Personal development coaches like Anthony Robbins and Jack Canfield all agree: Goal setting is important. It's important because it instantly gives your life a specific purpose and direction, and also because you now know what to do when faced with challenging situations. In fact, having clear goals helps you to know what to do at all times. And it is very rewarding to get closer to goals step-by-step (as with measurable goals), or to be achieving them again and again, or mastering the skills more and more (as with ongoing goals). Goals can be guidelines, helpful reminders or motivators to bring out the best in you. The following lists include some of my personal goals.
Measurable goals and challenges:
| Completed challenges |
Date Completed |
| 3 weeks of fasting |
Completed in 2001 |
| Cross the Wadi Rum Desert on horseback |
Completed July 2006 |
| 10 days of silence and meditation (Vipassana retreat) |
Completed December 2012 |
| Live 100 percent bill-free |
Since 1 October 2015 |
| Hitchhiking adventure |
Completed 15 November 2015 |
| Organize a Free-Hugs Event |
Completed 27 November 2015 |
| Living without spending money for 1 year (other than rent) |
Completed December 2015 |
| Living off rescued food for a year or more |
Completed December 2015 |
| Current challenges |
Progress |
| Live in the wilderness on foraged foods for several months |
Less than one day |
| Travel a considerable distance hiking, by bike, or on horseback |
(at least 1000 kilometers) |
| Live on 6 continents, at least 3 months per location |
3 continents completed (Australia, North America, Europe) |
| Live in more than 10 different countries |
7 |
| Live in a monastery for 1 month |
|
| Future / Planned challenges |
Progress |
| Travel the world on horseback |
|
| Survive in the wilderness for 3 months or more |
|
| Climb the Kilimanjaro or Mount Everest |
|
| Visit Tibet |
|
| Spend 1 month in solitude |
|
| Build an eco-home |
|
| Complete my PhD |
|
| Publish a book |
|
| Develop a personal development program based on my experiences |
|
|
|
Ongoing goals
| Spiritual |
Resources and inspirations |
| Living fully in the now, moment-to-moment (Mindfulness) |
Eckhart Tolle / The Power of Now; Jon Kabat-Zinn |
| Practice Nonviolent Communication |
Marshall Rosenberg |
| Learn how to communicate with animals |
Anna Breytenbach / Animal Spirit |
| Stay true to myself at all times |
Byron Katie / The Work |
| Fast at least one day a year |
Gandhi |
| Live in a way that benefits the earth and all its inhabitants as much as possible |
Rob Greenfield |
|
|
| Physical / Social |
Resources and inspirations |
| Find ways to meet like-minded people |
Blogging |
| Try something new regularly |
An open mind |
| Do something fun, exciting or inspiring every day |
e.g. Listen to self-help audio by Anthony Robbins / Jack Canfield / Wayne Dyer |
| Do what matters |
Presence |
| Be bold |
Cultivate courage |
|
|
| Mental |
Resources and inspirations |
| Stay creative / think outside the box |
Meditation |
| Question my thoughts |
Byron Katie / The Work |
| Question society |
Daniel Suelo; Mark Boyle |
| Question everything, and look beyond the mind for answers |
Awareness and presence |
|
|
| Emotional |
Resources and inspirations |
| Befriend anger, sadness and fear |
Meditation; Mindfulness; the Sedona Method; presence |
| Practice self-forgiveness |
Ho'oponopono; presence |
| Practice forgiveness of others |
Ho'oponopono; EMDR; EFT (Tapping); presence |
| Practice living from gratitude |
Giving to others |
| Practice compassion |
Loving-Kindness; nonviolent communication; presence |
External links:
Byron Katie - The Work
Eckhart Tolle - The Power of Now
Marshall Rosenberg - Nonviolent Communication
Rob Greenfield
