5 Ways To Reach Your Goals
Wow, it’s already mid-June and almost half way through 2019. How many of you have you sat down and reassessed where you are personally and professionally with your 2019 intentions?Are you where you want to be? Have you hit any of the milestones you set out to achieve at the beginning of the year?If not, it’s time to sit your butt down, look at the data and recalibrate.I get we all start off the year motivated with big goals in mind, but the problem is most people end up failing at reaching their goals because they don’t stop to reflect and adjust each month or even each quarter.They don’t ask themselves the right questions to get themselves back on track.So, when you reflect upon the last 6 months, ask yourself the following questions:
Are your goals too vague or non-measurable?
Do you still have the same purpose and motivation as you did in Jan or even last month? Do you know your why and what you value in this moment?
Do you suffer from squirrel syndrome?
Are you using "not enough time" and "busy" as excuses?
Have you spent the time to reflect, recalibrate, release and move on? Do you know exactly why you didn’t reach your goal? Is it still attainable or do you need to change it for Q3?
If any of those 5 questions resonated, then read on because these are the reasons you're not reaching your goals effectively!
Reason #1: Your goals are too vague or non-measurable
I was listening to a podcast today and they were talking about how some of their goals were “feeling great,” “having a healthy family,” “being mentally strong,” etc… but WTF does that really mean? What does “feeling great” look like to you and how do you know you’ve reached that?
It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes “Results are events or numbers [period],” and a goal is achieving a result, so why are your goals feelings?
Instead answer the question: what does “feeling great” look like? Does it mean you work out 2 times a week? You and your hubby get a date night a month away from the kids? Does it mean fitting into that bandage dress you wore in Vegas during your pre-baby days agains? Whatever it is, just define it, so when you get there, you know you achieved it.
Bottom line: If your goal not a specific action, event or measurable value, you are already setting yourself up for failure.
Reason #2: Your purpose and motivation have changed
I always tap into my “WHY-PS” Method to help steer me back on the right path. Using your WHY-PS system is like a GPS on your goals map. It uses your “why” as the connective tissue between everything you do to help direct you from point A to B so that you can achieve your personal, business and life goals.
Our perspectives, situations and wants in life change. A lot can happen in six months. Are you still driven by the same purpose? Do you still want the same things?
Bottom line: Remind yourself why you're doing what you're doing.
Reason #3: You suffer from Squirrel Syndrome
Do you get the feeling of excitement when you leave a conference, watch a webinar, listen to a podcast episode and suddenly you’re dreaming, planning and motivated to add yet another service or project to your already full plate? But then, you don’t actually follow-through and execute.
Instead, you end up with 15 online courses collecting “dust” in your inbox and after thousands of dollars out the door, all you’re left with is procrastination, analysis paralysis, stagnation, tons of unfinished projects and self-doubt - wondering if this so called “freedom and flexibility” entrepreneurs rave about is really just an urban legend. But you know deep inside that you are fully capable and passionate about creating something amazing for this world, so why isn’t it happening?
That’s when you start twiddling your thumbs wondering what to do. Is there a better solution?
If this sounds familiar, you might be suffering from Squirrel Syndrome.
It’s really easy to cure, so if you’re interested just ask me!
Bottom line: Squirrel syndrome can lead to the death of achieving goals and success.
Reason #4: You use "not enough time" and "busy" as excuses
TIME and BUSY are not excuses.
I don’t believe in the words “busy” or “not enough time" for things that are important to you. We all got sh*t to do people, but it’s how you use the time you have and knowing exactly what to do within the time you have that matters.
I know moms who run million dollar empires while balancing 4 kids and working 20 hour or less a week.So how can YOU accomplish it all?
Be realistic with your expectations, goals and what you can accomplish within the time that you do have.
Have an honest conversation with yourself on what really matters because I guarantee if it's important then you'll prioritize it.
Ask for help. Don’t be a martyr, ask for help whether it’s for your business or to clean your house.
Say “not right now” to things that you want to do, but don’t align with what your main focus is at the moment. It’s not a no, but it’s a save for later.
Be OK with the trade offs you decide to make. (You made them so what’s the purpose having buyer’s remorse?)
Bottom line: Don’t set yourself up for failure before you even start. Take a pause to think about the big picture before you say yes.
Reason #5: You haven't spent the time to reflect, recalibrate, release and move on
Ever stop and ask, I don't know what happened? Guess I'll try again next year! STOP. The only way we learn is from our mistakes and by analyzing the data on what worked, what didn't work, what you want to continue, stop, start, etc... The reason we get so behind on our goals is because we never slow down and reflect.
One of my favorite ways to goal set is to make a good / better / best with numbers. It helps to give you a baseline of where you're headed. If you aren't getting close to your good numbers, then you might need to lower them. Be realistic!
Bottom line: Data will always be king. Learn from your past and move on to a better more aware future.