Do you ever get frustrated when you’ve set goals and well, nothing happened? I mean literally, nothing happened at all.
You might even think, “Do I even need to set goals?”
Well, if you are not getting the important things done, yes, you do need to set them.
I get it. The word Goals can be such a harsh word for my creative-type readers, so you can replace “goals” with wants or intentions. Is that better?
So why is it sooo challenging to decide what you want and then go for it?
You talk about it, even write it down sometimes, and then…nothing?
I’m not gonna get into a long post about SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-based), PURE (Positively stated, Understood, Relevant, and Ethical), or CLEAR (Challenging, Legal, Environmentally sound, Agreed, and Recorded) types of goals.
Whew, that was a mouthful.
Let’s talk about what you want.
Here’s the thing…if you are not getting the results or outcomes you want, something (action) has to change. Do you agree?
I write my goals down or at least, type them. And, I read them every day. Do you have to do that?
Maybe, maybe not. You have to decide what works best for you…then do what delivers the results you are looking for.
Even though statistics tell us that people are more likely to accomplish their goals if they are in writing, again, you have to do what WORKS for you.
Make some lists
For this exercise, you might want to grab a pen and paper. By the way, you can use this process for any type of goal; e.g. personal, business, fitness, financial, and more.
- List 1: Write down the things in your life you’re grateful for and that bring you joy
- List 2: Write down the things currently in your life that do not bring you joy and you would like to change.
- List 3: Write down ALL of the things you want in your life/business that you do not have now.
- Look at list #2. Are there things on that list that are outside of your control?
- If so, mark them off for now.
- Remember, you cannot change other people’s ideas or behavior.
- If so, mark them off for now.
- For the remaining items on list #2, ask yourself these two questions for each item.
- “If this were different, how would it be different?”
- “If this was exactly how I want it to be, how would I or my life be different?”
- Move to list #3 and ask yourself this question for each one.
- “If I had this in my life, how would I or my life be different?”
Sounds like a lot of work I know. But, you have to do the work if you want to create a plan to help you live the life you desire.
A lot of folks just make a list of things they think they need to do and call that goals. Maybe that’s what you do too.
These steps are part of the process that connects us to what we say we want to be, do, or have. When we skip them, we often make goals that:
- are not really important,
- do not bring us joy, or
- they are unclear and you can’t take action.
Now for the final few steps.
- Look at the items remaining from list #2 and the items on list #3.
- Pick one.
- Write the goal statement, and be very clear.
Read your statement out loud.
Imagine you being on the mountain top celebrating your win or possibly you see someone you know who has accomplished a similar goal. They’re on the mountain top too!
Got the picture of the you celebrating your achievement and the wonderful journey it was?
Now we move on to the nitty gritty.
Key Activities That Support The Goal
As you think about that goal and journey, what were the habits or consistent and supporting activities that enabled you to reach that goal?
- Write those key activities down as bulleted items under the Goal.
WooHoo! You’ve just created an action plan for you to accomplish the goal.
- Now, read the list of activities it takes to reach that mountain top and determine if you are willing to do them.
- If you’re not willing to do what it takes, it’s not you most important goal.
Do those steps for each goal statement until you find one that makes your heart sing.
Now imagine this…as you read the statement and the activities you will be doing as you accomplish that goal, you get so pumped up and inspired that you can hardly contain the excitement. That’s. The. One.
So, what’s the mistake people make?
They do not invest the time it takes to get to the FEELING that comes with the right goal.
Don’t let that be you. Taking that time makes all the difference in making it, or breaking it.
Here’s a tool tip. Wherever you make and keep your goals and lists, you want something that’s easy-to-edit, organize, and you can access on any device. I keep track of my goals and lists in a free app called Workflowy. Check it out here: https://debbennett.com/workflowy
Now. Go. Do. The. Work.
Let me know if you are going to try this exercise and if you do, what were your results.
Till next time,
Deb
PS. If you are super ready to take action but believe you might need a little help, sign up for my 8-Part Work With A Coach email series.
You will learn a bit about how coaching works and if it might be a good fit for you, and you’ll create a 1-Page Biz (or Life) Plan during the series.
Check it out. It’s free.