Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim: more about setting goals

At Jung SuWon, Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim explains further about details of setting goals:

One criterion you can use in determining whether or not your goal is realistic is this: is the desire that is driving you your own? Or is it based on the expectations of someone else? If you can honestly say that your desire is your own (not something you conjured up to please someone else), then even if it seems presently out of reach, you owe it to yourself to pursue it! Your Silent Master does not give you true desires for nothing. In fact, that is one way your Silent Master communicates with you and attempts to give you direction.

Then, once you have your goal, make it measurable somehow so that you know when you’ve reached it. Again, that may sound overly simplistic, but you may be amazed at how you refrain from doing this on a regular basis. We tend to state our goals vaguely and loosely like: Yes, I am going to lose weight…or, my new goal is to find a different job…or, I am going to move soon…..How much weight are you going to lose, and by when? What kind of job do you want, in what area, in what salary range, and by what date? Where are you going to move, to what kind of house, for what price range, and by what date? If some of these parameters are open-ended, fine…but at least include them in your goal.

Set up milestones along the path to realizing your goal, ways you can check your progress. There are usually steps that you will take to fulfill a goal, and as you reach each step you can determine if you’re truly moving forward of if you like where you are going. For instance, if your goal is to find a new job, one of your milestones may be simply getting a resume printed. Another might be finding an agency to help you. Another might be getting some interviews in an area you like. At each of these points, you will be able to evaluate your progress and make changes if necessary.

Choosing milestones, of course, is part of forming your plan. You can’t overlook the fact that you must proceed in some kind of orderly fashion, and this nearly always means forming a planned procedure to take. Here you will see the power of choice at work. Once choice about what action to take opens up a whole range of other choices. Your first choice will lead you to the next step and the next if you just make a start!

You may want to actually make a contract with yourself to really sew up your plans! I often recommend to students that they write out an “agreement” which states the goal specifically, outlines steps they will take, sets milestones they will encounter, and the terms of fulfillment. Then I ask them to sign it and read it as often as possible. The content of the agreement must permeate all four bodies: physically in the actions you take, mentally in your thoughts, emotionally in your feelings, and spiritually in your dreams, aspirations and subconscious mind.