An Unwritten Goal is Just a Wish

“Decide upon your major definite purpose in life and then organize all your activities around it.” ~ Brian Tracy

I remember going out to eat dinner at my favorite restaurant. My waiter had recently started working there. He was young and enthusiastic, and what impressed me most was that he was a man with a vision.

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Waiter: “I have a Dream to own my own business. I want to open up a restaurant, that’s why I’m working here.”

Me: “That sounds awesome. I pray you much success with your business. So do you have it all written down or have you written a business plan yet?”

Waiter: “Oh no! I have it all in my head,” he replied, pointing at his head “I don’t need to write it down. It’s all right here.”

 I tried to encourage the young man and show him the importance of writing down his goals. He wouldn’t budge. He just kept pointing at his head saying, “It’s all right here.” I don’t believe he’ll ever start his own business…with that mindset. Now I’m no dream killer, but I can’t ignore this simple and truthful fact—statistics show that those who write down their goals achieve them more than those who don’t. People have all kind of ideas in their head, but rarely act on them, because they don’t take them seriously enough to actually write them down.

“One of the best ways to get clarity and specificity on your goals is to write them out in detail—as if you were writing specifications for a work order. Think of it as a request to God…Include every possible detail.” ~ Jack Canfield

 It’s not enough to just have your dreams in your head, go one step further and put them on paper. When you write down your goals and dreams, it serves as a visual reminder. Those goals then become a target; something you can focus on; something you can aim toward.

For example, imagine if a basketball player closed his eyes, spun around in a circle 20 times, and threw the basketball in the air—what do you think are his chances of making the shot? Zero! And that’s exactly what it’s like to have unwritten goals. That’s what it’s like when you pursue your dreams without any focus.

“When we aim at everything, we usually hit nothing.”~ Dr. Myles Munroe

But just imagine if that same basketball player were to open his eyes…aim at the goal…focus on the shot. There’s no question that he has a much better chance of hitting the target. Likewise, you have a better chance of achieving your goals when you write them down, because now you have a specific target in front of you, in plain view, as a consistent reminder of what you’re striving toward.

I heard once, “You have to get an understanding of goal power. Goal power is the power you feel when you’ve set a target and you concentrate all of your efforts on hitting it. It makes you focused, it makes you decisive, and ultimately it makes you successful.”

“Write down the vision; write it clearly on clay tablets so whoever reads it can run to tell others.”

Habakkuk 2:2 NCV

 If I were to read your goals, they should be so crystal clear that they leap off the paper and create excitement in me just from reading them! I should be able to literally see your life on paper. You should paint such a clear picture that it feels like I’m walking into your dreams. So be very specific with your goals. Don’t just say “I want more money”, because I could give you a nickel and that goal would be accomplished. Vague and unclear requests produce vague and unclear results. Your goals should be specific, precise, and clear.

“Be as specific as possible with all aspects of your goals—include the make, model, color, year, and features…the size, weight, shape, form…and any other details.” ~ Jack Canfield

Always remember, if you fail to be laser specific with your goals, they’ll become nothing more than a wish, a mere interest, and a good idea. It is vital that you write down your goals and be precise. This is a sure start to your success!

BILLIE MILLER “The Motivational Minister” is a Bible teacher, speaker, and the #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of “Life in Righteousness: The Word is Your Life” and “30 Days of Righteousness: The Word is Your Life Action Plan”. Thousands of lives have been changed through Billie’s powerful teachings. For more information please visit www.BillieMiller.com. Follow Billie on twitter (@BillieMiller7) and on Facebook (BillieMillerPage).