HOW TO SET GOALS AND A WORKABLE PLAN: 21 Life Questions You Must Answer At Your Youth

HOW TO SET GOALS AND A WORKABLE PLAN:

21 Life Questions You Must Answer At Your Youth

Presented By

Samuel Oyadeyi-Emmanuel

Builders’ Generation Movement, BGM

Organized By

BUILDERS’ GENERATION MOVEMENT, BGM

@

The Potter’s Place, TREM Felele, Ibadan,

Oyo State.

Preface

L

ife is in phases and men are in sizes.  Our understanding of the phases of our lives ultimately determines our size in life.  Life is full of many questions and until we tactically and wisely answers those questions, our lives remain a question mark.

          A research was carried out on the graduating class of YALE University many years ago.  The result of the survey had it that only 3 percent of them had actually sat down and carefully laid out a detailed plan for their lives after graduation.  They had goals on where they want to go and wrote plans on what they are going to achieve year by year.  On the other hand, 10 percent of the graduating class were found out to have an idea of what they want to become but had not made detailed plans.  Unfortunately, the remaining 87 percent were not sure of what to do with their lives after graduation.  However, 25 years later, that’s in 1973, those 3 percent who wrote out detailed plan had 5-10 percent achievement than the 10 percent who only had an idea but refused to make a detailed plan.

          Till date the statistics stills stands: Only 3 percent of human beings sit down to write out detailed plans for their lives.  The majority live their lives on he controversial and the most unrealistic subject of luck and fate.  Pathetic! Hence, a need for us, particularly the young people, to know how to set goals and a workable detailed plan, for whatever purpose.

Goals and Purpose

          A goalless life is like a goalless football match that is full of struggles but yielded no fruit. Goal setting is as indispensable as a healthy respiration to a man’s life.  Where there are no goals, people live in self-inflicted blindness, confusion, division and instability. Hence, a goal can be described as the target end result of a process.  For instance, the target end result for Builders’ Submit 2010 is to help the youths to begin talk and work as a nation builder, because a nation builder is a natural leader.

          However, it should be noted that without a clear sense of purpose, goal setting is, in a way, useless.  It is the revelation of divine purpose that gives birth to lofty goals and ambitions.  I hereby encourage young people to seek God to help them discover their assignment and purpose on earth as this is an imperative prerequisite for living a life of fulfillment and everlasting joy.

Making SMART Goals

          Setting goals is no child’s play.  It’s not to be imagined.  It must be purposefully, thoughtfully and prayerfully set, with the mind-set of positivism and resolute persistence.

Your goals should be SMART;

ü  Specific – Be precise and concise. Definitiveness of purpose will assist at setting specific goals.  Example – “I want to become a Scientist.”

ü  Measurable – Drive your goals to the closest niche as possible.  Example: “I want to become a Botanical Scientist”.

ü  Achievable – Ceteris Paribus, anything is possible and achievable to anyone who dares to believe in the omnipotence of God and the potency of his own ingenuity and intelligence.  Example – “I want to become a globally recognized Botanical Scientist”.

ü  Realistic – How real and true are your goals? Lofty goals without corresponding, and reasonable facts and statistical figures is unrealistic. Hence, making its achievement doubtable.

ü  Timely – We should learn to set goals that are timely and time-bound to avoid procrastination and delay. Set a deadline. Fix it day, time, month or years. Example – “I want to become a globally recognized Botanical Scientist in 10 years time.”

Achieving your goals through a Workable Plan

You can plan your way through your course. It will help you see the end from the beginning.  In fact, through careful planning, you can foresee the challenges on the way to getting your goals and strategize a way of escape.

Write Down Your Goals

 “Write the vision and make it plain upon a tablet; that he may run that readeth it.” Habakkuk 2 vs. 2.   People work best with a clear written blue print.

          In your planning process, answer these 8 questions;

ü                                    What exactly do I want?

ü                                    Who do I need to help me? 

ü                                    Where exactly do I want it? 

ü                                    By when do I want it done?

ü                                    Who are the beneficiaries? 

ü                                    How much will it cost me? 

ü                                    How do I raise the money need to achieve this goal? 

ü                                    What aim I willing to give in return for this goal?

21 Life Questions to Answer at Your Youth

1.            Who Am I?

2.            What do I want in life?

3.            What certificate do I want?

4.            When do I need to get all these certificates?

5.            Who are my mentors?

6.            Who is my role model?

7.            Who must I celebrate and honour regularly?

8.            Whom am I sent to?

9.            To whom am I accountable?

10.         Who should I marry?

11.         When do I want to get married?

12.         How many children do I want?

13.         What are my life values, policies, and philosophies?

14.         Who is my friend / colleagues?

15.         When will I retire from jobs?

16.         What are my Rest Management Techniques?

17.         What kind of job do I want?

18.         What kind of Business do I invest in?

19.         What are my daily routines?

20.         What are my 5-year Goals?

21.         What are my 10-year Goals?

In conclusion, after making a blue print of your goals and plans, place and read it to yourself every blessed day.

          If you endeavour to prayerfully and thoughtfully answer these questions, your life will be set on a straight and smooth path to success and fulfillment.  Even though challenges are unavoidable, they’ll be minimal and easily surmountable.

You will get there!