As most of you will recall, awhile ago I started the Simply Successful Secrets interactive research project.
I am proud to say that the project is still going strong and I haven’t tallied up the responses yet because so many people are still participating.
Also, my buddy Alex Shalman has put together a wonderful addendum to this project called Gotta Get Goals, and I am very happy to help Alex get his version of this idea off the ground.
As with the Simply Successful Secrets project, Alex’s version is truly going to help people by causing them to take a moment and actually write out the details of what makes them tick.
This has proven to be an invaluable effort that Simply Successful Secrets participants have made, and when it comes to the subject of Alex’s version – Goal Setting – I see a huge similar benefit for the people who participate.
Alex, is the model of “giving back” as you can see from his many posts, not the least of which being his awesome Donation Contest.
So, without any further rambling from me, let’s get this party started!

In a new post, write about the top 5 to 10 goals that you “gotta get” so that you can truly say you have achieved your wildest dreams in life. These have to be your best, most exclusive, and over-the-top goals.
Put a link and/or a trackback to Alex’s original post so he can track the project, and also so he can put up a link to your website after the project has run its course.
Tag as many people as you like, and be sure to put a link in your own post back to the site of the person who tagged you.
These “memes” are not about utilizing your valuable time, but rather about interacting with, learning from, and supporting each other. Spread the link love and the love will come right back to you! 
That’s it, that’s all. Easy and fun to do, and also beneficial to you, as well as to all who read your list.
On that note, here is MY list, and you will see from reading it that I aim for the stars because I know that I can reach them. I encourage every single one of you to do the same!!
1) Build my business ventures so that they bring in $50,000 per month in residual income.
Why $50,000, you ask? Isn’t that a bit greedy? Hardly.
That money will be used to pay healthy salaries to employees, to sock away enough cash for all of my family members to live comfortably forever, and for me to travel the world helping my friends and family members, as well as spending quality time with them on a VERY regular basis. Come to think of it, I might need more than $50,000 each month…
2) Travel frequently to visit the aforementioned friends and family, and have complete time and financial freedom during those visits.
I have lived in many places, and I have been an Internet junkie since the get-go. I know and care deeply for people all over the U.S. and my goal is to be able to visit them often, and stay for long periods of time.
3) To maintain a high level of health, and to live for a very long time.
Anyone who knows me well also knows that I like to party and have a good time. However, most people will also attest to the fact that when the party is over, my body goes looking for a salad and some exercise.
I enjoy physical fitness so that I can also enjoy bouts of not worrying about every single calorie that I ingest. Everything in moderation!
4) Travel just for the sake of travel.
I love being on the open road, and it is a rare occasion when I will turn down a road trip.
Whether you are talking about the sands of Key West, the Na Pali Coast (thanks Michelle for the picture and the memories), or just kicking around whatever town I happen to be in, I am all about exploring the world.
Europe, Africa, Australia, Alaska – yup, they are all on the list, and many more!
5) The beach, Bitterman! You know how much I LOVE the beach!
(Sorry, Arthur reference)
My daily visualizations include me standing on the back deck of the house that I own in St. Augustine, FL. I only live about 45 minutes north of there right now, so that journey is already well underway!
6) A beautiful house in the mountains.
The only thing that trips my homesteader trigger as much as having a house on the beach is having a house in the mountains.
I love to hike and would like to learn to ski sometime, and I also FULLY appreciate the majesty and the timelessness of mountain and hill country.
The ideal spot will include a huge back deck that looks down into a lush, green valley, beyond which mountain peaks can be seen for miles. The Pacific Northwest is the likely geography, probably north of Seattle, WA.
Well, I think that about covers it!
I did not include things like successful relationships because I feel that I create those from moment to moment. I am already married and I have a great family and a lot of wonderful friends. The “people factor” in my goals is to just keep what I already have, and to meet new people as well.
I also did not include the cars and other mechanical or technical toys that I want because although I enjoy those things, they are secondary to things like seeing the world, having nice homes, and spending time with the people that I care about.
Alex has already tagged a lot of the people that I want to hear from, but here is an addendum to his original list:
Chris Garrett – Chris Garrett on New Media
Drew McLellan – Drew’s Marketing Minute
Kathy Mallary – The Inspired Market-her’s Blog
Kelly – A Yoga Coffee Outlook
Grigor – Behind the Glasses
Christine Kane – Christine Kane Blog
Shauna and Ophelia – Breathing Prosperity
Liz Strauss – Successful Blog
Gayla McChord – MomGadget
Johan Holmberg – The Probabilist
Antonio Thornton – ThinkBanc
Don’t forget! Everyone has goals, so tag to your little heart’s content! Maybe if we can find out what is making us humans “tick,” we can also start creating a world where those things are available in abundance!
p.s. – This is a chance to write
in stone (aka – on the Internet) what you are planning to accomplish in your life. If you can’t even take the time to write it down, what makes you think you will take the time to actually do it?
Love the list Aaron, your all about RELAXING and living a stress free life. Good for you!
Thanks for the inspiration and participation buddy.
You are most welcome, Alex, and you are right – my goals ARE to relax and enjoy.
Of course, I have to work my butt off to get to that point first…
;)Great post Aaron. And a great list of goals. I’m right there with you on a couple of them as you’ll see when I get mine posted.
I may want to pick your brain about Kauai and the Na pali coast. My wife and I will be over there in May for our anniversary!
Can you say, “Ahhh?”
Edward,
I would take this opportunity to be jealous if it wasn’t such a negative emotion!
;)4 things I remember most about our trip:1) Feeding Cheez-Wiz to fish while snorkling. Probably not very healthy, but how often do you get to hand-feed a fish??
2) Go hiking! We literally had to band together with other hikers to find a way across a treacherous set of rapids, and we found a peaceful and secluded beach on the other side.
3) When you see the falls that were filmed for the opening to Fantasy Island, leave the lookout area and hike through the woods to the bottom. It’s worth the time!
4) Don’t go there expecting to be in a hurry. I promise you that no one else will be!
Hi Aaron,
thanks for tagging me.
We might have some similar goals, except that one about traveling. I like to be “there”, but I usually don’t like getting “there”.
;)Hi Aaron! Alex tagged me for this and I made my post this morning – Gotta Get Goals
I should have checked here first – it looks like we both tagged Gayla. She won’t mind though.
Thanks to you and Alex for getting us dreaming and setting goals!
Grigor,
You are most welcome!
As far as the traveling, I’d guess that it has something to do with my upbringing. I almost never traveled or moved as a child, and when I first left home it was to join the Army.
I’ve been on the road and enjoying the journey ever since, but the being there part totally rocks, too!
:)Char,
Thank YOU so much for participating! I continue to be happily amazed at how many people are opening up their hearts and their minds and putting down “on paper” what they want and how they plan to get it.
It’s great stuff, and I’m so glad that you are a part of it!
As far as double-tagging Gayla, I’m sure she’ll realize that it’s just because so many people care about what happens on the other side of the screen with her!
;)Triple Tag? Dang the pressure is on!
:)Good thing I have a couple of hours to sink my teeth into this one tonight.
I’ll be posting my goals first thing tomorrow.
Thanks for the tag Aaron!
And to think, when I was in school I was always the last one picked to the tag teams
:DHA! I’m with you, Gayla! The only sport I liked in school was dodge ball, and even though I couldn’t throw very well back then, I could DODGE better than everyone else.
;)Looking forward to reading about the goals of someone who already has her fingers in so many pies!
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I appreciate you letting us know about the linking strategy over at Church of Jacin.
I have personally decided not to participate in the blogging review concept that many people are using, but that is just my choice.
The concept does hold merit, so I encourage anyone else who is reading this to click on through and decide for yourself if that idea holds water with you.