TURN UP THE HEAT & Move Your Goals OFF the Back Burner

5 Steps to Realizing YOUR Goals

Have you ever felt stuck in the pursuit of your goals or dreams? Have you ever started a project or conjured up an idea that at first seemed exciting and exceptional but quickly became overwhelming as you wrestled with the essential question, “Where do I go from here?”

One of the greatest obstacles to true activation and progress is a lack of clarity. Perhaps you’ve found yourself in the position of having a vague idea of a goal you’d like to achieve but struggle to articulate in detail what true success would look like.

Maybe you have the dream of making more money. How much money are you hoping to make? Why do you want to make more money? What are your best-fit opportunities that would result in the desired increase in income?

Or perhaps your goal is to work on your personal fitness. What will signal that you have improved your fitness? Are you trying to lose weight? Why? What will be different after you achieve the weight loss? Is your goal to change your diet or increase your physical activity? Can you describe the impact of those changes on your improved fitness?

Without a clearly defined end goal, our dreams remain lofty, theoretical, and unfortunately rarely make the transition from idea to reality.

It’s easy to be a dreamer; it’s difficult to be an achiever.

This reality is evidenced in the surplus of people with fantastic business ideas, but a significantly smaller number of successful businesses. Of all small businesses started in 2014, only 70% made it to the third year (2016), with 56% made it through their fifth year. Likewise, gyms and fitness clubs are packed to the gills with motivated January go-getters but September’s group of fit men and women who’ve achieved their New Year’s fitness resolutions is much smaller. According to the International Health, Racquet & Sports Club Association, 50% of all new health club members quit within the first six months of signing up.

Many people have big ideas and ambitious dreams; few people have the clarity and motivation needed to make those dreams a reality.

Do not be discouraged. This is not to say that success is beyond your reach or reserved for the select few exceptionally lucky people. On the contrary, anyone can be successful in achieving their goals. It requires persistence and planning, and the willingness to seek help along the way.  It begins with taking time to GET CLEAR, PLAN, AND BEGIN (test your assumptions).

It all begins with clarity. Let me say that again: clarity is not optional. It is essential that you can state your goal precisely in order to ensure the steps you take will lead you to where you want to end up – your goal achieved.

Here are five steps to help you move from a theoretical idea or dream towards concrete, measurable success:

1. Identify Your Why
   As discussed in my previous blog post, What’s Your Why? Finding Motivation to Keep Going! your “why” is the reason for the goals you set and your motivation to achieve. An essential aspect of clarifying your goals is defining why you have decided to pursue that goal in the first place. It gives a deeper meaning to your dreams and will likely serve as your motivation when facing obstacles or challenges. Further, when you spend time getting clear about your real motivation, you make sure that the next steps align with your real goal.
2. Define Success
   What does “success” look like for you? How will you know that you’ve achieved your goal? For each specific goal and each individual person, success may look different. For example, consider two individuals with a goal to run a half marathon. For one, success may look like finishing the marathon without walking. For another, success may be beating their personal record on a previous race. Both individuals share the same goal, but their measures of success are different. In analyzing your own goals, spend some time reflecting on your personal definition of success. What does achievement look like for you?  Just like the first step, when you take time to really define what success looks like to you (not your friends, society, or a particular group) you will have better information to complete the next steps with confidence.
3. Set SMART Goals
   Perhaps you are familiar with Peter Drucker ’s concept of creating SMART goals. The acronym stands for:Specific
   Measurable
   Attainable
   Realistic
   Time Bound

   Unlike the intangible, lofty dreams that fill us with excitement yet often remain unachieved, SMART goals are clearly defined and ensure that success is possible when followed by action. When we analyze our dreams using the SMART goal framework, we create goals that are both purposeful and attainable.

4. Put Your Goals In Writing
   According to a goal setting study conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews, individuals who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them than those who simply commit their goals to memory. The act of writing down your goals forces you to think deeply and be strategic about the goals you are setting. Documenting your goals doesn’t have to be complicated. However, if you want to succeed, it does need to be done and available to you to review regularly.
5. Create An Action Plan and Start Working It NOW
   Once you have taken the time to clearly identify your goals, you are able to develop concrete action steps (your strategies and tactics) that align with your goal and milestones. This prevents you from haphazardly making choices and taking action that may or may not serve your ultimate goals. A goal-aligned action plan ensures that each step you take is purposeful and efficient. AND… it lets you learn what worked, what didn’t and where you can adjust efforts going forward.

Think about your own goals. What is holding you back from true achievement and success? Perhaps you haven’t taken the time to uncover the “why” behind your dreams or to develop measurable and attainable goals. Maybe your goals are set, but you are waiting for the right time to begin moving forward. Or, perhaps you’ve been so focused on building someone else’s dreams and business that you’ve left your BIG GOALS sitting on the back burner.

If you are serious about setting clearly defined, attainable goals and making progress towards your dreams, click HERE to schedule a call to discuss how I can support you in the process.

Resources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2016/11/02/why-smart-job-objectives-are-exactly-that/#4f0db3c73d56
https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/this-is-way-you-need-to-write-down-your-goals-for-faster-success.html