Self-Help Productivity Business

Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want -- Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible (Summary)

by Brian Tracy

In a famous (though now debated) study of a Harvard graduating class, researchers found that only 3% of the graduates had clear, written goals for their future. Twenty years later, they followed up. The result? That 3% was worth more financially than the other 97% combined. The single act of writing down their goals had unlocked a level of success that seemed impossible to their peers.

Your Brain is a Goal-Seeking Missile

The simple, physical act of writing down your goals programs your subconscious mind to work on them 24/7. It activates your reticular activating system, a part of your brain that filters information, causing you to notice people, resources, and opportunities that will help you achieve your objective.

Tracy instructs readers to buy a spiral notebook and, on the first day, write a list of ten goals they want to achieve in the next year. Then, they must review this list every single day. This daily ritual isn't just a reminder; it's a command to your brain to constantly scan your environment for solutions.

Success is a Formula, Not an Accident

Success is governed by the Law of Cause and Effect. If you want a specific result (like financial independence or physical fitness), you must identify the actions (the causes) that lead to that result and then execute them relentlessly. There is no luck involved, only a recipe to follow.

If you want to become a top salesperson, don't just work hard. Find out what the top 10% of salespeople in your field do. What books do they read? How do they plan their day? How many calls do they make? Then, do those exact same things until you get the same results. You are simply copying a proven formula.

Identify Your Major Definite Purpose

Out of all your goals, there is always one that, if you achieved it, would have the greatest positive impact on your life. This is your 'Major Definite Purpose.' You must identify this single goal and organize all your other activities and smaller goals around its accomplishment.

Imagine your ten goals include doubling your income, running a marathon, and learning Spanish. If doubling your income would make the marathon training and Spanish lessons easier to afford and schedule, then that becomes your Major Definite Purpose. You would then focus the majority of your energy on income-producing activities above all else.

Your Biggest Obstacle Is Your Own Mind

The primary things that hold people back are not external circumstances but internal mental blocks, mainly the fear of failure and the fear of rejection. The key is to reframe failure as valuable feedback and to understand that rejection is never personalā€”it's just a business outcome.

To overcome the fear of failure in sales, a person can set a goal of getting rejected 100 times. This reframes the objective. The goal is no longer to make a sale, but to collect 'no's.' By making the fear itself the target, they desensitize themselves to it, build resilience, and, paradoxically, end up making far more sales.

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