you termed what seemingly came so natural, “BIG AND SCARY GOALS”, you would wonder what happened and yet you will know the simple answer: you became better than you were when you set the goals.
Here is my recommendation;
i) Identify your goals. Don’t limit yourself on this. Think big and scary, mindful that you can never rise beyond your opinion of yourself.
Apart from being specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound, your goals have to be written down to give them tangibility and should also be in present tense to create a sense of certainty (more of this in a future article). Your goals may include what you want to have, to become or to be, for example, I earn xxxxx amount of money by December 2025.
ii) Identify the inner qualities that befit the kind of person living your dream. If, just like in the above example, your goal is to earn a monthly five-figure amount, make a list of the qualities that a person earning the same amount of money has. These may include their attitude towards life, how they relate with others, how they handle challenges, money, transactions, businesses, etc.
iii) Make alterations and adjustments. You will notice the disparity between the qualities you listed down and your own qualities. This means the kind of person you currently are, is not the same kind of person befitting the levels you want. There has to be some alterations and adjustments on your current self.
You may need to learn, grow and develop. With commitment and consistency, you will surely gain these qualities and once you do, achieving your goals becomes just natural.
Yes, those big and scary goals are achievable. If you keep on it, stretching beyond your comfort zone, you will catch-up and even overtake your dream self. One day, when you look back, you will laugh at the level you were once at, where you coined those goals BIG AND SCARY!
Mildred Mutize is a transformational writer and speaker contactable on [email protected]/ call/ WhatsApp +263773637284. YouTube Channel: Transformation with Mildred, Facebook Page: Mildred Mutize. Contact her for feedback.
