What is Prosperity? Our trusted guide Webster gives us the following guidance as a starting point: Pros*per"i*ty, n. [F. prospérité, L. prosperitas. See Prosperous.] The state of being prosperous; advance or gain in anything good or desirable; successful progress in any business or enterprise; attainment of the object desired; good fortune; success; as, commercial prosperity; national prosperity. Prosperities can only be enjoyed by them who fear not at all to lose them. Jer. Taylor. Syn. -- Fortunate; successful; flourishing; thriving; favorable; auspicious; lucky. S.M.A.R.T. Goals Smart Goals Checklist There are numerous ways the acronym S.M.A.R.T. is used when referring to goal setting. While the S for Specific and M for Measurable is always used, the other letters are interchangeable. The A can be used for Attainable, Action-oriented, or Accountable. The R can stand for Realistic or Relevant. T usually means Timely or Timebound, however it can mean Tangible. S Are they Specific? A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions: *Who: Who is involved? *What: What do I want to accomplish? *Where: Identify a location. *When: Establish a time frame. *Which: Identify requirements and constraints. *Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal. EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, "Get in shape." But a specific goal would say, "Join a health club and workout 3 days a week." M Are they Measurable? Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as......How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished? A Are they Attainable? When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals. You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them. R Are they Realistic? To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal. T Are the Tangible? A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible, or when you tie a tangible goal to an intangible goal, you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable. Intangible goals are your goals for the internal changes required to reach more tangible goals. They are the personality characteristics and the behavior patterns you must develop to pave the way to success in your career or for reaching some other long-term goal. Since intangible goals are vital for improving your effectiveness, give close attention to tangible ways for measuring them. Keep It Simple The focus of this discussion is the attraction, creation and enjoyment of our divine inheritance of prosperity and abundance. Let's start with the concept and meaning of the word "simple". Our faithful guide, Webster, defines the meaning of the word simple as "free from complexity, not complicated, not elaborate, not hard to understand". It seems like he is telling us everything that simple is not. But as we go further, we can see that simple also means "elementary, absolute, straightforward, natural”. We can also note that simple is not defined as "easy" and sometimes we may confuse the two words. For example, the idea of the practice of meditation sounds simple enough. Relax, clear your mind and perhaps focus your thoughts on one idea or intention or on your breathing. Simple concept, not so easy in actual practice for the beginner. Throughout my career as a business consultant and coach, clients and friends would say "I just want my life to be simple" or "I'm simplifying my life now." I often admired people when they spoke those words and I would feel inspired to a less complicated way of thinking and living...a simpler way. In fact, my soul yearned for simplicity. If we desire to do so, what can we do to make our careers, relationships and life more simple? Anytime I am move into the mode of simplifying my life, I start by listing my priorities. My priorities tend to be straightforward and absolute. Getting one's priorities clear can create the simple framework for attracting and enjoying abundance in the areas of life that matter the most to you. What does simple mean for you? Have you ever yearned for simplicity in your life? How do your priorities factor into this idea? Start your own list of simple priorities - now! A Lesson from "Star Wars" "Do or do not, there is no try" - This famous quote from Yoda in "Star Wars", The Empire Strikes Back" is the classic lesson that our efforts are of no consequence as long as we continue to struggle.