“The real value of setting and achieving goals lies not in the rewards you receive but in the person you become as a result of reaching your goals.” —Robin Sharma

Are Your Goals Worth Pursuing? Put them to the PEAK test.

Most people avoid the goal setting process entirely. They may view it as tedious, a waste of time/energy, they don’t connect with it. This doesn’t change the fact that having an effective goals setting routine can be one of, if not THE MOST important determinant of your long-term success.

However, if you’re here reading this article, you probably don’t fall into the goal avoiders category, so the question for you may be, how do I ensure that the goals I am striving for are worthwhile?

Even those that do have a process for setting goals, oftentimes get so overwhelmed with the goal setting process that by the time they have selected and committed to their objectives, it can feel like an accomplishment in itself. So what do we do? We put our notebooks/journals back on the shelf with a feeling of pride knowing that we are “the goal setting type” and allow them to sit until next New Year’s or the start of the following quarter…

With that said, here is a Quick look at our 4 STEP - PEAK Goal Evaluation Filter! 👊

1. PURPOSE

Napoleon Hill in his classic work Think and Grow Rich taught us that the number 1 success principle is to determine our Major Definite Purpose. 

The question here is whether this goal is in alignment with my Major Definite Purpose?

For example if your major definite purpose was to be a loving, present mother/father that provided your children with access to opportunities and your well-being goal is to workout 5 days a week. The two may seem unrelated, but I would argue that by working out 5 days a week you will be more likely to be present and energetic to raise your kids. 

2. ELEVATION

If you are an individual who is committed to creating a legacy, chances are you are more motivated by impact and service to others than other than indivisdual accomplishments, that’s why we want to take a moment to reflect on the elevation capacity of this goal.

In order to do this, we suggest asking yourself: “In what ways will the attainment of this goal elevate and enrich the lives of others and myself?”

Perhaps your Wealth Goal is to create an efficient retirement distribution strategy, the question here is who will and how will this elevate and enrich the lives of others 

More peace of mind for you and spouse in retirement, more of a legacy left to loved ones because you were able to avoid the impact of taxes, inflation or market risk on your savings. 

3. ABILITY

All goal attainment begins with belief! Belief in yourself and the belief in the possibility that the goal can be reached.

Ask yourself: “Do I believe in my own ability to accomplish this goal?”

Our process of constantly pursuing greater wisdom and then executing on this newly attained information is the surest path we know of to increase our ability in some area.

If I had a Wisdom goal to read every personal development book ever written, while this would be incredible to accomplish, it just isn’t likely considering how much time would be required and new books are always being written.

Finally, the last criteria involves Knowledge 

4. KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge and ability are two of the critical factors in how likely we are to follow through with our goal seeking activities. In most cases they are not required to start the journey towards our goals but they must be acquired along the way.

The question here then is: “Do I currently possess the knowledge and tools necessary to facilitate the results I’m seeking?”

If your Wealth Goal is to create a tax-efficient financial strategy and you don’t have the knowledge of how different financial products are taxed, you would probably need to either educate yourself or enlist the help of a professional.

It’s okay if the answer is no, but the point is to determine what you need to learn or who you need to enlist to help you become equipped to tackle this goal. 

That is a high-level overview of our PEAK Selection filter.