This Effective Goal Setting Exercise will Assist you in Identifying Your True Desires

The effective goal setting exercise below will help you to clearly identify what you want to ensure that you are truly satisfied when you reach your goals.

One of the keys to effective goal setting is to identify the essences that you think your goals and desires will bring you. Learn more about what it means to manifest a desire by focusing on the essence of what you want.

Author, Sanaya Roman explains that "Often the universe brings what you specifically ask for and you find it isn’t what you want. This wastes much time." Before you say that you want something, ask, "Is there any broader or more accurate way I can state that request?"

Here are some questions to ask yourself to assist you in identifying the essences that you are expecting your goals and desires to bring you.

First, think of a goal or desire that you have and then ask yourself:

• Why do I want this?


• What will having this item or situation give me that I don't have now?


• What function or purpose will I use this for?


• What higher quality (or feeling) will this item or situation help me to express or experience more of in my life?


• How will having this item or experience make me feel?

Once you are clear about the essences that you want, you can begin to experience these essences right now in your life before you even obtain your initial goal or desires. This exercise in fulfilling essence can help you to get started.

Using the goal setting exercise above, here is an example of how this may look once it's completed.

Let's say that there is a woman named Jill who is tired of living paycheck to paycheck. Every month she is worried that she may not be able to pay all of her bills and it's causing her a great deal of stress.

Jill decides that it's time for a change and determines that if she could earn an extra $500 each month, she would have peace of mind knowing that this would be more than enough to cover all her monthly expenses.

Jill's answers to the "Identifying Essence Questions" to determine the essences that she thinks having an extra $500 a month would give her are below.

Initial Goal or Desire:

Jill's initial goal/desire is to increase her income by $500.00 a month.

Answers to "Identifying Essence" Questions:

• Why do I want this?

So I can pay my bills more easily and feel less stressed.


• What will having this item or situation give me that I don't have now?

Better health (since I won't feel so stressed all the time to make ends meet). I will also have more freedom to do things that I enjoy...mini vacations, a photography class, etc.


• What function or purpose will I use this for?

To pay my bills and to do things that I enjoy.


• What higher quality (or feeling) will this item or situation help me to express or experience more of in my life?

Self Confidence


• How will having this item or experience make me feel?

Happy and Free!

Summary of Jill's Goal and the Essences that she wants to fulfill:

Jill's goal is to earn an additional $500 a month and the functions or purpose that having this money will bring her are:

1. The ability to pay her bills each month with ease.

2. Do more things that she enjoys.

Also, as a result of having the extra money, Jill will feel less stressed.

The higher qualities or feelings that Jill feels that having more money will bring her are:

Self Confidence, Happiness and a greater sense Freedom.

Now that Jill has a better understanding of what she hopes the additional $500. monthly income will bring her, she can begin to fulfill these essences right now, instead of waiting until she has the money.

She can start by finding ways to earn extra money right now. For instance, she may change her spending habits, sell of the artwork that she has done over the years, sell things online that she no longer needs, etc.

Jill can reduce her stress immediately by making the time to do things that she enjoys on a regular basis.

There are plenty of things that she could do that cost little or no money.

She may even have a friend who is a good photographer that would be happy to give her a free (or inexpensive) lesson.

Also, there are countless ways that she can begin to experience more self confidence, happiness and freedom in her life right away. This exercise in fulfilling essence will help Jill to identifying ways to do this.

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