How can you achieve your goals?
Let’s talk about goals, friends. Now, you might think I’m bringing up goals because the New Year is approaching and we all know New Year’s resolutions, vision board parties, and goal-setting soirees are around the corner. Honestly, I’m not here to judge that. I’m always supportive of people being excited about dreaming big and setting goals. However, the reason most people roll their eyes at this tradition is because the majority of people don’t follow through. It’s easy and thrilling to set a goal but usually not as fun to do the work to make it happen.
As a life coach, this is where I often come in. You know the saying, “we can accomplish more together than we can alone.” It’s true. We can accomplish so much more with the support of community, friends, family, coaches, mentors, etc than we can by ourselves. The hard part about that is so many people struggle with asking for help, which can probably be another blog post.
One of the top reasons prospective clients schedule discovery calls with me is to help them achieve their goals. They feel stuck, defeated, unsure of what to do next, or overwhelmed by so many goals.
First, I always congratulate them. One, on having a goal or goals to begin with. That alone is a tiny, worthwhile feat because it is easy to fall victim to mediocrity. If you’re reading this and you desire more for yourself or you have something specific you want to achieve, kudos to you! You’re listening to the whisper in your heart or nudge in your mind that says I want to accomplish this.
Two, I celebrate them on having the awareness that something is getting in the way. It’s not always easy to pinpoint why you’re having trouble showing up or following through but you can acknowledge when progress is not being made. The feelings you are experiencing matter and they help me understand what could be behind you being stagnant.
I created a new freebie for you all since I realized how much my community wanted to achieve their goals, “The Goal Getter Playbook.” It’s a step by step plan of action to help you achieve your goals and stop placing your well-being on the back burner.
In the playbook I talk about the 3 C’s Clarity, Consistency, and Commitment.
(1) Clarity on what you want. What is your goal? What do you hope to achieve? Why is achieving this goal important to you or valuable? Without clarity, you lose direction, focus, and it’s much harder to be intentional.
I often think we are super clear in the beginning but after sometime, things can get a bit murky. I encourage you to pause and ask yourself those same questions again. We should strive to maintain clarity throughout the process and realign with the “what” and “why” often even when the “how” feels challenging.
This is especially important with teams. It’s crucial that the entire team is clear on the “what” and “why,” because more often than not lack of clarity is why projects fall apart.
(2) Commitment to yourself (or the team), your vision/ dreams (team’s visions), and your WHY.
I asked before why is this important to you? That WHY is your driving force. I want to push you to connect your WHY to a feeling or something truly meaningful to you. When we are genuinely connected to our WHY, when our WHY is in service of our values and supports our mission, then we are more likely to commit. It might feel out of integrity to not be committed to your goals if it makes you misaligned with your values. YES, it’s that deep!
It’s so easy to place blame on others and I am right there with you that one of the hardest things to do is hold ourselves accountable. However, that accountability, taking responsibility and making less- dear I say no excuses- will help you make progress on your goals.
You owe it yourself, your dreams, your values to stay committed to things you said you would do. Show up for the goals that you put in place because they matter to you, your business, or your company.
Take a honest look in the mirror and see what is really getting in the way of staying committed? What excuses can you drop? This takes us to our next one-
(3) Consistency in showing up daily for yourself. SHOW UP.
Once you have clarity and you’re committed, consistency is the most important piece of the puzzle. It is the piece that will help you accomplish your goals. I want you to be consistent in building the daily habits, routines, intentions that will help you become the person you desire to be- the person who has achieved the goals that you set out for.
“You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” -James Clear
Goals can seem daunting or far away. How do we close the gap between where we are now and where we desire to be? It’s our daily habits, routines, and intention setting. After listening to a podcast episode with James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, I realized it’s truly the incremental shifts that compound overtime to create sustainable change, growth, and results.
I loved how he asked “Who do I want to become?” He then recommends building systems, or a collection of habits, rather than meeting the goal.
It can be one tiny addition or change of environment that helps you create the space to accomplish your goals. For example, hide the remote and replace Netflix with writing, reading, or a podcast episode. Turn your favorite chair towards the window instead of the TV.
I also recommend that you take in account data and feedback. We want to be consistent and keep showing up, but we also want to create systems that work.
Overtime (3-6 months) look at the data, if it’s something that’s quantitative. Is what you are doing working? If it is, keep it! If not, re-evaluate and shift. That shift is integral for your growth. You don’t want to keep making the same mistakes over and over and wonder why things are not working. (p.s that’s the definition of insanity).
Also, be receptive to feedback!! Feedback is your friend. Ask your community, your clients, the people around you for constructive feedback and truly take what they say into consideration.
The most successful people are receptive to feedback because they know they don’t know it all and there is always room for growth. Not everyone is malicious and wants to break you down. Be mindful of who you take feedback from, and open your heart to what people have to say.
To review the 3 c’s, clear on what you want, commit to yourself and your WHY, be consistent (i.e. show up)!
I hope this was hopeful and gave you some motivation to achieve your goals. Another huge piece that I share more in the playbook is mindset and believing you are capable of achieving your goals!
YOU got this my friend, keep listening to the whisper in your heart, and don’t give up on yourself!
If this was helpful, I recommend downloading the Goal Getter playbook!
Recommended Podcast Listening-
Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead | Episodes from Nov. 15 & 22, 2021 with James Clear (2 Part Series)
