Setting Goals and Achieving Them...

 Off The Grid - by Rita Karnopp ~ Living in the woods, surrounded by nature, is a fantasy of those living within the unethical confines of society.  But when you’re seventeen, even thinking about walking through the woods conjures up ghastly visions.

   Taylar must forgive her father’s intentional betrayal of bringing her family to live in the remote Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana.  Hundreds of miles from civilization, she must put aside her fears and do her part to help her family survive the challenges of dense wilderness, mountain lions, bear, rattlesnakes, and the worst animal of all – man.

Will their father realize that their neighbors aren’t what they appear to be . . . before it’s too late?  Will her almost sixteen-year-old sister, Brook, who loves hunting and nature, have what it takes to guide them out of the untamed wilderness and back to civilization?

I'm often asked how I work full-time and write several books a year ... and my quick response is ... I set goals. 

I firmly believe if you set a goal ... you can achieve anything.  Some days it's a struggle and others ... not so bad ... even good.  But the feeling you get from reaching that goal is beyond rewarding.

Here are three simple steps on setting goals and achieving them.  Setting a goal is important – in every aspect of your life.  Personally and professionally.  For most of us, creating a goal brings about a positive change. The bottom line is when you write down a goal, you’re creating a challenge for yourself. There are three things you need to remember when setting goals.

First, you must write It Down -  Once you’ve written that goal on a piece of paper … you’ve made a commitment.  Put that goal somewhere you’ll look at it often, or pass by several times a day. Like your refrigerator or on your computer.  It’s important to remember … write your goal in the positive.  For instance, don’t write, “I need to lose twenty pounds.”  Instead write, “I'm excited to lose twenty pounds by July 1^st, 2018.  Now you have a defined goal and a deadline date.  Keep in mind – a goal should be written in a short, easy sentence.

Second, break down your goal … so it’s manageable.   Maybe you’ve set a goal to lose twenty pounds.  Saying I’m going to lose twenty pounds not only sounds horrifying … the reality is it’s going to be a difficult thing to accomplish.  That's why you need to break your goal down into its different parts, because smaller goals are easier to handle. Losing twenty pounds seems overwhelming, but losing a pound a month for ten months is doable.

The third part of setting goals is to read your goal at least once … even twice a day.
Let’s face it, we get busy and your goals can sometimes be a nuisance … or you just don’t feel like striving toward that goal.  Unacceptable.  You’ve written down your goal and you’ve posted them where you know you’ll see them often. Your fridge, bathroom mirror, or on your computer.  Now it’s time to reinforce that goal.  Read your goal with enthusiasm, out loud, and with commitment.

This one sentence reminder can help you reach those goals … and it will change your life.  I have proof … I’m forty-two pounds lighter and I just finished my 19^th book, Secrets of Echo Cave (releasing in September 2018).  Without goal setting … I doubt I’d have achieved any of it.