The effectiveness of goal setting has been criticized recently but many still believe that goals create achievers. They give direction and focus to the frenetic who might otherwise waste their time in pointless activity. They help the over busy to focus on their priorities rather than the next urgent problem that arises.

On the other hand, goals can create energy amongst those who love to plan what they will do but never follow through. As they begin to visualize their goals vividly, the energy will start to flow in.

If you have energy but no goals, sit down long enough to write down some possible goals and the steps to achieve them.

Jim Rohn teaches that we should never begin a day until we have 'finished it on paper'.

If you have goals but no energy take one first step towards your goal and you will start to feel energy. As you press on other people and even events will help you.

Get excited about a goal or, at least, pretend to be excited and energy will follow. One way to get excited is to vividly visualize the accomplishment of your goal and the benefits that will follow. See yourself achieving your goal now.

There are several helpful acronyms about goal setting. One I created is the acronym DAWNING. If you start to achieve your goals, you will see the dawning of a new day and a new year.

The words that create the DAWNING acronym are as follows:

Detailed - Make your goals detailed e.g. I will make an extra 1000 or $2000.

Achievable - If you don't believe you can achieve your goals, you are unlikely to achieve them. If necessary, set an easier and smaller goal e.g. I will make 100. Enlarge it later.

Win Win - Make sure that your goal is not achieved at the expense of some one else. If you are selling something, make sure it has real value. Try to over deliver.

Now - State your goal in the present tense: "I now have 1000 or $2000 in my account." When you imagine a goal as if you have achieved it already, it becomes more compelling.

In The Future - Even though you are imagining that you have achieved your goal already, you still, strangely enough, have to set a date for its actual achievement. The subconscious mind pulls you toward a deadline. You could say: "I will have an extra 100 or $50 by the end of this month." Write down what you have to do each day to reach your deadline and take action to do it.

No Negatives - The subconscious mind ignores negatives and focuses on whatever the negative is about. If you say: 'I do not want to have a debt of 1000', your mind will latch on to the idea of debt and will bring you into debt.

Goal Achieved - Focus on the moment when your goal will have been achieved e.g. when you receive news on paper or online that the 1000 or $2000 is now in your account. Imagine how you feel and what you see as vividly as you can. If you have felt you were a loser in the past, change your self image and start seeing yourself as a winner.

There is only one way to find out whether goal setting is effective. Give it a try and see what happens.

John Watson

John Watson was born in Shanghai at the start of World War II on Dec 31st 1939

His father, a British civil engineer, was given the choice of working in the mines of Northern China for the occupying forces or going to a concentration camp. He refused to work for the invading forces.

As a result the whole family were imprisoned in a concentration camp in the middle of China in 1942. Eric Liddell (featured in the Chariots of Fire) the Scottish runner and missionary was imprisoned in the same camp.

In 1945 the family was rescued by American troops who were parachuted in. John's most treasured possession from this time is a plane made of bullets given him by one of the US soldiers. The tail parts have been lost but most of it remains. He also remembers being given a bottle of coca cola by one of the US troops and has been an addict ever since!

They moved to England and then, when John's father died, to the Isle of Man.

John went to school in the Isle of Man and then taught Physical Education at a prep school in Hertfordshire. Around this time he had three mystical experiences of contact with God.

He then studied English Literature at Cambridge University and later became an English teacher in South East London but, after 5 years, he did a diploma in Religious Studies and began teaching about religion full time.

After 33 years teaching in three London Comprehensive schools, John retired from teaching. He received several awards and commendations for teaching both religious studies and the martial arts. He still teaches martial arts after beginning training in karate at the age of 37. The style he now teaches is Choikwangdo, a brilliant self-defence and health oriented style founded by Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi in 1987.

In his retirement he began studying internet marketing and continued his study of the psychology of achievement and self development. This has always been a key interest.

John plans on writing reports and books on both teaching and on achievement in general. He feels that many schools let their students down by not teaching enough about how to study (by using mind maps for example) and about how to set goals and how to start saving money for their early retirement!

John's main aim is to make the most of his own potential and to help others make the most of their's. He also wishes to pass on whatever he knows of the meaning of life and to discover more and share more about the truths behind the universe.