I’ve noticed recently that when many people set goals up for themselves
they are inadvertently setting limits.
I’ve done it myself.
For example, once when I publicized my NGH Hypnosis Training Course, I said to myself: “Boy I sure wish 10 people will sign up.” I was limiting myself to only 10 people.
Have you ever waited for something in great anticipation? Do you remember a time when you wished and hoped and prayed
for something for yourself?
While walking on the beach in Long Branch, NJ when I was 5, my grandmother and I found a baseball size lump of mushy grey stuff.
My grandmother remarked that it might be something called “ambergris”* and it might be worth hundreds of dollars.
While we waited to hear back from the lab I remember her saying “Dear, don’t expect much to come of this, and then you won’t be disappointed. If something does come, then you’ll feel good.”
It was a lesson that I took to heart for many years. It also took me quite a while to undo this lesson.
It’s important to set goals. It also feels good to have expectations.
Here are some of my recent goals:
“I will weed my garden.”
“I will finish my web site.”
“I will sell 2000 MP3’s this year.” (at HighPerformanceU.com)
The reality is that it’s human nature to set goals that we believe we can achieve.
But what would happen when we set BIGGER goals for ourselves?
What would it be like if my goal changed to: “I plan to sell more than 2000 MP3’s this year.”
By eliminating the upper end limit of my goal I am changing my expectations. I can now imagine that more people can benefit from our MP3s. Not just 2000 people.
By eliminating the upper end limit of my goal I am now more open to exceeding my expectations.
By eliminating the upper end limit of my goal I can be more successful than I imagined.
As someone once said: “You are going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think BIG.”
*Ambergris: n. a waxy substance consisting mainly of cholesterol secreted by the intestinal tract of the sperm whale and often found floating in the sea: used in the manufacture of perfumes
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