In traditional success programs, the very first thing they told us to do was “set your goals.” This Step deals with that age-old question: “So how come I keep setting my goals . . . and keep not reaching them?”
As you’ve noticed by now, this System turns traditional success literature on its head. The reason we set goals and don’t reach them doesn’t mean we’re not good enough, not smart enough, or not capable enough to get what we want. The reason we don’t reach our goals is three-fold:
We’re going after something we don’t really want.
Our goals are impossible, outdated, or unrealistic.
We haven’t given ourselves permission to stop setting goals.
GOAL-FREE ZONES
What is a Goal-Free Zone? A Goal-Free Zone is a time and place where you give yourself permission to stop setting goals. Why is this the next Step to enjoying more wealth and happiness?
To avoid burnout.
To get it that your worth doesn’t come from your achievements.
To reduce the effects of Information Overload.
To reconnect with your Authentic Self.
Ironically, to be happy and rich, you need to give yourself permission to unplug from work. Scientific studies have found that
human beings perform best in spurts of 90 to 120 minutes. Therefore, if you want to perform at your best, you must have times in your day when you unplug from work-related activities. You’ll not only avoid burnout, you’ll be better able to fully engage when you do go back to work.
The second reason, to use Goal-Free Zones is because you need to understand that your worth does not come from your achievements. Many peoplesubconsciously believe that they’re only worthwhile when they achieve something or win awards or have lots of
money. You need to truly realize that your worth does not come from your achievements. Your worth just is. To truly believe that, is the second reason to give yourself Goal-Free Zones.
The third reason, you need Goal-Free Zones is to avoid the effects of Information Overload. While we can’t stop the crush of information from email, cell phones, Crackberries, and every
other electronic device known to man, we can at least limit it. The problem is, many people never unplug from all this noise, and the human organism was not designed to handle this kind of nonstop stimulus. That’s one reason so many people feel stressed-out, burned out, in poor health, and have poor eating habits and a host of other health problems.
Fourth, when you do Goal-Free Zones, it allows you to reconnect with your Authentic Self; that still, small voice that is the voice of your intuition. Have you ever noticed that your best ideas do not
come at work? They come when you’re relaxing. They might come when you’re jogging, journaling, praying, meditating, or in the shower. (That’s what happened to me with Afformations!) Your mind is most receptive to ideas from the non-linear part of you at those relaxed times, and that’s another reason to use Goal-Free
Zones.
Oh, and the fifth reason? They’re a lot more fun than working all the time.