Setting goals is the easy part. Then life happens! You get busy, urgencies take over, and your ability to achieve goals slides right off the rails. Especially those goals you said “this year it will be different”. Repeating a history that you wish was different happens much more often than you might think!
So why did that happen?
Three reasons that trip up your ability to achieve goals that you set.
- Old habits creep back in
- Your inner voice convinces you otherwise
- Thousands of external influences block every positive step of change you take
When your business or career and life in general get busy, and they will, the rising stress to meet deadlines and get things done diverts your attention away from those important but not so urgent goals. When push comes to shove your inner voice also chirps in to remind you of why creating change is not a good idea and why you don’t deserve the reward you envision.
Like I said, it happens all the time.
Think about resolutions and your desire to achieve goals on weight loss, exercise, quitting smoking or anything financial. Urgency addiction and a strong negative inner voice always seem to win out. We start out excited and motivated then the slide begins.
5 Steps To Achieve Goals And Create Real Change
Here are 5 things you can do right now to ensure you’ll stay on track, achieve goals, and have a different experience of work and life this year.
1. Set goals that really matter
As Stephen Covey says, we must begin with the end in mind. If you’re not sure what really matters most to you then please read this post called The Seven Waves Of Real Success for guidance on this.
2. Control your calendar and schedule everything
If urgency and your inner voice tend to take over, schedule everything, Schedule the important but not urgent goals FIRST each week so that they get into your calendar. Then set alarms and commit to not bumping these events. Fill your calendar with everything else afterwards. Repeatedly doing the right things will gradually set a new habit you’ll naturally want to follow.
3. Take baby steps
Begin with steps that won’t overwhelm you or your calendar. Then progress to bigger steps if it’s working or smaller baby steps if it’s not. If necessary re-evaluate the priority to drop the goal or recognize the story tripping you up and get help to over come it.
4. Assess and celebrate weekly
This step is critical in motivating you to keep on progressing or to stop the slide and get back on track before old habit kicks in. You don’t want to wake up 6 months later wondering what the heck went wrong.
5. Get an accountability buddy or coach (not an enabling buddy though)
Working along with someone who can push you to remain accountable and on track and help you progress to new levels when you are ready is essential. As a business owner or career minded professional you often get in that mindset of needing to do it all by yourself. The right support can not only help you stay on track, it can help you get to levels you never could have by yourself… and faster too!
It’s normal to resist big change so having some help can be a great idea.
Incorporate each of these 5 steps into your weekly planning and you will achieve goals that really matter and at a level you have not yet experienced.
Beginning with a degree in exercise science and kinesiology, Brent Haydey has evolved over thirty years as an entrepreneur; building four businesses, and as a health, executive, and life coach.
