Henry David Thoreau wrote:

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

This is one of my favorite quotes. He recommends imaginative daydreaming and idealistic thinking. That is where you need to start – your journey has to have a goal in mind.

Think of all your passions, dreams and wishes…. Imagine them in a balloon – if you let go of the balloon – there is a risk of losing it. I bet you have had an experience as a child of your balloon going up into the sky and flying away.

When it comes to your goals with your life, money, career, relationships…Unless you put the string around your wrist, or secure it in another way, there is always the risk of your balloon – your castle in the air – ‘escaping’ and drifting away without any chance of getting it back.

The foundation is built with a plan, and goal-setting is probably the most powerful performance enhancer available to you. If you want to get higher performance out of yourself – at work, your career, in your relationships, or with money – the process of setting goals for yourself is where it begins.

My youngest son had whimsical dreams and plans that he wanted to achieve – I told him to write them down – for which he repeatedly replied to me – “I don’t need to – I know what they are!” I was patient with him – and when he hit rock bottom – we revisited our conversation and he then was ready to put his dreams to paper and build a foundation for his castle in the sky. It was amazing to watch him blossom. He became a certified yoga instructor and a certified personal trainer, and most of all he was happy.

Here are the top 2 reasons I see why goal setting sometimes doesn’t work:

#1 – The unwritten. As in Tyler’s case he would just smile, tap his head, and say “I’ve got it all up here.”

#2 – The unspecific. If you say – “I want to make more money.” The goal is missing a deadline and also  what is ‘more’?

By securing your ‘castle’ to written goals you will build your foundation to achieve all your dreams. ….I promise!