“The most effective way to do something, is to do something”.
Happy New Year!!!
It’s that time of year when most of us start thinking about the positive changes we’d like to make in our lives, so we make New Year’s Resolutions and goals. Setting goals not only leaves us feeling motivated and confident, it changes or mind for the better and can greatly improve our lives (learn more HERE). Unfortunately, for many of us, achieving a goal isn’t always that easy. More than half of new year’s resolutions aren’t achieved at all.
So how do we successfully accomplish a goal?
As I prepared to make my 2021 goals list, I reflected on my past successes and the successes of clients I’ve worked with over the years. In just about every circumstance the same ten action items kept coming up. Now I’m sharing them with you. This can be the year you finally make that goal a reality. Here’s how to do it!
1. Make sure your goal is meaningful.
Take a critical look at your goals. If there’s something on your mind that you want to accomplish, consider asking yourself these questions: Is this really what I want? Is this what’s best for ME in this stage of my life? Why do I want this? Am I willing to take on the sacrifices that go along with this decision? Be certain. Very certain. Just because it sounds like a great idea doesn’t mean it is one. A close friend of mine tried to convince herself that going back to school would be a great idea. She didn’t really want to go, but it sounded like something she “should” pursue. After spending a lot of time and money, she opted to drop out and pursue her passion instead. Years later she often remarks about how grateful she is to have abandoned a goal that she never really wanted in the first place, and how good it felt when she pursued the goal that actually got her excited.
As you prepare to embark on your goal, it’s critical that you are certain that it is something you actually want and not something you think you should want. Make sure your heart’s completely in it. That will keep you motivated when the inevitable roadblocks appear.
2. Keep it Simple.
I could easily come up with a list of things I want to get done, and honestly I really want to accomplish them all in the upcoming year. However, I also know that the best chance of success is to keep things very simple. While I have a list, I’m narrowing my focus to just the top three. Ask yourself, “What three things do I need to accomplish this year to feel like it’s been a success?” or perhaps ask, “If I could only accomplish three big things this year, what would they be?” The narrower your focus, the easier it becomes to hit your target and achieve what you set out to do. That doesn’t mean all those other goals can’t get accomplished too, it just means that your goals should be prioritized so you don’t loose focus on the ones that matter most. When I made the bold declaration that I would train for, and run, a half marathon (with practically no fitness background), I knew I had to make it my solo goal for the year. Based on my starting point, I knew the only chance I’d have in pulling it off would be to make it a top priority and put all my other smaller goals on the back burner.
3. Break it Down/ Make it Actionable
Now that you’ve narrowed down your list to a maximum of three goals that you want to see manifested, it’s time to break them down further into small daily action items. Re-examine your goals, then go a bit deeper and think about the necessary daily steps you’ll need to take to accomplish the goal. For example, “lose 50lbs” might sound intimidating, but “work out with my personal trainer for an hour, 4 days a week” is significantly more laser focused. It has a clear direction. If you’re not sure what daily actions you need to take, spend sometime researching. Look for people who’ve already accomplished what you want (read their stories, listen to their videos, and speak with them if possible).
4. Write your goals down and read them often
I can’t tell you how many times in the past I started my year off with a long list of resolutions, only to forget what I’d even written down a few short months later. This is because too often we set a goal, then act like our work is done, while in actuality we’re just getting started. Once you’ve set your top three priorities, write them down, but don’t stop there – turn your goal into and affirmation that you write daily. Here’s an example from a client of mine – The goal: lose 50 lbs and hit my target weight of 160lbs. The affirmation: I am so proud and grateful now that I have reached and maintained my target weight of 160lbs. I am enjoying my new healthy lifestyle; and I feel stronger, fitter, and healthier every day.
5. Silence your inner critic
Very often, the biggest obstacle in our way to achieving the life we want, is our own self doubt. There’s often that voice in our head saying things like, “you can’t pull that off”, “it’s too hard”, “you don’t have the time, support, talent, connections, or resources”, “there’s too much competition”, “you failed before, why would this time be any different”. For some of us, this voice is a whisper, just loud enough for us to pause and hesitate before really going for it; for others it’s deafening, so loud we can’t even hear ourselves think. Either way, whether consciously, or subconsciously, that belief system will always prevent us from achieving success. Always.
In order to break the cycle of not accomplishing a goal, we must mute that critic. We must choose to reprogram our brain with positive affirmations, visualizations and feelings. It’ll take some time to reprogram your mind, so repeating affirmations, doing visualization exercises, and feeling the feelings associated with accomplishing your goal must be done daily so that new routines can be established.
6. Surround yourself with the right people
Even the most successful athletes work with a coach, rely on great teammates, and appreciate their fans. As you start working on your goal, be sure to surround yourself with people who fall into 3 main categories:
- Your coach: this is someone who will hold you accountable, help you stay on track, and work with you to come up with a new strategy if you need to pivot. Life Coaches, mentors, and personal trainers fall in this category. If this is really something that you want, be willing to make that investment into your future. Having a coach can often determine the success or failure of achieving a goal.
- Your team: surround yourself with people who have done the thing you want to do, or who are actively working on the same goal. This provides you with an opportunity to motivate and learn from each other. If you’re surrounded by people who can’t relate or don’t understand, find a new community. Even if that means going online. For example, if you’re launching a new business, align yourself with other entrepreneurs, join your local business chamber. If you’re pursuing a degree, license, or certification, align yourself with other students.
- Your supporters/fans: these people might fall in one of the other two categories but not necessarily. Your fans are the people who believe in you and want to see you succeed. They might not have the knowledge or interest to be on the team, or the skill-set/ bandwidth to hold you accountable, but they are cheering you on never the less. These people bring positive energy and celebrate the wins with you, and might even give you a pep talk when you’re feeling down. A client of mine had an aha moment when she realized that she’d been expecting her husband to act like a teammate when he was in actuality a supporter. She immediately adjusted her expectations, and joined a community of fellow computer programmers as she worked on developing her first app.
7. Remove the negative people in your life.
While it’s great to have a cheer team, it is detrimental to have the opposite – a team of critics consistently doubting you or projecting their own self-limiting beliefs onto you. If the people around you are negative – separate yourself from them and seek out a new community. Even if that community is online. It’s better to go it alone than to have the naysayers around. If there are negative people around you – cut those people out, don’t share your goals with them, protect your energy. No need to make an announcement or facilitate a discussion, simply refocus your energy on positive people and environments, and pull away from the negative.
8. Keep moving forward
A setback is not a reason to quit. Let me repeat: a setback is not a reason to quit. Remain committed. Stay the course. Remember your “Why”. When your inner critic, or the naysayer around you, says “I knew you couldn’t do it: ” don’t listen! Instead, use every setback as an opportunity to fine tune your strategy, learn from your experience, and move forward.
I’ve never had a personal success without setbacks. When I got an injury the month before my half marathon, I knew quitting wasn’t an option. I partnered with my doctor, a massage therapist, and an acupuncturist to create a plan to allow me to safely continue with my training. I also reached out to fellow runners for advice and guidance, and I leaned on my support system for extra encouragement. Running across the finish line a month later confirmed what I knew to be true – if you want to accomplish any goal, you must keep moving forward.
9. Practice self care
Take a day off when you need one. Take time to meditate. Get some rest. Hydrate. Eat nutritious meals. When I made the decision to return to school and pursue an MBA while working a full-time demanding job, I knew that I’d only be able to pull it off if I took care of myself. I needed to do some of my best work, so I needed to be at my best. You can’t operate at a high level when you’re feeling sluggish. Even if it means delaying the process, take care of yourself first. Nurture your mind, body, and spirit. Even when the connection might not seem that obvious, it is!
10. Believe you can do it!
Every single day, people around the world, under every possible circumstance, are turning their dreams into a reality. Every single day goals are accomplished, success it achieved, and wins are celebrated. You can achieve your goals! Believe it, and make it happen!
Ready to Crush Your Goal? I Can Help!
I’m here to support you in making this the year you turn your goal into a reality. I’ve done it in my personal life, and with clients, and I’ll do it with you. If you’re ready to achieve the results you’ve always wanted, or you’re not even sure what direction you want to take but you know you’re ready for a reboot, I’m here to help! Click HERE to reach me and schedule a no obligation session.
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