Studies show that most people who set New Year’s resolutions don’t follow through on them. Does that mean you shouldn’t have any goals or make commitments every year that will improve your life? Absolutely not! In episode 128: Affirmations Don’t Work & Here’s Why With Faith Mariah you might have heard Faith and I talk about how we set out of this world goals. If you haven’t heard it you can check it out. I’ve included a link in the show notes.
Now as we children we dream of going into space, traveling the world, doing whatever brings us pleasure, and doing work that matters. But as we get older those dreams die. We begin to put limits on how wild and outrageous we dream out of fear that if it seems impossible or too unrealistic we won’t be able to do it so there’s no point in even trying much less writing it down on paper.
But all Trailblazers know that setting goals is not about the attainment of it! It’s about the PROCESS!
Look At Gary Vee
This guy dreams and shares goals that are so far ahead of where he is today, but he doesn’t use that as an excuse to not work towards what he wants. He talks about it all the time, has made plans that he’s constantly moving toward and tweaking as he goes, and he’s confident in the fact that the goal will be achieved because he’s committed to the process!
Tee, But What About This?
Now after hearing that you might be wondering, does that mean if I have a big, outlandish goal that I’m working towards right now then a few years down the line I decide it’s not something I want anymore, should I just pursue something else or do I stick with it to prove I’m a committed, disciplined person who finishes what I start?
And if that’s your question my response would be, if you count the cost, weigh the risks, calculate the requirements and decide today that you want to become an all-star basketball player and you put in the work required to attain this goal. Then 10 years down the line after making significant progress, gaining some traction, and seeing some success you decide you don’t want to pursue this anymore. Do you think it would be healthy for you to continue working towards something that no longer fits your personal life vision? It wouldn’t right?
This is why I always teach my clients that the goal is not the goal. Having a goal is simply a landmark or a clear indication of when you’ve done what you said you would do. It’s the mark of a game well played. Just like athletes use goals and strategy to put in the effort to transform themselves so they can win championships it’s the same game we play when we have audacious goals.
The True Purpose of Goals:
Setting specific goals that stretch your limits naturally causes you to grow, try new things, and evolve as a person just as a by-product of choosing to go for it. When you set goals, you give yourself time to reflect on and communicate in writing exactly what you want to accomplish. It focuses your energy and increases your performance and the level of difficulty or challenge presented with the pursuit of the goal will inspire and fuel you with energy and excitement to get it done.
Children learn to be resourceful through the practice of being goal-directed. In an article at Edutopia, teachers conducted a study and learned that fostering resourcefulness in children involves encouraging them to plan, strategize, prioritize, set goals, seek resources, and monitor their progress. This developed a sense of purpose, meaning, control, and responsibility in the children. But you don’t get the growth benefits from goals or the results unless you actually put in the effort required.
How Do I Know What’s Required?
Well we know goals are not a set and forget kind of deal. The key is in keeping your goals in focus on a regular basis so that you’re constantly taking steps to attain them. Does this mean you need a vision board? Or that you need to repeat affirmations until you’re blue in the face? Or that you need to get up every morning and declare positive things over yourself and your day? Lol, No! But what it does mean is that you live in a way that remains connected to the overall vision of where you’re going.
Here’s What That Looks Like:
I remember back in the day when I was in studying music and my goal was to get into the music industry so I could impact the world through music. I read books, took vocal lessons, wrote songs, and had an entire band ready to go for when I recorded an album. I did not use a vision board to remind me of what I wanted in life. I did not put in one drop of effort to convince myself of the future I was already sold on. I woke up every day with fire under my butt and relentless passion in my heart to do it because I felt called to it. I saw it as my destiny. So every decision I made was in alignment with the outcome I was creating because I knew my destiny was mine and it was just a matter of taking the steps to get there.
Now we look at my life and I’m obviously not pursuing music anymore in the way that I did. It’s still a part of my life but at this time it’s not something I’m doing professionally. Could that change in 10 years? Absolutely. Because you’ve heard me say in previous episodes I’m not bound by anything or defined by the work I do. At the end of the day, I’m a woman with a calling and I align myself with purpose in everything I do.
Some people believe we only have one purpose and once that’s fulfilled we die. But if that were true how come one individual can serve multiple purposes. Here’s what I mean. A man can be a son, dad, husband, friend, co-worker, boss, etc. Each of these roles comes with a specific assignment or purpose. There is a clear outcome connected to each role. If we as humans were not multi-purposed then why do we have multiple roles that meet different outcomes, goals, or purposes?
So What’s The Most Effective Way To Achieve Your Goals?
According to an article by Fast Company “Breaking long-term (annual) goals down into 90-day milestones increases accountability and makes it easier to follow through so you can succeed”. There was another article done by Cultivated Culture that shared “having quarterly goals provides manageable steps for you to get started without overwhelm and finish without burnout.” Who doesn’t want that?
If you want to crush your goals without overworking or burdening yourself with a to-do list then quarterly goals are the way to go because they don’t require you to do everything in your power to win. All you get to focus on are your top-producing activities. Your 5% activities that are responsible for 95% of your results. And that’s how you win. By focusing on the work, tasks, activities, etc that matter!
I hope you found this episode helpful. Share it with someone you love and wanna see win! I love you and I mean it! MWAH!
