Mark Myers Expert Answer to: How do I set my goals?

The thing is, I'm trying to set my goals, for me to have a long term mirage or finish line and I'm having an hard time, because I don't have an clear image of what I want in a 10 years time. I know what I want for the next months, a year max., but 10 years?

The creation of wealth is my top priority, I have Ideas, but putting them in a timeline, is looking much more difficult than I expected, I usually find planning a difficult task.

So how do you set your goals and how can I set them ?   click for answer

Top Ten Tips To Improve Focus

Top 10 Tips To Improve Focus Creativity and thought require uninterrupted focus. This is difficult to accomplish in our world of instant communication and distraction. Here are some strategies to maximize your ability to focus. 1. Turn your cell phone to silent. Even if you plan to let your cell phone go to voicemail or set it to vibrate, that minor distraction can interrupt your train of thought. 2. Limit your access to Social Media. Twitter, Facebook, etc. can draw you in and next thing you know, an hour has passed. By limiting those instant distractions, you create less of a chance that your attention will be pulled away from the activities you need to accomplish. 3. Close your email and turn alerts to silent. You can set aside time to deal with email at a different time. Instant access to your attention prevents sustained concentration. 4. Don’t go there. If the Internet offers a distraction and is not part of your task that needs to be accomplished, do not open that tab in the first place. We can also become lost in searching the cyber-universe that we lose focus. 5. What distracts you? It’s important to know what your triggers you to be distracted. Is it the television, the kids, the pets, the computer, etc? Set up your environment to manage the distractions. 6. Multitasking could be an issue. Many people pride themselves on their ability to multitask, however, when you multitask none of the tasks on which you are working get your full attention. This slows the process and interrupts the ability to fully concentrate. 7. Manage worry and stress. Stress interferes with our ability to focus on the important. Take some time to relax, clear your mind, make a list of the things that are competing for your attention and choose one to attack first. By prioritizing our responsibilities, we take control of the things we can control and recognize the parts of our situation that must be addressed at another time. 8. Develop good sleep habits. Difficulty sleeping can drain our ability to concentrate. 9. Put procrastination on the back burner. Do you have to clean your house before you focus on something? Update your filing system? You may be procrastinating. Break your task into small bite sized pieces. Start by spending 15 minutes on each bite sized piece. If you can fit two bites into one 15-minute period, more power to you! After you complete each step, choose a quick reward (a stretch, a walk around the room, a glass of water), then return to work for another 15-minute bite. 10. Stay hydrated and keep a snack handy. Thirst and hunger can interfere with our ability to remain focused. Especially, around 2 or 3pm, many people experience a drop in blood sugar that can make it difficult to concentrate. A small protein packed snack should perk you right up and improve your ability to focus.

Results versus Process

Individuals making important decisions in life at times could find themselves immobilized but focusing too much on end results. While possible outcomes are helpful to look at when making a big decision, we need to remember there are many intangibles involved that impact on the actual results.

An example of this would be a wife of an alcoholic decides to divorce her husband after many unsuccessful years of trying to get him to stop drinking. After the divorce he could choose to remarry and stop drinking. This does not mean she made the wrong decision. At the time she choose to take an action based on information she had at her disposal, such as, years he was drinking, repeated requests to stop, financial and emotional resources that were effected by his drinking, and where she was at emotionally.

If we look back or evaluate the process involved in making a decision we are choosing NOT to making ourselves responsible for other peoples actions. We cannot control outcomes but can control ourselves. The effort and thought in making a decision is more important than the results.

Establishing Goals for Substance Abuse Treatment

Individuals who verbalize a commitment to abstaining from substance use or who enter therapy for drugs or alcohol, may not always be committed to the same goals for therapy as significant others who want him\her in treatment. I have worked in the chemical dependency field for over 25 years and believe it is important to understand someone’s motivation level when addressing this issue. A person may believe they could control or manage their drinking. Family members/significant others could be under the impression that goal is not realistic. Or a person may not believe their use is a problem and are entering treatment to appease others. This presents a conflict in treatment goals between client (person entering treatment) and others.

A therapist’s role is to help the client clarify goals in treatment. It is important to have mutually understood goals. If, as a therapist, I am presenting tools more consistent with someone who has a goal of complete abstinence, and this individual is not committed to stopping use all together, therapy will not be successful. The first step in the therapeutic process is endeavoring to be on the same page with the client. A helpful tool I use is the motivational wheel.

Once goals are established, we come up with tasks that will help meet these goals. If a person uses substances when his/her goals are abstinence we go over the motivational wheel again. We establish if the use was: a lapse (goal was abstinence but had a slip) or decision to use (goal was not to stop and decided to use). If it is determined to be a lapse, we examine goals and determine what areas may need further focus. Lapses are not uncommon in recovery and may actually help develop focus and commitment to stopping use. If the client made a decision to use, I will explore what may have changed from the initially stated goals.

Recovery is not a event, but a journey. Each person may carve their own individual
path. It may entail some slips or challenges along the way. For some it may take longer to reach this goal than others. What is essential in therapy is that goals in treatment are agreed upon, realistic, clear, and obtainable. If a person is not committed to stopping all together, my role will be to establish safe guidelines in exploring the costs to use and impact on one’s life.