Goal-Setting Strategies that Work
I recently signed up to receive tips from a very famous life coach and bestselling author who said that the number one reason people aren’t successful is because they don’t complete their goals. This is a rather simplistic bit of advice and not very helpful. After all, no one sets goals with the intention of not doing them. We set goals because we do want to achieve them. So simply telling someone to complete the goals they set is poor advice, in my humble opinion. You need a better goal-setting strategy for success than that!
A much more interesting question would be to take a look at all the things you’ve said you wanted to do and ask yourself, “Why haven’t I completed this goal?”
What has prevented you from reaching this goal?
Let’s take a look at a popular goal–lose weight and get in shape. It all starts off great– you sign up for the gym membership and get going on a diet, but come February most people stop going to the gym and their diet has fallen by the wayside. What happened?
Well, this case is like most. You failed because you set the wrong goal in the first place.
Very few people really love going to the gym and I haven’t heard of a single person say they love dieting. So right off the bat we have a big problem. You don’t really want to do the thing you set out to do. And so you force yourself for a month or two and then you quit. Perfectly normal behavior. No one wants to carry on doing something painful or difficult that they don’t like doing so why should you be any different? So, then what goal-setting strategies can you use for success?
They key to being successful is to pick goals that you really want to do in the first place.
In the case of losing weight, you want the end result – a healthy, fit and attractive body. Instead of a goal to lose weight, focus on the end result. How can I achieve that? There are loads of ways to do that that could be fun and enjoyable such as becoming a yoga teacher, taking dance lessons or a kick-boxing class, joining a running, walking, or cycling group, learning to scuba dive. You get the idea. Pick something that appeals and is fun, and you’ll be much more likely to stick with it.
The first reason people don’t achieve their goals is that they’ve chosen the wrong goal.
The second reason for failure is that they don’t have a rock solid structure for support.
The key to successful goal-setting strategies is not discipline or willpower or even inspiration. Those might get you started, but they won’t be enough to sustain you. You need to set up a structure for support that will ensure your success. This way, even when you don’t feel like doing it anymore, the support structure or system will keep you going.
If you enjoy going to the gym, then a structure for success might be setting up a regular work-out buddy or hiring a personal trainer. For nutrition, you may be amazed to discover you save money by hiring a professional chef service to prepare your meals for you. Stop struggling on your own and instead invest in a rock-solid structure that will ensure you are much more likely to reach your goals, especially if they are the super difficult ones like losing weight or getting in shape.
Talane’s Goal-Setting Strategy Checklist for Success:
1. Pick the right goal.
Is it aligned to one of your top four core values? If a goal is aligned to one of your core values, even if you never reach the end result, you will still have fun and enjoy the process. You won’t be wasting your precious time on the wrong objective. At the very least, make sure it is enjoyable or fun.
2. If a goal is over one year old, toss it.
Don’t waste time trying to resuscitate a dead goal. Pick a new goal that truly excites you instead. This should mean that you toss out the goals “Lose weight and get in shape” and replace them with something exciting instead.
3. Set up a rock solid structure for support.
This might be a buddy, a life coach, an automatic system that kicks in when you don’t feel up to it. If your goal is wealth, then set up an automatic savings account to start.
4. Focus.
Only pick one or two big goals for the year. A big goal takes six months to one year to accomplish. You can also have three smaller projects going at any one time. A project takes less time. One of your three projects should always be supporting your big goal. The other two can be whatever you want, but don’t tackle a fourth project until you complete one of the three. Most people spread themselves too thin and dilute their time, energy and resources. For example, if your big goal is to write a book, then a supporting project might be to do some research or to write one chapter. If your big goal is health and vitality, then a supporting project might be to hire a nutritionist or take a dance class. It’s okay if all three of your projects support your big goal, in fact, it is great!
To read more about goal-setting strategies click here.
One simple way to set up a rock-solid structure for support is to join the fun and supportive community in our PREMIER Online life coaching course. Members get weekly life coaching assignments that keep you focused on improving your life throughout the year.
And, all PREMIER Online course members get to participate in the Coaching Call-in-Hours where you can ask me any questions you want. If you can’t make the calls, feel free to email us your question ahead of the call and we will always try to answer your coaching question. We send out a recording of the call so you can listen in and catch-up when it suits you.
Don’t get stuck this year! For more information about our PREMIER Online life coaching program click here. You have nothing to lose but a life you don’t love!
