Set Goals for Success

My niece, Nikki, is one of my heroes.  She knows what she wants, and she consistently makes decisions that take her in that direction.  When she gets gift certificates for her birthday or Christmas, she saves them up so she can have something she wants, unlike her aunt.  I’m instant gratification girl.  If I get a gift certificate I need to spend it.  It burns a hole in my wallet, and Now! Now! Now! isn’t soon enough to go shopping regardless of whether or not I need or want anything.

So goals are hard for me.  Well, setting goals isn’t hard.  In my years working in corporate America, planning was a big part of my job.  But sticking to the plan is a challenge for me especially if it something just for me vs doing something for someone else.  If this sounds like familiar, here are some ways to look differently at setting and attaining goals.

What do you really want.  It’s important to be clear about that.  How can you get something if you can’t name it?  Your goals and your intentions need to be specific.  Break them down to the core details so you understand them from all angles.  If you want to lose weight, what’s behind that goal?  To look better?  For health reasons?  Are you feeling a bit old and want to be ‘lean and mean’ again?  Are you in a dark place and want to stop hating how you look and therefore hating yourself?  The more honest you can be and the more detail you can uncover, the more options you can explore for how to reach your goal.

There’s a quote from Maya Angelou which inspired Oprah for years:  When you know better you’ll do better.  But even though we all know the health hazards of smoking, so many people struggle to quit.  Smokers I know cite a number of things they get from smoking:  pain relief, relaxation and stress relief, something to do with their hands and/or mouth.  Until they change their feelings about smoking, they’ll probably struggle trying to quite.  People change in response to their emotions, not knowledge and logic.  As you break down your goal and look at what’s driving you to have that goal, examine your feelings along the way.

Set goals that work for you.  For me, that’s shorter-term, actionable goals.  Losing 40 pounds may be the result you want, but at the safe and recommended 1.5 to 2 pounds a week, that’s  – yikes!  20 weeks aka 5 months as a best case, you rocked it, scenario.  If you like your gratification instant (like me), that’s way too long to wait.  However, if you set daily goals that take you in the direction you want to go, like having one meal a day be salad and doing 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week, you can track progress to those specific, action-oriented goals and build on them over time.  

Along the lines of setting goals around action you can take daily, don’t defer your life until you reach your final destination.  If you want to pay off your debt in 2 years, try to incorporate some of the rewards of reaching that goal into your life sooner.   That’s not an invitation to spend like there’s no tomorrow.  Examine what paying down your debt means to you and how it will feel.  Does it mean freedom?  Or security?  Look for other ways to create those feelings for yourself today.

Every good plan has a contingency plan built in.  If you make short-term, daily/weekly action commitments, you can incorporate rewards and a support system along the way.   How will you stay accountable to your intentions?  The buddy system works great, so recruit a friend who has similar goals or is working towards something and keep each other motivated and on track.  Hiring a coach (like me!) is another great strategy.  When you put some skin in the game, your chances of success skyrocket. 

I can’t wait to hear about your goals and dreams.  Contact me.