what road trip most appeals to you? For what purpose?
•Going to the mountains to enjoy nature, have an adventure, and challenge yourself to explore bigger and better things
•Heading to an amusement park to ride roller coasters, get a little dizzy, and enjoy the ups and downs
•Going to the city to see your name in lights and receive the recognition you deserve for being a knowledgeable force in your industry
•Spending time at the beach, relaxing, and realizing there’s more to life than work
The same theory applies to planning your goals. You not only need to figure out what you want, but give some thought to how doing so will improve your life and the lives of those around you.
What do you want to do? Why?
•Find a new job in order to feel more fulfilled in your career
•Find a new job because your current position is being eliminated or you want to get out of a hostile work environment
•Start or grow your business to earn more money
•Share your expertise so others can learn from your experience
•Make a drastic change—or a series of minor ones—to improve your quality of life
•Prioritize relationships and family, so you have a happier personal life
•Increase your income to create financial independence
•All of the above? Some of these goals may fulfill more than one purpose
Once you know what you want and what drives you, then all of the long- and short-term goals you set will build upon each other to help you achieve it. Think of your GoalTopia as your focal point. In order to reach that or any destination, you need to decide exactly where you are going, what vehicle to take (mission), and what type of fuel (goals) will get you there.
In the first five chapters of Your Goal Guide, I will walk you through a variety of techniques, mainly writing exercises, to help you figure out where you want to go and why.
Visualize Your GoalTopia
In order to get what you want, you need to know what you want. You should also be able to see it. And if you can hear it, feel it, and imagine it, that’s even better.
You know how attitude is everything, right? Positive thinking is like magic. So is negative thinking, by the way. A bad or stressed aura brings with it a cloud of darkness. You won’t get any of that in this book. Only positive vibes here.
The point is this: you are more likely to achieve something if you are able to visualize it happening to you in the present tense. To solidify that intention, you also want to create a visual representation of your desired reality. This could be anything from a billion-dollar check made out to you to a picture of your happy family. Eyes on the prize.
But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. Let’s start by figuring out your definition of GoalTopia, a.k.a. your ultimate goal.
GoalTopia
When you think about the life you want, what comes to mind? What are you doing? Where are you sitting? Who is with you? Do you have a happy and balanced life?
Most people have a dream in their head, something they’ve always wanted to do. This desire may have been sparked during their childhood. It could be altered over time, but that glimmer of an idea—a perfect destination, their GoalTopia—started very long ago.
Here’s mine. When I was a teenager, I decided I was going to write the Great American Novel. I’d planned this idealistic writer’s life. When I grew up, I would rent out a cabin in Vermont, close out the world, and write. This idea still made sense to me throughout high school and college, since I wrote mostly fiction. I was even accepted into a creative writing program, but, instead, I took the more logical route. I got a degree in journalism. Still, I still had a creative itch and maintained that I would live that writer-life someday. I took screenwriting classes and have participated in National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo) several times.
Well, here’s how life laughed at my plans. I got my first freelance article assignment a week after I completed the first draft of my first screenplay. Not long after, I was writing columns and doing feature articles for a hip magazine aimed for college-aged through twenty-something readers. Over time, my desire to write a novel became less important than writing a non-fiction book. I self-published two of those, before getting the opportunity to go the traditional route with this one.
My point is this: Your dreams may pivot. They may even change. But there must be a kernel of something you’ve always wanted to do that makes it into your adult mind, if not your adult life.
What Do You Want?
Go back in time. Think about those things that have stuck with you—the activities you did as a kid and thought about pursuing—the ideas that roll around in your head and show themselves every now and again. Now’s the time to take them out to play.
Were you the entrepreneur who sold not just lemonade, but snacks, door-to-door? Do you get annoyed every time you see someone else introduce an invention or service you thought up years ago? Do you dream about running your own business?
Were you a member of the art clubs in high school, but detoured to a more stable career? Have you always wondered what would happen if you had pursued creative arts? Is what stopped you then still stopping you now?
Did you volunteer, lead a book club, or bake lemon meringue pies for friends and family? Are you still doing some version of that? Would you like to?
Maybe the life you want has nothing to do with the life you have. And that’s okay, too. This chapter is all about one question: What do you want? And only you can answer it.
Road Trip Exercise 1A: GoalTopia
Take out your notebook or open a dedicated computer document. At the top of the page, write “GoalTopia.” Underneath, write “GoalTopia 1.” You can also use the worksheet at the back of this book.
What’s Your Ultimate Dream, Goal, or Desired Accomplishment?
•Are you a bestselling author, flourishing creative, or sought-out expert?
•Do you own a successful business?
•Are you excelling in your current role at work? Getting promoted?
•Are you pursuing a different career?
•Do you have a happy relationship, lots of money, and a well-balanced life? What does that look like?
Write down the first thing that comes to mind.
Done? Great.
Now, give it some thought. Meditate. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Close your eyes, clear your mind, and let your thoughts wander. Try not to fall asleep. But if you do, no worries. The timer should wake you.
Visualization
