How to Achieve Your Goals

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by Jack E. Addington

According to Webster, a goal is the end which a person intends to reach or obtain. Setting and achieving goals becomes an art and a science when one realizes that goal-achievement is governed by definite mental laws and not by luck or chance. A very important law, which we call the law of goal achievement, is that which you can conceive of, believe in, and confidently expect for yourself, must necessarily become your experience.

The Factory of Your Mind
The conscious mind has the power of choice. The conscious mind can use all of its powers of mental investigation, analysis, study and weighing of facts to determine the choice of the goal to be set. Once the choice is made, the subconscious mind will accept that choice as a direction. The potency that the subconscious mind will put into reproducing (or manifesting) that choice will depend upon the intensity of the feeling, the intensity of the desire, the intensity of the acceptance, and the persistence and perseverance of the conscious mind. This does not mean that we have to mentally force something to happen. The right use of will is to keep the attention on the objective.

There is no virtue in being timid where life is concerned! Life will work with you according to your demands upon it. To claim is to seek to obtain by virtue of authority or right. If your goal is legitimate and realistic, then you should claim it in Mind as if it were an accomplished fact.

The Importance of Feeling
Goal setting and achieving is more than mechanical--feeling plays a very important part. The following excerpt from Feeling Is The Secret by Neville (Marina del Rey, CA., DeVorssand Co.) illustrates the importance of feeling in goal-achievement:
The subconscious does not originate ideas but accepts as true those which the conscious mind feels to be true and in a way known only to itself objectifies the accepted ideas. Therefore, through his power to imagine and feel and his freedom to choose the idea he will entertain, man has control over creation. Control of the subconscious is accomplished through control of your ideas and feelings.

The subconscious transcends reason. It contemplates a feeling as a fact existing within itself and on this assumption proceeds to give expression to it. The creative process begins with an idea and its cycle runs its course as a feeling and ends in a volition to act.

Jack Ensign Addington (1905-1999)--lawyer, minister, lecturer, and author--left a successful legal practice to become a minister. During his twenty years in the ministry, he founded two large city churches. He was also the cofounder with his wife, Cornelia, of the Abundant Living Foundation, which brought his teachings to thousands of students in the United States and Canada through radio broadcasts and publication of the Abundant Living magazine.
Ideas are impressed on the subconscious through the medium of feeling. No idea can be impressed on the subconscious until it is felt, but once felt--be it good, bad, or indifferent--it must be expressed. Feeling is the one and only medium through which ideas are conveyed to the subconscious.

Visualize Your Goals
When it comes to goal-achieving, fortunate is the person who thinks in pictures for this brings abstract ideas into the realm of reality in the objective form. The technique of visualization is a very effective tool in attaining goals. One should visualize the desired result and then, after establishing a clear picture in mind, let go of all thought as to how the desired result will be attained. The subconscious mind begins to work on it and ideas come from the Source of inspiration deep within. These ideas are transmitted from the subconscious to the conscious mind. The conscious mind then takes the ideas that are presented and weighs them, and accepts that which appears to be the most acceptable method. The goal achiever can then begin to move upon the goal, taking the necessary steps. The whole mind works together to bring about the end result.

Think of Your Goals as Already Accomplished
When you think of your goal as already accomplished, release it to the creative process of the mind. Don’t "worry" your goals! Never, never allow yourself to feel anxious about them--this will impede your progress. It is important to trust the universal mind power to draw to your goal all that is needed to bring it into manifestation.

Writing down your goals also helps you achieve them. One should write out his major creative objectives and every now and then review them. You have to keep your eye single for life to work with you.

Singleness of Purpose Is Essential
The shortest distance between two points is still a straight line. Avoid unnecessary detours in your thinking. We should therefore give single minded attention to that which we really want to achieve. The simple law of cause and effect assures us: "That to which we give our attention is going to become our experience." Singleness of purpose is necessary to activate the law. You cannot hedge your bets. You see, most of us straddle the fence, keeping one foot on each side. We want to believe that we will receive our heart’s desire, but we can’t quite believe that we will. We hedge our goal by thinking, "If I don’t get it, I can always make some other arrangement." As a matter of self-protection, so we won’t be too disappointed, we plan a compromise, which is really another goal. We wind up looking in two directions at once. Have you ever tried going in two directions at once? It isn’t easy!

Remain Silent About Your Goals
Don’t lift the lid and let the steam escape. It is well to keep your personal goals a secret between you and universal mind. There is a power in your belief and enthusiasm for your goal. Others may not share your enthusiasm. If you discuss your goals with others, they may try to talk you out of them and cause you to have doubts. Goal sharing partnerships and couples working toward a common goal are exceptions.

Effective goal setting and achieving can improve the business of living for anyone. We are all setting goals continually; we might as well start achieving them! Nothing can keep us from it once we understand how to set realistic, legitimate goals and use the power of mind to achieve them.