What is the definition of a goal?
According to dictionary.com, a goal is the result or achievement toward which effort is directed. All this means is a goal is a specific result or achievement you want to attain so you direct your energy and effort to attain it. That’s simple enough, right? But what does it take to crush your goals? Is it just a matter of doing what has to be done to get your desired results or is there more involved? You probably guessed right, there is more!
Most of the time when we pursue a new goal it is bigger than
– who we are right now (our character)
– what we have right now (the number of resources we have access to)
– what we can do right now (our professional and personal skills)
– what we’ve done before (our overall experience)
So this challenges us to grow on every level and we feel uncomfortable. Almost like being a fish out of water. We doubt ourselves because we’ve never done it and aren’t sure if we’re really capable of crushing this, we feel underprepared because we don’t have all of the resources we need (support, money, books, etc), we are insecure about our skills because we have no experience and we don’t know where to start. So most days, we’re overwhelmed by the big picture and we feel lost. Am I right? Lol, well this ends right now. You don’t have to struggle through another goal. Not on my watch!
Crushing your goal means you get the exact result you set out to get within a predetermined amount of time. So how will YOU know if you’ve attained your goal? Your goal has to be measurable. It has to have a specific target or objective and a deadline. The objective is what you want to accomplish and the deadline sets a timeframe for when you will accomplish it.
Example:
Goal planning
Target/objective: lose 10 lbs
Deadline: December 31st, 2018
Once this is established you’re able to further break your goal down into baby steps to ensure that you’re on track to hit your big goal which is due in December. Does this make sense?
I know you talk about it all the time, see it in your dreams every night, spend time imagining the endless possibilities you can create, and you can’t stop thinking about it, but do you REALLY believe in your goal? Is it something you can’t live without accomplishing or is it only something you hope or wish you will accomplish ONE DAY. The evidence of your belief is in having a written plan for how you will achieve your goal and applying practical steps to make it happen. No excuses, no compromise and no deviating from your goal.
Research proves that you are 39.5% more likely to accomplish your goals when you write them down and 76.7% more likely to achieve them when you have reliable accountability. Accountability comes in many forms, but the most common forms include a successful friend, mentor, or coach. All of these are valid and will serve you to get you from where you are now to where you want to be, however, you have to be very selective when choosing a form of accountability. You want someone who believes in you, has walked in your shoes and can push you to get to the next level. Someone with proven results and experience crushing challenging life goals.
To figure this out right now I want you to ask yourself these question and to answer it honestly. Don’t worry no one is there! You won’t be judged for your answer (and by the way, there really is no wrong answer). Okay, are you ready?
Close your eyes and imagine your big picture goal. What will it take to get there? What are all of the steps you will need to take to get the final result? What are all of the big and small sacrifices you’ll have to make to live your long-term goal?
Now once you’ve honestly answered these questions continue to answer the ones below:
Do I really want to spend my life pursuing this goal?
Can I attain this goal?
How will attaining this goal change my life?
Are my skills aligned with what I want to achieve?
If not what area or skill do I need to improve to get the results I want?
Okay, now tell me, do you believe in yourself? Out of 5 how confident are you in your capabilities, your knowledge, and your experience to get you to where you want to be? If you said 3 or higher, Wooooouuuuu hoooouuuu! Go for it! But if you said anything less, it’s time to work on your personal belief system because this will affect your overall success in life.
– Proverbs
Do you feel like you need to read hundreds of books to understand the concept before you start? What about attend multiple seminars on the subject, watch tons of video’s online and then finally you’ll be able to make your first attempt to crush your goal? Is that how you practice goal planning?
If you said yes, you’re not the only one. In our world, having access to free unlimited information paved the way for us to be hungry for knowledge and slow to take action. With this, many people (including me at one time) feel they need to know ALL of the options and facts before committing to one route. Although having knowledge can empower us, sometimes too much information (which I call information overload) can lead to indecision, over-analyzing, and limited progress because we never get moving!
Stop cluttering your mind with all of the information on how others have achieved a similar goal to yours and stop trying to create your own strategy out of the pieces you put together from the different sources you find online. There’s an easier way. Here’s my secret
Get clear on the following:
What has stopped you from getting started?
Have you attempted this goal in the past?
What has stopped you from getting results?
What distracts you when you get started?
What discourages you from continuing?
Do you constantly start and stop projects in your life?
Are you stuck in an unproductive cycle?
What inspires you to pursue your goals when you get distracted?
And so on…
Dig deep and identify the obstacles, roadblocks, and distractions you encounter that lead you away from the results you want. The key is to find patterns and cycles that you have entertained for years. Find similarities and root issues that have been in your family for a while.
Trust me, this doesn’t have to be complicated. Consider simple things like punctuality. Are you always late? Is there anyone else in your family that shares your prone to lateness? If so, this is a roadblock and it’s working against the success you are trying to create. You have to deal with it. Before you can start crushing your goals you have to know what possible obstacles and distractions will appear and cause you to deviate from your plan. Without this awareness, you will fall into the same traps time and time again. Trust me, I’ve done it and I’ve seen it happen, many times!
So, everything that I mentioned in this blog is simple, BUT it’s not easy. It takes some serious hard work to crush your goal and move onto bigger, more challenging goals. Thankfully, we’re here to help.
Maybe you know you’ve been procrastinating, over planning, over-analyzing, underprepared, and easily distracted. Then, let us help. I’ve got an easy way for you to learn about the strategies I teach for achieving your goals starting with the most challenging one.
Join us in this free masterclass, where I share how our clients achieve their most challenging life goals even if they don’t know where to start.
During this masterclass, you’ll discover…
How to focus on your goals and keep your eyes on the prize even if you have a lot of priorities and responsibilities trying to get your attention.
How to attain a goal within a limited amount of time even if you feel overwhelmed
How to go from getting average and inconsistent results to getting extraordinary results even if you’re new to goal planning
How you can achieve your goals even if you struggle with self-discipline
Remember, you’re dreams are possible and you CAN crush your overdue goals this year. Write your dreams down on paper (get a goal crushing notebook), find reliable accountability, and make sure to spend at least 30 minutes identifying all of your roadblocks. I’ll be with you every step of the way, eager to watch you soar in your goal crushing journey! Are you ready to start? Register now for the next class.
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One Comment
Great read!