Prior to creating the TLP Institute, Mark Steffan had several experiences with goals. Mark read some self help books and writing down goals was part of the process. It was not till several years later, going through some boxes preparing to move, did he find the worksheet where his wife and he had written down their goals. When they went over the worksheet they discovered that they achieved their goals, without even having a plan. They were so astonished that they decided to create new goals for themselves. They wrote those down and found out again, several years later, they came to fruition. All this without crafting a plan!  Writing down your goals sets into your life the intention necessary to have things succeed. Creating a plan helps you to work your way into accomplishing the goals you set out to complete. We will help you with a step-by-step process of how to create a life plan to implement your goals.

First, you will need to determine what areas of your life you want to focus on and create goals for these. The first exercise we ask you to complete is our rating system for these specific aspects of your life. We ask that you rate these things on a scale from 1-10. Once you have completed your ratings you will see what areas of your life you will want work on first.

In your action steps, at the end of this module, we will have you write down what you see as your ideal life. Who will be in that life? What will you be doing? Where will you live? Travel?

Then, when you have written down what your ideal life will look like, you will be ready to write down your goals. The first thing you will need to do is to take from our ratings list those items that ranked very high (9-10) in importance. For example, let's say that your career ranked as one of those items of importance. Do you already know what it is that you want from you career that does not yet exist? Or is it such that you do not like what you are doing and are not sure what it is that will make you truly happy?

When writing down your goals, it is very important you state them in the  positive and be specific. For example, the statement “I no longer want to be so fat” is not positive.  Instead you might say: “ I want to eat right and exercise my way to my correct weight.”  Another example is: the statement “I don’t want to continue to be poor.”  Instead, you might say:  “I want to be rich!”.  However, that is still not specific enough! Therefore, a better way to state this would be: “I want to have an extra $10,000 in savings by the end of the year, so I will save $XX per month.”  (We will give you the tools in our financial module to learn how to save, so do not worry.) These are a few examples of how to be specific and positive in your goal setting.

By not having goals in your life, you will maintain the same results. It is far better to go after a new goal than to not to have any goals. You can always change your mind.

Mark Steffan had been a stockbroker prior to creating the TLP Institute. He never really liked being a stockbroker but somehow lasted 18 years in that field. He did not know if leaving it any earlier would have been beneficial. What he did was to approach that job with a variety of methods that made it more tolerable and more profitable. The typical broker worked by cold calling and by networking. Mark decided to try different client acquisition techniques to help with his dislike for the business. He created a television program where he interviewed local businessmen and various portfolio managers. Later Mark took on one partner, then another. He did speaking events where he would speak at various luncheons on a variety of topics. All these avenues led to creating a change that at least temporarily made the job tolerable. Could you do the same? Or is your career not what you want to be doing? Remember there are often tradeoffs in life. To switch careers could mean less income, could mean more schooling, might involve a move. Only you can answer what truly tugs at your heart. This is where Mark suggests you go out into nature and reflect. Being in nature grounds you and helps you to discover your authentic self.

Once you have goals you will create a plan to obtain them. However, we want to stress that it isn’t the accomplishment of your goals, it is the journey that matter. You only can live in the present, so make sure that you develop a plan that appeals to you. By creating a Total Life Plan, you engage all aspects of your life. You become energized as you look forward to implementing your multi-faceted goals.

It’s now time to go to your ACTION STEPS. You will be answering questions and writing about your new life and the goals you wish to accomplish. This is an area you may want to revisit from time to time because as you evolve, so may your goals.

(click on action steps now)