Goal-Setting: Jim Rohn's Second Pillar of Success: Part Four

Goal-Setting
✦✦✦
Jim Rohn’s
Second Pillar of Success:
Part Four
Week Nine
Welcome to Week Nine of The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan.
This week we discuss Part Four of Goal-Setting—Accountability. Jim shares the key components for
making accountability a valuable tool and asset in your success. Chris reviews CD Six of The Jim
Rohn New Millennium program, and the workbook has important exercises, including a tools section
to help you achieve your goals and an accountability contract, to assist you in this final piece of
the goal-setting process. Be sure you send us a copy of your accountability contract—see details in
the contract.
As we close out Pillar Two, we hope you are experiencing a new level of faith, belief and confidence in
the person you are refining and becoming! As so many of you have stated, this is exciting!
Have a great week!
Kyle
“When Andrew Carnegie died, they discovered a

sheet of paper upon which he had written one of
the major goals of his life: to spend the first half
of his life accumulating money and to spend the
last half of his life giving it all away. And he did!”
—Jim Rohn
178 One-Year Success Plan © 2010 Jim Rohn International

Goal-Setting
Jim Rohn’s Second Pillar of Success: Goal-Setting,
Part Four—Accountability
Hi, Jim Rohn here. Before we dive into Part Four—Accountability, here is a review of what we’ve
covered this month.
1. Evaluation and Reflection. The only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future
and how we will get there is to first know where we are right now and what our level of satisfaction
is for where we are in life. As we focus on goal-setting, our first order of business this month was
evaluation and reflection.
2. Dreams and Goals. What are your dreams and goals? Not related to the past or what you think
you can get, but what you want. Have you ever sat down and really thought through your life values
and decided what you really want? This isn’t something someone else says you should have or what
our culture tells us successful people do or have. These are the dreams and goals borne out of your
own heart and mind; they are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted
to become. Last week, we showed you exactly how to figure out what you want from life.
3. SMART Goals. SMART means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-sensitive.
Specific: Don’t be vague. What exactly do you want?
Measurable: Quantify your goal. How will you know if you’ve achieved it or not?
Attainable: Be honest with yourself about what you can reasonably accomplish at this point in your
life, taking into consideration your current responsibilities.
Realistic: It’s got to be doable, real and practical.
Time: Associate a time frame with each goal. When should you complete the goal?
4. Accountability. Think of the word accountable. It means to “give an account.” When someone
knows what your goals are, they help hold you accountable. Whether it is someone else going
through this program with you (have you thought about inviting a friend to join you on this one-
year journey?) or just someone you can give the basic idea to, having a person who can hold you
accountable will give you another added boost to getting your goals! This week, we will show you
how to set up an accountability partner.
Accountability—a contract with yourself or someone else—is a vital key in the goal-setting process. In
those early days, Mr. Shoaff held me accountable for my progress on the goals I had set. He asked those
hard questions that helped motivate me to continuously work on achieving my dreams. Accountability
puts some teeth into the process. If a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any
power? Many times it doesn’t. At the very least, it isn’t as powerful as if you had one or more people
who will hold you accountable to your goal.
Think of the word accountable. Webster defines it as, “liable to being called to account; answerable.” In
other words, it means to give an account of your actions to yourself or another person. Accountability
is a very broad word, yet accountability is essentially follow-up. When someone knows what your
goals are, they follow up and hold you accountable by asking you to “give an account” of where you
are in the process. Human nature is such that when we know someone else is going to ask us about
it, we are much more motivated to get it done. If for no other reason than we don’t want to look lazy
and uncommitted to those we are accountable to! This is why having an accountability partner is so
important. Whether it is someone else going through this program with you or just someone you can
give the basic idea to, having a place of accountability will give you another added boost to achieving
your goals!
© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 179

Week Nine
I n the basic sense, there are two kinds of accountability: internal and external. Internal accountability
is essentially the level of integrity you maintain not only throughout the evaluation process, but also in
life. It means that when you look at yourself, you judge yourself with honesty. This is where you hold
yourself accountable to doing what you said you would do. If you’ve messed up, say, “I’ve messed up,”
but if you’ve done well, then you can celebrate your progress. Let the internal accountability prod you
and spur you on to greater action in pursuit of your achievements.
So first and foremost, it is our responsibility to hold ourselves accountable. We answer to ourselves.
We take charge of ourselves. How do we do that? Here are a few ideas:
1. Write down your goals so they become “objective.” You can’t go back and say, “That wasn’t really
my goal.”
2. Be ruthlessly honest with

yourself when you assess whether
or not you have met the goal
(of course, if you were specific
in your SMART goal-setting, you
won’t have much wiggle room
here anyway).
3. If you fall short of your goal,

or if you are falling short while on
the way, knuckle down and hold
yourself accountable to do what it
takes to make up the ground so
that you can hit that goal!
4. Set a time frame in which you

will evaluate your progress and
hold yourself accountable.
The second aspect of

accountability is that it is external.
Find someone else or a group of
others to hold you accountable.
When we commit to giving an
account to someone else for
our actions and goals, we take
it to the next level. Now, let
me say that the external part
of accountability will not work
without the internal aspect. If you
are not honest with yourself, then
you will probably not be honest
with others. Asking someone to
hold you accountable and then
knowing you won’t be completely
honest with them will never work. In fact, Howard Hendricks used to have a series of accountability
questions that went something like this: Have you done “A”? Have you done “B”? Have you done “C”?
Now, have you told the truth on the first three questions? That is a good series of questions to ask!

Having an accountability partner or an outside source of accountability is a powerful force, if done right.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you set up an accountability partner:
1. Choose someone who cares about you, but can be tough and honest with you. They need
to care about you (and you have to know and feel that care) because you become vulnerable by
making yourself accountable to them. They need to be tough and honest, though, because you
don’t want to have them shy away from telling you to get on the ball when you are slacking, getting
behind or not doing the job. I think the expression “tough love” would fit appropriately here. In
essence, they love us enough to be honest with us about our progress.
2. Tell them specifically what your goals are.

3. Commit to being honest with them.
4. Give them permission to speak words of encouragement, as well as words of challenge,
when the situation calls for it.
5. Agree on a reasonable time frame in which you will allow them to evaluate your progress
and hold you accountable.
6. Follow up on their words when they challenge you or call you to action.
Accountability can be a tremendous thing. There is an old proverb that says one can put a thousand to
flight, but two can put 10,000 to flight. When we have someone holding us accountable, we bring others
onto our team who will make us stronger, who will make us soar higher, and who will cause our lives to
be much richer because of their involvement.
Take a moment and really consider who you will make yourself accountable to in the pursuit of your
goals. Now, go back through the words above and begin to work this process out in your own life. You
will be extraordinarily glad you did!
Until next week, let’s do something remarkable!
Jim Rohn
“If you want to reach a goal, you must

‘see the reaching’ in your own mind
before you actually arrive at your goal.”
—Zig Ziglar

Week Nine
Hi there, Chris Widener here. I hope you have taken time to go through the material and reflect upon
what you have learned and how you can apply it to your life, taking specific action to improve yourself.
Here is a recap of the material on CD Six from The Jim Rohn

Weekend Event—Excelling in the New Millennium:
How to affect others with words:
Words and ideas live on. They start and then move from person to person. That is what makes them
so powerful.
Words almost have the power of God.
God’s words create life—human words come close.
Words can give the light of sight and insight.
Words help people “see.”
Words can help people see themselves better than they are.
Words can make a difference: The ancient prophet said words are a lamp for the feet and a light to
our path.
Four steps to achieve good communication:

1. Have something good to say—be prepared to make positive verbal deposits before the
time you say something.
Tips to preparation:
✦ Keep a keen interest in people.

✦ Get “from” the day, not “through” it.
✦ Attend everything.
✦ Be fascinated with life. How does it work?
✦ Don’t be frustrated.
✦ Give yourself a chance.
✦ Be sensitive to others. Walk in their shoes.
✦ Be diplomatic.
✦ Get working knowledge.
2. Say it well.
Tips to saying it well:
✦ Repeat it until you can say it well.

✦ Say it sincerely.
✦ Say it briefly. If you are unique, you probably don’t have to say much.
✦ Say it with style.
✦ Say it with a good vocabulary.
✦ Practice saying it.
3. Read your audience.
Read what you see. Read what you hear. Read what you feel.
4. Be intense. Use the power of your emotion.

Communication is a combination of intellect, language and emotion.
Tips to being intense:
✦ Use enough emotion to fit the situation.

✦ Understand that emotion drives the language.
✦ Use measured emotions with well-selected words.
Tools of Last Resort:
✦ Your temper
✦ A direct attack
✦ Scolding
The more you care, the stronger you can be!
The Four “Ifs”:

1. Life is worthwhile IF you learn. Learn from your experience and from others’ experiences. Learn
from what you see, hear and read.
2. Life is worthwhile IF you try: Try, then try again. Try what others won’t.
3. Life is worthwhile IF you stay. We need to stay around. Finish it out.
4. Life is worthwhile IF you care. If you care at all, you will get some results. If you care enough, you
will get incredible results!
Additional Thoughts from Chris on CD Six:
What I considered to be the most powerful aspects of Jim’s teaching on CD Six were three of his main
points on effective communication. I was challenged by his words on having something to say, saying it
well and the power of emotion.

Week Nine
On having something to say, I was particularly struck by the notion that we are to have a keen
interest in people and to be fascinated by life itself. If we cultivate those characteristics, we will stay
in a learning mode, building up storehouses of knowledge, and knowledge that, when seasoned with
experience, will become wisdom. And then, when we have something to say, watch out because it will
be powerful!
Secondly, the concept of saying it well, particularly with sincerity and brevity, really resonated with
me. I recognize more and more, and Jim confirmed it for me once again, that sincerity is so powerful.
It is a bridge to the listener. Style is important, but sincerity is paramount, especially in this day
and age. And brevity—wow—so true. How many times have you listened to someone go on and on,
starting with good points or information and then losing the listener because they couldn’t get the idea
across soon enough? If their eyes have rolled back in their heads, you have gone on too long! More
and more, I am learning the value of being sincere and succinct!
Finally, I was challenged to use the power of emotion. So often today you hear people say, “Don’t get
emotional about it.” Wouldn’t you agree there is a difference between “getting emotional” and having
emotion! People want to see we are passionate about what we are saying. Passion conveys that we
feel strongly about something. When we allow people to see our passion, that is when they are moved
and persuaded by what we have to say.
So, have something to say, say it well, and say it with emotion!
See you next week,
Chris Widener
“Goals are incredibly important...

or impotent. You decide.”
—Doug Firebaugh

Questions for Reflection
Q. Have you written down your goals so they can be made “objective”? Write comments here.
Q. Do you hold yourself accountable? Are you ruthlessly honest with yourself?
Q. Do you have a person or a group of people in your life who can hold you accountable? Who are they?
Are you willing to not only give them the authority to speak into your life, but also to listen to them?
Q. Do you have a regularly scheduled time frame in which you will be accountable to yourself or
another person? Write that time here.
Q. Are you making your life worthwhile? How well do you live the four “ifs”?

Week Nine
Q. How are you learning? In what area can you learn more?
Q. Are you staying? How so? In what area do you need help “staying”?
Q. Are you trying? How so? In what area can you try harder?
Q. Are you caring? How so? In what area of your life do you care best? In what area do you need to
work on caring?

Action Steps This Week
1. Write down your goals so they are “objectively” set.
2. Ask someone who cares about you, but who can be tough and honest with you, to hold you
accountable to working on and achieving your goals.
3. Make a commitment to be ruthlessly honest with yourself and with your accountability partner.
4. Set the time frames in which you will hold yourself accountable or your accountability partner will
hold you accountable.
A Look Forward
This week is an “off” week for audio listening, which will allow you time to catch up, if necessary, on the
conference calls, downloadable files and-or any uncompleted workbook exercises.

Tools to Help You Achieve Your Goals
Quiet Time/Contemplation
Setting goals for your life is largely an introspective process. A regular period of quiet time or
contemplation will help you set meaningful goals that will enable you to achieve your dreams. Take
time to think about what you really want in your life—without all the noise and influence of the
outside world.
When is the best time for you to focus on your goals? Is there a particular time of day or location that
is most conducive to reflecting on your goals and dreams?
Study Other Successful Goal Achievers

Motivational speakers and goal achievers, like Bob Proctor, Jim Rohn and Brian Tracy, aren’t shy
about telling you how they learned to set and achieve their far-reaching goals. Read their books,
listen to their seminars on tape or CD, or better yet, attend a seminar firsthand to get you fired up
and maintain a high level of enthusiasm about goal-setting and achievement. Other books, like The
Complete Idiot’s Guide to Setting Goals, are also valuable resources that help reinforce tips and
techniques that can help you reach your goals.
Affirmations
Restate your goals in positive, present tense terms, “as if” you are already achieving the goals you
set. Write them down in those terms and include a statement about how you will feel when you reach
each goal.
For example, if my goal is, “To walk one mile each day between now and Christmas,” a positive
affirmation of that goal might read like this: “I am walking a mile every day and enjoying my
newfound feelings of health and energy!”
Every day, read your affirmative goals/affirmations aloud to yourself. You may even wish to tape a
copy of them to your computer monitor, bathroom mirror or the dashboard in your car—anyplace
where you will see them throughout the day and reread them. Reading your goals reworded as
statements on a regular basis suggests to your subconscious mind that the goals have already been
achieved. Your affirmations frequently become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Some people find it helpful to record their affirmations (on a tape recorder or CD) and then play
the affirmations back so they can hear them repeatedly, letting the affirmations seep into their
subconscious while they are driving to work or performing other tasks.
Affirmations can really work for you! They help keep you focused on your goal, your dream, and
what it will feel like to achieve those goals and dreams—because you read them as if you’ve already
achieved them. They can help you maintain a positive attitude and reaffirm your commitment to doing
what it takes to make them become reality.
Positive Self-Talk
Similar to affirmations, positive self-talk involves speaking aloud to yourself—and talking to yourself
within your mind—in a positive, uplifting, encouraging way. Telling yourself that you can and will
achieve your goals boosts your self-confidence and increases your level of self-motivation—the two
driving forces that will propel you forward and lead you to complete the actions necessary to achieve
your goals.

Say “I Will”
There is no greater commitment than those two little words: I will. There is no room for questioning or
doubt. Instead of saying, “I plan to” or “I want to” or “I think I can,” say “I will” whenever you refer to
your goals. Reaffirm it regularly and watch it happen.
Enlist the Help of an Accountability Partner

Ideally, an accountability partner is another person who, like you, is set on making some changes in his
or her life and is setting goals to do it. It might even be someone involved in this course. While your
goals need not be similar at all, the fact that you are both committed to setting and achieving your own
goals is the common factor that binds you together. It is often helpful to share your goals and action
steps with your accountability partner and set up a schedule to report on your progress and discuss
any unforeseen obstacles and how you can address them. Ideally, you will do this for each other on a
scheduled, regular basis and literally hold each other accountable for following through on the action
steps and goals each has committed to. An accountability partner is also a great source of support and
encouragement when you get discouraged.
Do you know any people you might approach to become your accountability partner? If so, jot their
names down here and contact them when you complete this workbook.
A Coach or Mentor
While accountability partners are mutually accountable to each other, a coach or mentor is your own
private guide and support system. A good coach or mentor will help you think outside the box, challenge
your thinking, require you to stretch yourself so you will grow, and hold you accountable for taking
the actions to complete the goals you set for yourself. If you can afford a personal coach or have the
opportunity to work with a mentor, jump at the opportunity for this kind of undivided attention, guidance
and direction.
If a friend or acquaintance recommends a good coach, jot their name and contact information down
here. You may wish to contact him or her to talk about your goals and see how he or she could help you
after you complete this course.
Post Pictures
Pictures are an important way to maintain your focus and your commitment and to stay positive.
Whether they come from a camera, a magazine, a catalog or clip art, it really doesn’t matter. Cut them
out or print them out, and put them up where you can see them throughout the day and be reminded of
what you’re working toward.
If your dream is to own a specific car, for example, find a photo or magazine of that specific car—right
down to the year, model, make and color—and tape it to the dash of your car where you’ll see it often.
Then, when you’re driving around in your old beater, imagine yourself driving your new vehicle!

Week Nine
Create a Visual
Whenever possible, create something visual that will stimulate your desire to achieve your goals and
realize your dreams. Help to “picture” your dreams fulfilled.
Want to vacation on a cruise ship? Get some of those travel brochures, cut out the cruise ship, cut
out a photo of yourself from your last vacation, and paste it on the deck of the ship! If you can scan
photos and manipulate them with your computer, go all out and put yourself in the action.
Trying to get down to a size 10? Buy a pair of size 10 jeans and hang them on the wall of your
exercise room where you’ll see them every time you work out.
Dreaming of writing a book? Create a mock-up of the potential cover and post it by your computer
where you can see it while you work. It will make the whole thing seem more “real” to you and help
you stay motivated!
Actor Jim Carrey used this technique when he was a struggling actor in the early 1990s. He wrote
himself a check for $10 million for “services rendered” and dated it November 1995. Just days before
that actual date, he signed a $10 million contract for the movie The Mask Part II.
Experience It
If it’s possible, experience a taste of success. Instead of just imagining it, give yourself a peek at the
life you’re working toward.
Do you dream of being wealthy and successful and buying all your clothes on Rodeo Drive? Go window
shopping! Heck, stop in and try on an outfit and ask a friend to snap a photo of you in an Armani suit.
Tape that to your desk at work!
Test drive a Ferrari and then ask the salesman to take a photo of you sitting in it. Tell him your
goal is to buy one. He’ll be thrilled and will encourage you to come back and buy it from him when
you’re ready!
Want to buy a house but don’t have the down payment yet? Go house hunting anyway! When you find
the perfect one, your drive to do whatever it takes to get it will skyrocket.
Calendar
Your calendar is a key component in your goal-setting system. When you set goal target dates and
create checkpoints to complete action steps toward completing those goals, be sure to mark them on
your calendar. Treat those goals and checkpoints like real deadlines and work hard to meet them. This
is one of the single best ways to ensure steady, continuous progress toward your goals. (Some people
like to use electronic calendars that provide audible beeps or reminders of appointments or other
activities throughout the day. Don’t forget to program the calendar to remind you when you should be
doing something to work toward your goals, too.)
Journal/Diary
If you have the time, recording your goals and action steps—and your daily progress toward your
goals, along with your feelings, insecurities, the obstacles you encounter and how you overcome them,
and your successes—in a journal or diary can prove invaluable. It’s a great reminder of how far you’ve
come and an inspiration. When you feel discouraged, you can go back and read about all the things
you’ve already accomplished and be encouraged that you can do this, too.

Create a Photo Album/Photo Log
Chart your progress with your camera! Take photos of your progress toward your goals along the way—
at regular intervals or after major action steps are completed. This is a great motivator for goals like
building a new home, losing weight or sewing a quilt—anything you can see being created.
Flow Charts/Graphs
Some people benefit from visual aids that can show them at a glance how they are progressing toward
their goals. If visual reminders are helpful to you, you might want to use a large piece of tagboard to
create a flow chart detailing the steps to be completed toward the achievement of your goals, and then
mark off your progress with a highlighter or colored marker as you complete the steps. Or, you could
create a graph that shows your goal and your steady progress toward the achievement of that goal.
Post your flow chart or graph on the wall in your office or somewhere else where you will see it on a
daily basis.
Sign a Contract
Some goal-setters create and sign a contract with themselves outlining their goals, a date by which the
goals must be completed, and may even include positive or negative consequences that will occur if the
contract is “met” or “broken.” A signed contract—with yourself or someone else—will help you take your
goals more seriously and stay focused.
A sample contract is included as Appendix B in this workbook. Feel free to photocopy the contract as
needed. Right now, make one copy of the contract and complete it for one or more of the goals you set
previously in this workbook. Sign it, date it and fax it to the facilitator for this class.
Weekly or Monthly Goal Sheets

Many people find it helpful to summarize a list of the action steps required to be completed for a given
time frame on a handy list that they can keep in front of them. Rather than worrying about what
they need to do next week or next month, it enables them to focus exclusively on what they should
accomplish this week or this month. It helps keep you from getting overwhelmed and is a very effective
tool. (See the sample goal sheets in appendices C and D and photocopy them for your own use.)
Use a copy of Appendix C to create a list of what you’ll need to focus on in the coming week in order to
achieve your goals. Be sure to put your name on it, and fax this to the course facilitator, as well.
Master Goal List or Lifetime Goals

Some people find it helpful to create one huge master goal list—or a list of all the goals they hope to
achieve in their lifetime, both large and small. This is one long, ongoing list they can add to as needed.
By keeping the one list, they are assured they will not forget any of the goals or aspirations that are
important to them. You might also wish to create a similar dream list. List every dream or goal you can
possibly think of—things you want, skills you’d like to acquire, places you want to visit, books you want
to read, classes you want to take, people you want to meet, etc.
While you would not work from this master list on a regular basis, you can draw from this list periodically
when you review your dreams and goals and decide to set specific new goals.
“You got to be careful if you don’t

know where you’re going, because
you might not get there.”
—Yogi Berra

More Information You Need to Know
About Setting and Achieving Goals
Fitting Goals Into Your Busy Life
Setting and working toward your goals takes hard work. But you’re probably already working hard.
How do you fit yet another important thing into an already busy life?
The fact is, somehow you will make the time for anything that is truly important to you.
But here are some practical suggestions other people use to make working on their goals a priority:
✦ Get up early
✦ Stay up late
✦ Use your lunch break
✦ M ake a trade off for something less important to you (i.e., quit watching TV to focus on your
goals instead)
✦ Identify your other responsibilities—which are flexible and could be taken care of at a later date?
Which are not? OR
✦ K eep track of how you spend your time and assess your real availability (or refer back to the
exercise when you did this previously)
Find what works best for you and work with it. Whatever you do, don’t just try to cram setting and
achieving new goals into an already overbooked life. It won’t work, and your goals will be doomed to
failure before you even begin. Life is about choices and trade-offs. Whether it is sleep, lunch with your
co-workers, television time or something else, if creating the life of your dreams is important to you,
you’ll make the time to work toward your goals.
Dreams and Goals Evolve and Change

The dreams you have for your life today—and the corresponding goals you set to reach them—are
not the same dreams you had 10 years ago, and it’s likely that 10 years from now, your dreams will
have changed again. Life is a process of growth and development—and change. It’s natural that your
dreams and goals should also change.
Your Motivation Level to Achieve Your Goals, and to Complete the Action Steps Necessary to
Achieve Them, Will Wax and Wane
Though your motivation after this course is finished will likely be very high, daily life quickly takes
over, and it’s easy to go back to doing things the same way we’ve always done them. Continuing
to focus on your goals and strive for them will be one of your first big challenges. Knowing this in
advance, it’s important to build in little rewards for your continued progress toward your goals along
the way. There’s no need to wait until the goal has been achieved to reward yourself. Pick little
intervals along the way—particularly at points where you know you’re likely to procrastinate or put
things off—and then schedule a reward for reaching that checkpoint. It might be something simple,
like treating yourself to a round of golf or ordering pizza for dinner instead of cooking. The important
thing is to reward yourself regularly for progress and reinforce your new behaviors.
Set Goals for Yourself; Measure Them Against Yourself

Setting and achieving any goal should be something you want to do. Likewise, measure your progress
toward your goals against the criteria established initially. Don’t compare yourself or your progress to
someone else or their goals. Self-improvement is a continual process, not a competition.
All Goals Have Consequences

When you set a goal, you should realize there will be consequences as a result—whether you meet the
goal or miss it by a mile. Some consequences are positive and others may be negative. Some are the
natural results of meeting or missing the goal, while others may be self-imposed. Natural consequences
might include a fine from the IRS if you’re late filing your income taxes (negative) or losing weight if you
begin an exercise regime (positive). Self-imposed consequences are those that you set as a reward or
“punishment” for achieving or not achieving your goal. Perhaps you will donate a specific amount to a
charity if you fail to meet your goal (a negative consequence for you, though it’s a positive consequence
for the charity) or buy yourself a new sweater (positive) if you walk a mile every day for a week.
What If You “Fail” or Do Not Achieve Your Goal?

What is a failure really? If you do not achieve your goal, but you tried and you learned something
from the experience, then it really isn’t a failure at all. You can choose to regroup and set a new, more
realistic goal. Or, you can decide the goal wasn’t as important as you thought it was at this point in your
life and select another goal to work toward. The only real failure is if you fail to try. As long as you’re
trying and giving it your best shot, you can’t fail. It’s called living and learning!
Be Grateful for the Experience, and Learn from It

Every experience is an opportunity to learn something about yourself. As long as you’re learning, you’re
growing. And as long as you’re growing, you’re living and enjoying life. So, live in the moment and
experience life to its fullest!
Reaching the Goal Isn’t the End

For people like you who are focused on growth and personal development, the achievement of any one
goal—or even a long series of huge goals—is never the end. The process begins all over again. That is
as it should be. If you’re not growing, you’re dying. So keep on growing! Set new and exciting goals for
yourself at every stage of your life, and give yourself something to look forward to as long as you are on
this earth.
Pass It On
Share what you know with someone who is just starting out. Teach someone else how to set and achieve
goals. Invite them to dream, grow and develop themselves! Become a mentor and share your wisdom.
Pass it on.
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in

every opportunity; an optimist sees
the opportunity in every difficulty.”
—Sir Winston Churchill

All Goals Are Not Created Equal
Short-Term Goals
Short-term goals are those that can and should be completed in less than a year. (Although some
sources classify short-term goals as those that should be completed in 30-90 days.) Short-term goals
may be daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly, as an example—goals you want to complete within that
given time frame. The completion of short-term goals should directly relate to the achievement of your
midterm and long-term goals.
The best way to measure the success of short-term goals—and therefore, the best way to quantify
short-term goals—is by output. Output measures what you’ve actually done—what actions you’ve
taken—all things within your control. Completion of your short-term goals indicates you are steadily
working toward your goals.
Examples of short-term goals might include filing for one hour each day until you are caught up or
writing one personal letter each week to a distant relative between now and Christmas.
Midterm Goals
Midterm goals may take you three to five years to realize. (Although some sources classify midterm
goals as those that take one to three years.) Midterm goals will take longer than short-term
goals to achieve, and the completion of short-term goals should contribute to the achievement of
midterm goals.
An example of a midterm goal might be to pay off your car loan within 36 months or to finish your
studies and obtain your associate degree in accounting within two years.
Long-Term Goals
Long-term goals will typically take 10 years or more to realize. (Although some sources list long-
term goals as taking five years.) Long-term goals cannot be completed in a short time. They are the
culmination of the achievement of many smaller goals that lead, step by step, to the completion of the
long-term goal.
Long-term goals are best measured by results. One example might be a writer’s goal to write and
publish a series of romance novels. Smaller, short-term goals will help build up to the achievement of
this goal.
Dream Goals and Reality Goals

In a perfect world, we could cast our responsibilities aside and focus solely on our dreams. In the real
world, it doesn’t work that way. You may want to become a famous composer, but your family could
starve if you quit your day job and retreated to the conservatory for weeks at a time.
While this course has covered goals that help you achieve your dreams for the most part, it is
important to realize that some of your goals need to be firmly based on reality, as you know it today.
They may not be the most fun goals, but through the achievement of these “reality goals,” it becomes
possible to work toward your “dream goals.”
For example, if you are not independently wealthy, you probably need to keep your current job until
your dream life begins to materialize to the point where it may begin to support you and your family
financially. One of your “reality goals” might be to increase your income at your current job from
$20,000 to $25,000 per year by the end of the next calendar year. You might not even really like
that job—working in the mailroom of a large insurance company. If you had your way entirely, you’d
quit that job and focus on composing music. But the fact is, you need the income, and the more, the
better, to enable you to pursue that dream.
In this case, a good rule of thumb is to spend 75 percent of your time focusing on the reality-based
goals that enable you to work toward your dreams, and then spend the remaining 25 percent of your
time focusing on your dream goals.

Balance Your Goals
It’s important to prioritize and balance your dreams and goals. One way is to prioritize your dreams and
goals in the order you wish to achieve them according to which are the most important to you. Another
way is to first group them by the time they will require to complete, then organize them in a logical
order or progression so that they build upon each other, and finally according to personal preferences
and desires.
You may wish to work toward some dreams and goals simultaneously, while others will clearly need to
precede or follow another.
You should have a good balance of short-term, midterm and long-term goals. Be sure you are not trying
to accomplish too much in too short a time (as is often the case if you have too many short-term goals)
or not just procrastinating and essentially avoiding starting work on your goals (as is usually the case if
you have a lot of long-term goals and few short-term goals).
Remember: The Setting and Achievement of Every Goal Should Take You Another Step Closer
to Your Dreams
Every goal you set should advance you—at least in some small way—closer to the realization of your
dreams. That’s what this program—and creating a life plan for yourself—is all about.

Appendix A
Dream Starters or Goal Triggers
✦ How can you improve the quality of your life?
✦ In what areas of your life are you least efficient? Least effective?
✦ What areas of your life bring you joy? Sorrow?
✦ Are you angry about anything? With anyone?
✦ Are you pleased with your physical appearance?
✦ When is the last time you exercised? What did you do?
✦ What kinds of activities do you enjoy doing with family and friends?
✦ How do you spend your solitary time?
✦ When is the last time you had a physical?
✦ What is the name of the last book you read?
✦ How do you spend your Friday nights?
✦ What hobbies do you have? When is the last time you participated in any of them?
✦ Who are your five closest friends?
✦ When is the last time you spent time with them? What did you do?
✦ Where do you want to go that you haven’t gone?
✦ What do you want to see that you haven’t seen?
✦ What do you want to experience that you haven’t experienced?
✦ What do you want to do that you haven’t done?
✦ What do you want to try that you haven’t tried?
✦ How much time do you spend on/with the people in your organization?
✦ Are you more focused on results, people or productivity?
✦ Do you enjoy your job?
✦ List any activities you recently completed for your own self-improvement/personal growth.
✦ How well do you manage your time? At work? At home? Socially?
✦ Do you regularly take time off?
✦ When is the last time you had a vacation? Where did you go?
✦
List everything you’re responsible for—at work, at home, etc. (Include people, processes, results, etc.)
✦ How can you improve your communication skills (speaking, writing and listening)?

✦ How much time do you spend with your family?
✦ Do you really believe quality time is more important than quantity?
✦ How can you become more organized?
✦ When is the last time you made a new friend?
✦ Where did you meet him/her?
✦ What is the name of the last new restaurant you ate at?
✦ Have you visited every one of the 50 states?
✦ Where did you honeymoon?
✦ If you could have any occupation in the world, what would it be and why?
✦ What is the last musical or sporting event you attended?
✦ What is the name of the last class you took? When was that?
✦ How often have you changed jobs in the last 10 years?
✦ How much money do you have in savings/investments?
✦ How much do you weigh?
✦ What is the last new thing you learned?
✦ What is your household net worth?
✦ When is the last time you “played”?
✦ What trade publications do you subscribe to?
✦ What magazines or newspapers do you subscribe to? Do you read them?
✦ What organizations or clubs do you belong to? Why did you join?

Appendix B
Goals Contract
I, ________________________________________ (insert your name), shall:
(outline goal specifics) on or before ______________________________________ (date by which

goal must be completed).
Upon completion of this/these goal(s), I shall:
(outline the reward for achieving this goal; include something that will be a personal motivator for
you).
In the event that I do not complete my goals as outlined by the date set forth, I shall:
(include any negative consequences you wish to include).
Dated: ______________________ ____________________________________

(Signature)
* Please give a copy of this contract to your accountability partner as well as forwarding a copy
to us here at The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan, either by fax (940-497-9799) or by e-mail
(customersupport@jimrohn.com).

Appendix C
Weekly Goal Sheet
My Weekly Goals for the Week Beginning ____________ and Ending _____________
Sunday Monday
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
6. 6.
7. 7.
Tuesday Wednesday
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
6. 6.
7. 7.
Thursday Friday
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
6. 6.
7. 7.
Saturday
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Appendix D
Monthly Goal Sheet
My Goals for the Month of ____________, 2______
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

Appendix E
Other Resources Focusing on Goals, Achievement and Creating
the Life You Want!
✦ Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell
✦ As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
✦
Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical, and
Financial Destiny by Anthony Robbins
✦ Create Your Own Future: How to Master the 12 Critical Factors of Unlimited Success by Brian Tracy
✦ Failing Forward: How to Make the Most of Your Mistakes by John C. Maxwell
✦ Goals: Setting and Achieving Them on Schedule by Zig Ziglar
✦ How to Be a Winner by Zig Ziglar
✦ How to Get What You Really, Really, Really, Really Want by Deepak Chopra and Dr. Wayne Dyer
✦ How to Get What You Want by Zig Ziglar
✦ Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard
✦ Pulling Your Own Strings by Dr. Wayne Dyer
✦ Real Magic by Dr. Wayne Dyer
✦ The Challenge to Succeed by Jim Rohn
✦ The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
✦ The Science of Getting Rich or Financial Success Through Creative Thought by Wallace D. Wattles
✦ The Science of Personal Achievement by Napoleon Hill
✦ Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
✦ Your Erroneous Zones by Dr. Wayne Dyer

Making a Dream into Reality
(This worksheet may be photocopied as desired.)
Look back at the dreams you detailed in earlier exercises and select one that is particularly important
to you. Ideally, you should start with a dream you can reasonably hope to realize in one year or less.
Seeing results quickly will encourage you to keep going and setting goals to make your bigger dreams
into reality, too!
Write out your dream here:
Why is this dream important to you?

Visualize yourself living this dream. Identify the pros and cons of realizing this dream.
Pros Cons
Can you tweak any of the cons/negatives to make this dream more attractive? Can you modify it in any
way to be more ideally suited to you?

How badly do you want to see this dream become reality in your life?
On a scale of one to 10, how hard are you willing to work to achieve this dream? (One being “Just
forget about it. I guess I don’t really want it if I have to work for it.” And 10 being “I’ll do absolutely
whatever it takes to achieve this!”) ___________
How can you realize this dream? Identify the goals that, when accomplished, will lead you to the
realization of this dream. (You may wish to refer to the earlier exercises you completed relating to this
dream or the goals brainstorming exercise.) Put each of these goals in writing. List your goals on the
numbered lines on the following pages. (Use additional paper if you identify more than 10 goals.) Use
positive language and make sure they meet the SMART FOR ME criteria.

GOALS TO HELP BRING ME CLOSER TO THIS DREAM
1.
Action Steps: 1a.
1b.
1c.
1d.
1e.
1f.
1g.
1h.
1i.
2.
Action Steps: 2a.
2b.
2c.
2d.
2e.
2f.
2g.
2h.
2i.

3.
Action Steps: 3a.
3b.
3c.
3d.
3e.
3f.
3g.
3h.
3i.
4.
Action Steps: 4a.
4b.
4c.
4d.
4e.
4f.
4g.
4h.
4i.

5.
Action Steps: 5a.
5b.
5c.
5d.
5e.
5f.
5g.
5h.
5i.
6.
Action Steps: 6a.
6b.
6c.
6d.
6e.
6f.
6g.
6h.
6i.

7.
Action Steps: 7a.
7b.
7c.
7d.
7e.
7f.
7g.
7h.
7i.
8.
Action Steps: 8a.
8b.
8c.
8d.
8e.
8f.
8g.
8h.
8i.

9.
Action Steps: 9a.
9b.
9c.
9d.
9e.
9f.
9g.
9h.
9i.
10.
Action Steps: 10a.
10b.
10c.
10d.
10e.
10f.
10g.
10h.
10i.
What action steps will you need to complete to achieve each goal? (List all the steps you can think
of—large and small—under each goal.)
Can any of the goals/action steps be completed simultaneously, or must they be completed in a
particular sequence?

Do you have the skills, talents, resources and-or knowledge to complete the goals identified? If not,
be sure that developing the skills, finding the resources or obtaining that knowledge is included in your
action steps.
How will you personally benefit from accomplishing these goals?
What strengths do you possess that will contribute to your ability to achieve these goals and realize
this dream?
What weaknesses will you need to compensate for to achieve these goals?
Who can help you achieve these goals? (And how?)

Identify any known or potential obstacles (internal or external) that could interfere with your achieving
these goals.
How will you deal with them? (Identify possible solutions now so that detours on your journey don’t
totally throw you off course. Sooner or later, you will encounter obstacles.)
Reevaluate the target dates for each of your goals. Working backward from the date you want to
complete the goal, pencil in checkpoint dates, dates by which you will need to complete each action step
in order to meet the target date for the goal, in the right-hand margin next to each step. Build in a little
flexibility in case one of your action steps takes longer than you anticipated to complete, but don’t allow
too much flexibility, or you won’t have the sense of urgency required to complete the task.
What will be your reward for achieving each goal? (Schedule interim rewards for each goal
accomplished—don’t make yourself wait until they’re all completed for reinforcement!)

Will there be any negative consequences (either natural or self-imposed) if you do not reach these
goals? Elaborate.
How will you motivate yourself to take the action steps necessary when your enthusiasm wanes?
How will you hold yourself accountable for completing your goals?

How will the achievement of these particular goals contribute to fulfilling your life purpose/your
mission statement?
Do these goals correspond to your values and priorities (as identified in an earlier exercise)? Why or
why not?
Identify the first date you will review your progress toward these goals:
_____________________ (Don’t forget to mark it on your calendar!)
You may wish to log your progress and journal about your checkpoints below:


Goal-Setting: Jim Rohn's Second Pillar of Success: Part Four

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Goal-Setting

Have a great week!

“When Andrew Carnegie died, they discovered a

178 One-Year Success Plan © 2010 Jim Rohn International

© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 179

2. Be ruthlessly honest with

3. If you fall short of your goal,

4. Set a time frame in which you

The second aspect of

180 One-Year Success Plan © 2010 Jim Rohn International

2. Tell them specifically what your goals are.

Until next week, let’s do something remarkable!

“If you want to reach a goal, you must

© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 181

Here is a recap of the material on CD Six from The Jim Rohn

Words almost have the power of God.

God’s words create life—human words come close.

Words can give the light of sight and insight.

Words help people “see.”

Four steps to achieve good communication:

✦ Keep a keen interest in people.

✦ Repeat it until you can say it well.

4. Be intense. Use the power of your emotion.

✦ Use enough emotion to fit the situation.

The Four “Ifs”:

Additional Thoughts from Chris on CD Six:

© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 183

See you next week,

“Goals are incredibly important...

184 One-Year Success Plan © 2010 Jim Rohn International

© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 185

186 One-Year Success Plan © 2010 Jim Rohn International

© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 187

Study Other Successful Goal Achievers

188 One-Year Success Plan © 2010 Jim Rohn International

Enlist the Help of an Accountability Partner

© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 189

190 One-Year Success Plan © 2010 Jim Rohn International

Weekly or Monthly Goal Sheets

Master Goal List or Lifetime Goals

“You got to be careful if you don’t

© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 191

Dreams and Goals Evolve and Change

Set Goals for Yourself; Measure Them Against Yourself

All Goals Have Consequences

192 One-Year Success Plan © 2010 Jim Rohn International

What If You “Fail” or Do Not Achieve Your Goal?

Be Grateful for the Experience, and Learn from It

Reaching the Goal Isn’t the End

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in

© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 193

Dream Goals and Reality Goals

194 One-Year Success Plan © 2010 Jim Rohn International

© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 195

✦ What areas of your life bring you joy? Sorrow?

✦ Are you angry about anything? With anyone?

✦ Are you pleased with your physical appearance?

✦ How do you spend your solitary time?

✦ When is the last time you had a physical?

✦ What is the name of the last book you read?

✦ How do you spend your Friday nights?

✦ Who are your five closest friends?

✦ Where do you want to go that you haven’t gone?

2. Tell them specifically what your goals are.

Dated: ______________