Setting personal goals

@savak03 (6684)
United States
June 3, 2009 1:32pm CST
Well here we are, day three of a new month. As last month came to a close I decided that I needed to change my strategy if I wanted to be more active here and of course make more money. Lately, my participation has been kind of hit or miss and it shows in my stats. Let me also just say to all my friends I am so sorry I haven't been to more of your discussions. Lately, the requirements of the job that pays the bills has taken all my time and more importantly my energy. Anyway, back to the subject of today's discussion. I had decided that I would try something new. Up till now I have been spending the bulk of my time available for being on the lot with replying to others discussions and occasionally starting a few of my own. I would go on for weeks without starting anything new then I would start two or three in one day. So I thought that this month I would start one new discussion each day. I felt sure I would be able to come up with one original thought per day but alas it was not to be so. So, here we are on day three and this is my first discussion this month. When you set personal goals do you have trouble getting started?
5 people like this
15 responses
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
4 Jun 09
I've been here long enough to have an idea of what I need to do to reach minimum payout. I usually reach it within the first 14 days of the month and then I back off a little on my activity and relax more. Earning is NOT my motivating factor, but I do like to at least ensure I reach the payout. One thing's for sure and that is that I will struggle to reach payout this quickly if I don't start discussions. I don't need to start many mind you, but at least one every few days in the first couple of weeks of the month and I have a better than average chance of succeeding. This approach suits me just fine too, because I also have a full time job that can get very hardcore. It's not the number of discussions either, it's the quality and participation in each that counts. I remember reading comments by a user here that said they made around 80c a day by starting 8 - 10 discussions every day. The thing is though, they rarely participated in ANY of those discussions! If I'm able to start a quality discussion with good interaction every 2 days, I'll earn a similar amount. Once again, it's quality, not quantity that makes all the difference! I do obviously make responses to other discussions in parallel, but not as many as some people might think. Maybe 10 a day on average? And no, I'm fortunate to be quite disciplined when it comes to setting personal goals and meeting them. The key is to challenge yourself, but not too much! Embrace the feelings of accomplishment when you reach each goal and use the buzz to inspire you with the next one. Success attracts success, even if these successes are only minor.
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@James72 (26790)
• Australia
4 Jun 09
I'm happy to see that you managed to get something positive out of what I've shared. Thanks for the BR too! I get annoyed with the numbers game players too because not only are they wasting their time, they're not embracing the true spirit of this site either. From my experience, less is definitely more on here when it comes to the number of discussions to be starting on a regular basis!
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
4 Jun 09
Heck there's a lot of great advice there James! So true about it not being necessary to start all those so-called discussions that some users churn out. Hope many will stop off and read what you say there!
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@savak03 (6684)
• United States
4 Jun 09
That is a lot of good advice James. And like you said I noticed that I earned far more on the days I started a good discussion and followed up with all the great responses I got. It was very gratifying to see the next day how much I had earned for my participation. MysD, like you I have noticed those who seem to start about twenty new discussions every day and then just leave them out there for the rest of us to chew on. In fact it has become a pet peeve of mine. I figure if I have something to say then I should stay with it while others are commenting. If it was important enough for me to start it should be important enough for me to follow up on.
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@royal52gens (5488)
• United States
4 Jun 09
I did a personal goal setting project for one of my college classes. When setting goals, make a rough draft. Write it down. Post it where you see it every day. Then refine it. Then refine it again. Decide what you want to do. Then plan out the steps you need to take in order to achieve the goal. As you work towards the goal, you made need to add steps or change things. Also, set a time line. When do you want to have certain steps completed? This will help you to see if you are progressing or not.
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@savak03 (6684)
• United States
4 Jun 09
A very logical approach to the topic of goal setting, and one that I use when making life changing goals. But for little things I may just say I'm going to do this or that and maybe it works or maybe it doesn't. Personally I find setting goals to strive for the best way to guarantee that I keep moving in my life. Sometimes it is hard to do that, keep moving I mean, so that is when working on a goal comes in handy.
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@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
3 Jun 09
Oh so you're going to be here again - great! There is so much to catch up on since youlast updated things. I don't set any goals at all. Icome here in the morning at breakfast time and just go where my fancy takes me and just wander on from there. I sort of half promised myself that Imust reach payout by midmonth and that has happened every month this year so far but I have no particular ways of doing it. I just ramble on and on wherever it happens. I don't start many discussions eaither, not even one a week but the older ones seem never to go out of dated and keep getting responses so I have lots to comment on there every day too. It's good to see you back savak - I miss your flag!
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
4 Jun 09
I never got a notifer for that! I saw you somewhere and did comment to you but not on a discussion of yours if I remember right. I have had an erratic offline working schedfule this last two weeks and have not managed to keep up with everything so that probably accounts for why I didn't see you elsewhere too. I come on at breakfast time because that't me 'me' time then the other things take over. I willmake a point of finding you now I know you're back though and I hope you soon recover. It's so unfair that with the warmer weather the bugs come too!
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
4 Jun 09
If you go looking for it you will find it in the driving category. I think it went pretty well. A lot of people joined in on it.
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@savak03 (6684)
• United States
3 Jun 09
I've actually been here a little almost every day last month. In fact I had one pretty good discussion going last week. It got up to three pages long which is a record for me. Funny though none of my old friends stopped by. I was kinda worried I had made you all mad. If I started out at breakfast on mylot I wouldn't get anything else done. So most of the time I try to get on here a little each evening. Unfortunately by then I am so tired I go to sleep mid sentence. This week I came down with a cold/flu/virus or something. I've been so sick I couldn't even hold my head up. In fact the whole family has been down with it. I hope it is not some kind of miasma that came with the house.
1 person likes this
@rosekiss (30380)
• Eugene, Oregon
3 Jun 09
My goal is to get the $10.00 payout that I never got in may. I am so close that by the time I get it, I will be way over, but that is a good thing. I will just have to work harder after that to get the next one within a month. That is my main goal. I had never set a goal until yesterday, and I decided that I wanted to see how long it will take me to get it, and I should have it by this weekend, yea lol. I have no referrals nor do I do tasks, so it does take me longer than others that do tasks or have referrals. AT least I can see light at the end of the tunnel now. Well, good luck to you and happy mylotting.
1 person likes this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
3 Jun 09
Oh well, it's been three months since I made payout. I bet I make it this month though for sure. I only have a little over a dollar to go. Actually I am not really worried about the money as much as I am keeping up with all the friends I've made all over the world on here.
1 person likes this
@amber89 (50)
• China
4 Jun 09
no specific goal for me.but you have a goal,which is also a good thing. I just reply or start a discussion when it really attract me,or i dont know what to say.in fact i love the anime,but the anime sector is always lack of people.
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
4 Jun 09
Some of the categories here don't seem to have much of a following. Maybe if you started some good discussions in it you would generate some more interest in that category.
• China
6 Jun 09
thx for ur advising. i think that some people there are base,many categories really need popularity.do u know some catogeries hot?
@getitok (278)
• China
16 Jun 09
After setting my personal goal, I think there's no trouble for me to get started. but there's trouble to achieve them. Sometimes, I fail because my goal is not attainable, and sometimes, it is because the environment detracts me from my goal. I haven't set any goals about post how many on mylot yet, because I am not sure I can achieve my goal.
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
1 Jul 09
A good rule is to start with small reachable goals. As you find yourself reaching these it will inspire you to set other goals and work toward them as well. Before you know it you will be a master at reaching the goals you set.
@getitok (278)
• China
2 Jul 09
Also there is a saying: Not failure, but low aim is crime. So if we just set easy goals, it will be trivial. I really have problem in doing this.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
4 Jun 09
I always set myself personal goals and I try to get started on them as soon a spossible. I do have a hard time sticking with them sometimes though because I get really tired quickly.
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
4 Jun 09
Amen to getting tired. Since I came down with this cold I'm having a hard time motivating myself to getting out of bed. I'm getting so behind in my work I'm not sure I'll get caught up this week.
• United States
4 Jun 09
I always have problems when I set goals for MyLot. I always would set myself to spend so much time on MyLot each day, starting discussions and responding to them from e-mail. Not only did I have the writer's block problem you're having, but I would get called away from the computer for so many things it was hard to keep a continuous though train. I should be able to do more in the way of planning some personal goals and actually sticking to them, now that I have finally moved into my own place. I won't have others that are demanding my time, and I can handle the kids demands on a schedule that I set. But I am a flighty person at times so, we'll see.
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
4 Jun 09
Flighty. I like that word. I think that is a good description for me as well. I will start out on a project with all due seriousness but if it is a long task I will get distracted and find I have left it unfinished. What I need is someone to come behind me and finish all the great ideas I have had.
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
4 Jun 09
I just have to go with what I feel like at the time. Some days I am chatty and will just start and respond all day long. Other days... dont have much to say or have to many other things to do. Other days...I have lots of questions I need help with so I just ask...that is why I enjoy Mylot so much---it accomodates all my "days" and needs without having to stress over it or schedule it or things like that. A goal with Mylot... I think if I did that specifically, I wouldn't be here much cause I'd not enjoy "having" to do it. Knowing I can do it anytime I want to...just works out so much better for me.
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
4 Jun 09
Yes I like that too. It is nice to have something we can do just because we want to and not because someone is telling us we must.
1 person likes this
@littleowl (7157)
23 Sep 09
Hi savak, setting golas for me is absolutely hopeless! never have I acheived the goals that I said I would, once or twice I have actually got half way there and was quite chuffed with myself for doing that...perhaps I should keep on trying to make goals and hope that they do get finished or carry on...LoLo
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
23 Sep 09
I too, have problems in following through on the goals I set for myself but I keep trying anyway. I feel that even if I don't actually reach my goal I still get more accomplished because I have set one and have worked toward it. I intend to keep trying and maybe one day I can say I did it.
• Philippines
7 Jul 09
That's just the problem with me, the "getting started" part, online or offline! And regarding mylot, the only goal i have is to respond to a friend's discussion in a day and to have a really personal relationship here, not just "i respond to yours you respond to mine" but a deeper friendship to last a lifetime. But we both know what happened, i got hooked responding to others' discussions and i forgot to comment on my friends' responses to mine! So to prevent that from ever happening again, i'll make it my goal to comment on every response that comes my way (that is, if i ever have the guts to start another discussion again) and request for more friends thus making my mylot share of fun and friends wider and bigger!
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
8 Jul 09
You definitely have the right idea. If everyone thought the way you and I do this would be the greatest site ever.
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
4 Jun 09
YEs, Yes I do. It seems that Unless I know exactly what I have to do, by when. I will start it exactly with enough time to get it done. I do find that if I have a handy check list ready it helps a lot. You might want to consider making a success chart. It is simple really, I use one for my network marketing business. I have a template from Art Jonak. But I will describe it. I have things that I must do each day. So I have a list of what those are on the page, then I have a Graph, that looks like
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
4 Jun 09
I'm a great one for making lists. In the work that I do I have different stores to visit any given day. I have made myself a chart that has many columns for keeping track of these clients, when they are assigned when they are do when I am paid for them and so forth. Then I spin off smaller lists of day by day jobs that need to be completed that day and cross them off as they get done. It may sound like a complicated system but it works for me. Of course it took me several months to refine it so it would.
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@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
4 Jun 09
Testing and tweaking, the two most important things in every system.
@khayshenz (1384)
• United States
6 Jun 09
I'm fairly new - and fairly addicted. However - I have this being-picky problem so sometimes i spend a good chunk of time looking for good discussions to leave a comment on. I think my problem with setting personal goals (mylot goals or otherwise) is that I set the bar too high- then fail. Then feel like crap when I fail. But I still try - and keep on trying. Back when I had less than 100 post - I had a 10-post-per-day goal. I didn't meet it. It took me a good month to post more than 100. Now - my goal is to get on here for a good hour in the morning (it actually gets my brain going) - and leave some pics, comments, and maybe start discussions if I can. Anything that I can squeeze before my real job. Then after work - it's optional. It's a good bonus when i come on here at night and stay for an hour or so. Good luck!
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
6 Jun 09
Setting the bar too high can set you up for failure, and you're right that makes you feel like you can't succeed. However if you break down those large goals into segments that you can reach in a reasonable time it would give you more of an incentive to keep trying. It sounds like you have your mylot goals working for you. I like to have some activity here on the lot at night before I go to sleep. That way the next morning my inbox has some notifiers of people I can answer and that gets me started in the morning.
@TrvlArrngr (4045)
• United States
4 Jun 09
i set a goal to make a payout and i did.so now my goal is to get a payout each month on mylot. I love to write and am addicted to this site.
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
4 Jun 09
I did pretty good making payout when I first started then my real life work started picking up and taking more time. It's been three months now since I made payout but that doesn't worry me very much. I get more satisfaction from the friendships I've made here than that little bit of money.
• United States
3 Jun 09
Hi savak, First off, your mouse avatar is going spastic! LOL just kidding! hehe Last month, I too tried to set personal goals with MyLot since I have yet to hit even $10.00 here. Sad, I know. I just get so caught up with other stuff, online and offline, that I forget about Mylot for weeks or months at a time. Needless to say, I didn't do a darn thing with my goal for May. A complete disaster. I'm a day off, but I started June yesterday. My goal for June is to do something on MyLot each day ... reply to a post or two, start a discussion or two, upload a picture or two ... something. Just to get into the habit of being here everyday and doing something. Then, in July, I'll try to ramp up the goal to something like, answering 5 discussions and starting one discussion each day. Best of luck with your goal for June!
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
3 Jun 09
Here's hoping we both succeed in our goals this month. You must be on the other side of the world if yesterday was the first for you.
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