One of the biggest mistakes most people make when setting goals is to mistake their present emotional state for their future outcome. These are two very different concepts and if you don't grasp them you delay you success.

People set goals so that they can create something new into their lives. This is their future outcome. When you ask them why they have this goal, they will give reasons that are emotional states. They might say they want this goal because it will make them feel happy, or it will make them feel confident.

What they don't realize it that they can have this emotional state right now. This emotional state is a state of mind. No time is needed. In other words, you don't need to wait for the future outcome to experience the emotional state.

The way you go about getting into that emotional state is simply remembering that a time in the past that you were in that emotional state. If you want to feel happy, go to a time in the past when you were happy. As you remember this, your emotional state becomes happy.

Emotional states always precede our outcomes.

Before we can achieve our future outcome, we need to be in that emotional state first. This emotional state determines your behavior. This behavior determines your results.

So if you are not in that emotional state first, the behavior you take that determines your results will not be as effective as the behavior you take when in the emotional state. This is why not grasping this concept will delay your success.

You will achieve your goal much faster if you are already in that emotional state.

When you set your goal, begin with the end in mind. It takes time to create your goal and steps need to be taken. Once you goal has been set, then you need to focus on what you want.

The way to do this is to know what the final thing needs to occur so that you know that you have achieved your goal, the final outcome. If it is to find the woman of your dreams , what is the final thing that needs to occur so that you know she is the woman of your dreams. For some people it might be their wedding day, for others it might be the first time they make love.

When you do this it brings your goal to a level of specifity. By know your final step empowers you to create that goal.

Before setting your goals you need to understand the difference between dating states and dating outcomes. The emotional state is the cause whereas the future outcome is the effect. Getting into the emotional state is something you can do right now, no time is needed. To create your future outcome, there are steps that need to be taken and time needs to pass. This happens in the future. Knowing and understanding this concept will bring you results faster.