Today's TQ

Daily Lessons in Intentional Excellence
Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Do Your Goals Really Exist?

Make your goals real by writing them down. An unwritten goal is a goal that doesn't exist.

Put your goals in writing. Today!

Today's TQ Challenge: Pick up Pen -- Write Out Details.

Choose to be EXPLICIT! In what special place do you keep all your written goals?
Choose to be FOCUSED! Have you reviewed your written goals recently?
Choose to be DETAILED! What area of your life is in need of a written goal today?

Writing down exactly what you want, and by when, is the first step to success. If you won't commit to writing them down, you'll never do what it takes to reach your goals. Writing your goals in exquisite detail helps define them in your mind -- and provides the exact specifications for what you want to accomplish. The more desirable qualities you add to the goal, the greater will be your satisfaction when you attain it. Be sure to write SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Tangible -- and don't forget a target date. (Because the difference between a dream and a goal is a date!)

"Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend." ~ Laertius Diogenes

Think about it. How well and how often do you actually DO Set Goals Factor 4E?

"I write down all my goals in specific, measurable detail with declared target dates."

A high commitment (4E rated 8 or better) suggests you can define exactly what you want, and know when to expect it. This is evidenced by the fact that you continuously write down your goals and enter specific deadlines into your calendar. By identifying what you want -- in precise, written detail -- you're halfway to completing the plans needed to achieve them. This combination of written goals and written plans dramatically increases your probability of success.

On the other hand...

A lack of commitment suggests you need to take more time to better define your goals -- and pencil them into your calendar. Lacking the commitment to be more precise, your goals are really nothing more than ambiguous possibilities. With no specific targets in sight, it's impossible to determine what you need to do next. When you fail to commit to a deadline in your calendar, some goals inevitably get cast aside for other things. And given that life in general -- and everyone you work with in particular -- always has some kind of time-critical deadlines, your "non-urgent," "non-defined" goals tend to get pushed off your schedule forever.

What happens when you CHOOSE to do Factor 4E a bit more frequently?

You have clear, specific targets to work towards with rock-solid milestones guiding the way. You accumulate performance positives like "Explicit, Focused and Practical" -- immediately moving you towards the results you expect.

What happens when you FAIL to consistently do Factor 4E?

There is no way you can achieve your goals if they are not clear. Negatives like "Vague, Uncertain and Uncommitted" start to take their toll on your performance -- quickly moving you away from the success you want.

Now Ask Yourself This...
Is Factor 4E Causing You Problems?

If you believe this factor is a key performance obstacle -- and that it's preventing you from realizing your personal dreams and goals -- then you need to improve it.

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This PDA version of Today's TQ is provided by ThinkTQ.com, the leader in personal perfomance and intentional excellence.