We live in a world that idolizes success and puts people who achieve it on a pedestal. We call them names like high performers and great achievers putting them in a category that only an “elite” specially talented group of people can join. But what if achieving your goals was about aligning your life with the right principles? Would you still think it was uncommon? What if this wasn’t about working harder or smarter and all you needed was a clear vision for where you’re going? Would you still feel overwhelmed? In today’s episode, I’m going to help you cut through the noise and understand exactly what you need to thrive with your goals without forcing yourself to be more disciplined. Hit play for all the deets!
Your Values:
Who are you and why are you doing this?
This is not a sexy topic but it’s at the core of who you are and sets the foundation for your success. If you don’t have any values you’ll bow to everyone else’s, live without standards, and cheat yourself out of living a purposeful life. So what are values? Values are the motivation behind what you do with your time, energy, and ultimately your life.
You won’t stay consistent with your goals or commitments if you don’t value commitments or practice integrity which is keeping and being your word. Now I know the truth of that reality can sting, but I’m here to help you grow, and understanding this will allow you to break out of mediocrity and rise to new levels of success.
So here’s what we have to figure out. Why is it important to you that you hit this goal? Why is this a priority to you? At your core what does this goal represent or mean to you? We’re not digging up superficial junk here like “more people will like me” or “I’ll prove to everyone that I can succeed at anything I want”
No. That’s weak. Trying to win in life because you think it’ll prove something to someone comes from a place of insecurity and fear in us. We want to build empires and smash goals from a place of confidence, security, and destiny! So take your time with this question. Pause the episode if you need to and get clear about who you are and how that motivates you to align your life with this goal.
Focus:
What you focus on grows
If all you think about is that life is hard and you can never get ahead no matter how hard you try then you know what’ll happen? You’ll never get ahead! and life will continue to feel hard! But if that were actually a true statement it would be true for all people everywhere and we know that there are some people in the world like me who define life as being one big fun adventure or they say things like “life is bliss”. However, you define something that limits or expands your perception and ability to see it for what it is.
In the context of staying consistent with your goals. Think about the end result you aspire to live into. The outcome you are walking towards right now that would allow you to know you have succeeded with your goal. Then ask yourself what are the things I focused on that helped me create this result in my life
Science proves that in our brain we have the ability to create new neuropathways based on what we chose to think about. This means if I spend my time doubting I am capable of achieving my goals or second-guessing whether or not I am disciplined enough to succeed then my mind will strengthen that thought, hardwire it into my brain until it becomes a hardcore belief.
Then when I set goals that I really want to experience it will feel hard for me because of the programming I established in my mind from practicing self-doubt, limited thinking, and allowing others to tell me who I was instead of being intentional about managing my thoughts.
So if you’re in this boat, what can you do now? The good news is, your brain is malleable so it’ll adapt to whatever you feed it. This is why it’s important to surround yourself with information, people, mentors, friends, and so on who pour into you and challenge you to be and do better.
The bad news is, well, it’s not really bad news but you might hear it and think “dang!”. Renewing your mind takes time. This is not an overnight process. There won’t be any quick wins. It’s a long-term process that produces worthy long-term gains! This is the kind of work I’ve been doing for the last few years! In the beginning, it happened by accident. I just surrounded myself with brilliant thinkers who excelled in business, were great with money, and were effective teachers
Then once I started understanding the power of my mind, dug into neuroscience, and started seeing real changes happen in myself and my life as a result I took it more and more seriously, and now it’s become something that I teach all of my clients. All change begins on the inside and is reflected on the outside
The biggest lesson I learned from all of this neuroscience and focus stuff is our life is a direct reflection of what’s going on inside of us. When we get clear on those things, we can see better to create something different (whatever we choose). If you’re just getting started with this a great book I’m reading right now that you might enjoy is called Switch On Your Brain By Dr. Caroline Leaf. Read it twice it will transform your life!
Less Is More:
shorten the time period
When you notice yourself falling short of your goals whether it happens once in a while or it’s a repeated pattern you want to do what I call slow down to speed up. Imagine if your car broke down every time you try to drive it up a mountain. Would you keep forcing it to push harder and do whatever it takes to get up there or will you take it to see the mechanic and find out what’s going on? The latter right? It’s the same with your goals.
Identify the things that are slowing you down, understand exactly what’s required for you to hit your goals, and focus on mastering those things. This includes understanding your KPI’s (key performance indicators), creating a plan, following through on what you say you’re going to do and being present along the way so you can pivot when needed.
Notice I said when not if. Because change is inevitable. The plan you have for how you will achieve your goal will probably look different when you set out on the journey to get it done. Just like Martin Luther King Jr said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
Don’t Quit
done is better than perfect
Everything in life has a beginning and end. This is a pattern we see happening throughout life. Whether it’s a season, relationship, opportunity, or a dream. King Solomon one of the wisest people to ever live said “There is a season (a time appointed) for everything”. Being inconsistent with your goals is not because you lack self-discipline. If you think about your life you’ll see you naturally practice discipline, the habit of being self-controlled, when you are engaged in activities that you enjoy.
- You eat at least 3x/day (that’s discipline)
- You wake up and sign into work when you’re scheduled (whether you feel like it or not – that’s discipline)
- You jump onto Instagram as often as you choose (at least once a day – that’s discipline!)
- …Need I say more?
You don’t struggle with discipline. The reason you aren’t consistent with your goals is that you haven’t made a commitment. You haven’t decided this goal is an outcome you will see manifest in your life in due time. It hasn’t become a non-negotiable for you.
I’m not sure if this show is still on tv but I remember watching Intervention on A&E at about 16 or 17 years old. Seeing the beautiful people who had so much to offer to the world, so much to live for, yet they were battling drug addiction and many times even suicide.
I would watch them and think to myself. “That won’t happen to me. If this is what drugs can do to people I am staying away.” And because of that show, I stayed away from drugs. Now don’t get it twisted, I wasn’t “perfect” (there is no such thing) there were other things I was curious about and got into but not drugs.
I had plenty of opportunities (and excuses) to do it, especially after my mom died at 15, but I remembered my personal commitment which became a standard for me. I refused to put that stuff in my body because I didn’t want to bear the consequence.
What Is This Costing You?
Is It worth it?
Choosing not to commit to your goals is bigger than just procrastinating or waiting for an opportune time to get started. It’s about your destiny. We know that our decisions today create the life we experience tomorrow so how can you make healthier choices in the present that lead to the outcomes you want to live in the upcoming days?
Can you imagine what you stand to lose if you choose not to engage in the process? If you choose to give up the fight. If you choose not to take your goals seriously. Your purpose. Yourself. Your life. That’s what’s at stake.
What Will It Take For You To Grow?
When we hear this question we often think about adding more to the plate. We ask ourselves, “what more can I do?” but I challenge you to look at this from another perspective. What if instead of trying to do more all you needed was to let go. Let go of what’s not helpful in your life. Let go of distractions and things that don’t feed your soul or dreams. Let go of all the noise, drama, and negativity. Let go of all the excess dead weight and focus on things that bring you life!
Until next time trailblazers! I hope this was helpful! Hit me up on IG and let me know what is the one thing you’re going to let go of in order to become more consistent with your goals! Chat soon! Tee
