Goal Setting - set them.. then smash them
You have probably heard the saying a goal that is not written down is just a dream? Well I use to be a dreamer…. I really wanted to believe I was creating strong goals and then working hard to achieve them but really, they were dreams. Now that i think more about that statement...How much thinking is going on in your head? Having your goals up there too could make it quite crowded. Goals are things that you don’t want to get muddled up with other day to day things like, what to make your kids for lunch, or what you are going to wear to next week’s big meeting. They need to be prioritised. Time needs to be set aside and not rescheduled or shifted. Ultimately with our busy schedules it is too difficult to achieve this all from our minds.
If that is in fact how you set your goals then the question is….. How bad do you want it?
I am not saying there is anything wrong with the dreamers. The ones who keep goals only in their head. They are where it all begins. However, if you are a dreamer (like I was) and are ready to turn those dreams into reality, then goal setting is for you.
Here are a few simple tips to getting started with your goals setting. So easy and effective you will not look back!
1) Write them down: Big or small … paper, laptop or phone it doesn’t matter! Get those goals out of your mind. They have no place there. Being visual means they are real. This seems miniscule and irrelevant but it matters and it is the first step to achieving your goals.
2) Make them count: Goals such as “lose weight” or “get fit”…. Yeah.. they don’t count. What is it you really want to achieve? If its weight loss then how much? In what time frame? If you want to get fit then how do you measure fitness? A full game of netball? A walk up the Hakarimatas? A marathon? Be specific! The more vague or loose you are with your goals, the more that you can convince yourself that maybe you have done enough without it being accountable .
3) Have no more than three: My fiancé is obsessed with of a business speaker call Dr Mike Ashby who in his book, often quotes from The Four Disciplines of Execution. The “4DX guys” as he calls them say, results can only be achieved when you are clear about what matters most and put your time energy and resources into those things ahead of everything else… if you start with two or three goals, you will likely achieve two or three. If you start with between four and ten goals you will likely achieve one or two. If you start with more than that, you will likely not achieve any of them. It is important that you have no more than three at a time. Stay focused on that, then move forward from there.
4) Share them: I blog often about finding your tribe, and I truly believe it is important to most of the things I write about. Surrounding yourself with the right people is the key essence of a wonderful life. Sharing these goals with the right people is so vital to achieving them! I am not talking about a public statement on Facebook or Instagram either, I am talking of a select few, a support crew, or a team that has your best interests at heart. Research “argues that” once we have made a public choice, or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment, (instead of genuine support and encouragement) so keep your goals within your tribe. Not only will they offer you support but when it comes to health and fitness, more and more studies show that it is not the diet you choose that gets results, it is ultimately your ability to stick to it. The kicker is, to get support, your tribe, you have to ask for it and that means sharing your goals with like-minded, like-valued people.
I say it all the time! I will most likely say it again….
Who you associate with matters!
5) Don’t wait! If you’re waiting for the ‘right time’ or that ‘perfect moment’ then don’t. If I have learned anything from achieving the big goals on my list , most of them were finally achieved with the “let’s just make this s*** it happen” attitude. This is not as easy as it sounds. Adopting this attitude is not in my nature. This is probably hard to believe but when it comes to certain things I am a perfectionist. This is a word I don’t like ‘perfectionist’ because it sounds like I think I’m perfect, which I am far from. I think the better words are fussy and picky, either way, I am. This can sound rather glamorous and determined but don't be fooled it is the easiest way to make sure nothing gets done. Waiting for the right time could be the very thing holding you back from goal smashing! If you are waiting until you come back from holiday to start at a gym, or waiting until you lose 10kg before you step into a fitness centre, then don’t. There will always be another holiday, and another 10kg to hold you back
There is never a more perfect time than NOW!
So what is stopping you? Set some goals and start smashing your way through them!
Emma.
