1. Find your DESIRE to achieve the goal. The desire must be intense. How do you intensify desire? Sit down and write out all the benefits and advantages of achieving your goal.
2. WRITE your goal down. Once it goes into writing it becomes alive and starts to affect your subconscious.
3. DEADLINE. Figure out where you are now in relation to the goal and then calculate how long you will need to complete the goal in a fair and reasonable time.
4. IDENTIFY 1) the obstacles you will need to overcome, 2) the help you will need to reach your goal. Write it all down.
5. Take all the details of steps 3 and 4 and make a PLAN. List all the pieces and put them in order. Review and revise as needed.
6. Visualize your goal clearly. Picture it completed. Imagine it all day long and dream it.
7. Be focused. Be persistant. Don't give up when obstacles seemingly get in the way. Use the obstacles as learning tools.
Let's take a bit closer look: Wow -- Reasons for a goal? Yep ... many, many reasons. Those reasons can even be broken down into smaller chunks. Think about your goal. Think about the reasons. WHY do you WANT this so badly? WHO will benefit? HOW will you get there? WHEN do you want to be there? WHERE can you get what you need to achieve this goal? The 5 "W's" ... and an "H".
The list above is a general list for *any* goal-setting. Personalize this to your equestrian activities. While you're at it, don't forget to think on the horse's level. Is your horse really READY for this goal? If not, how are you going to get about getting him to be ready? Each goal has to be chunked down into "mini-goals" ... each with its own structure. Let's view an example:
GOAL: I want my horse to walk on a trailer all by himself.
