It’s one thing to set lofty goals for the future, especially as a year closes and a new one is about to open. It’s an entirely different thing to actually achieve them, and get what you want. So many of us run into this issue every time we set new goals for ourselves, or frankly recycle old goals into newer versions of what we think we should be accomplishing by now, whatever that may be.
While most of us may think that the goal-setting process is not exactly rocket science, it turns out that a large majority of people fail at setting clear goals. As a result, they fail at achieving them. Case in point: how many of us report failed resolutions and goals every single year?
The amazing thing about goals is that, when we take the time to set them well, can help us in creating the lives we actually want. Not the lives we feel that we have to live, but the very existences that fit us best and correspond to our dreams! It’s thanks to goals that we can muster the hope, vision and direction we need to design our lives! However, not having goals that are right for us, goals that inspire us and make us want to hop out of bed in the morning, have the opposite effect. Instead of creating the lives we want, they lead us to being exhausted, depleted, and without direction.
Actually, achieving our goals is much easier than we think, thanks to a few simple tips we can all apply to our goal-setting process, inspired by legendary coach Tony Robbins’ teachings:
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Write the vision down!
“Write the vision” – Habakkuk 2:2
From the dawn of day, there has always been power in being able to write down your vision and goals, on pen and paper. Shut down the computer, grab your journal or a simple notebook, and write down those goals that have meaning for you. You will know that they are the right goals for you by the motivation and energy you feel when writing these down.
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Act as if you had already achieved your goals!
This may sound a bit counter-intuitive, but stay with me! Having the core certainty that no matter what, your goals are going to come true is the ultimate way to achieve them. You’re not required to know the “how” or the “when”. Most times, the goals you set for yourself, the right goals for you, exceed what you’re currently capable of or your current circumstances.
Instead of trying to figure out how you’re going to achieve your objectives, or give up too soon because you don’t see a way, acting as if you had already achieved your goals gets you closer to them.
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Ask yourself why you want to achieve each goal
This is an important part of the process that many, if not most of us, neglect. Instead of focusing on the motive and purpose of our goals, we tend to zero in on the outcome. Considering that the outcome is usually not immediately attainable, we then tend to get discouraged and give up too early!
Instead, ask yourself what each one of your goals means to you? Focus on how obtaining your desires will make you feel, as Danielle LaPorte teaches and recommends in her book The Desire Map. Make sure to write these down as well.
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Rinse and repeat!
The goal-setting process should never be a one-time thing. Rather, it should be something you practice regularly. Don’t allow yourself to forget about your goals once you set them. Go back to them frequently, and review them over time. Make sure that you’re spending some time each and every day in the pursuit of these goals.
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
