I realize that not everyone has the internal drive to challenge themselves with some big-time goals for 2018. I’m a goal oriented leader that is greatly motivated by setting and achieving goals. If you are a seasoned goal achiever or a never been a goal believer, I really hope this short article might be an encouraging read.
I’ve learned a few things that greatly improve my success rate in actually achieving these goals. As a result, I’d like to share four of those leanings:
- Set goals that are attainable. Yes, set goals that are challenging, but if you know that you cannot sustain them, you’ll only add to the list of expectations that you cannot meet. Unmet expectations can kill your dreams and suck the life out of your goals. Just be honest with yourself.
- Start small and dream big. If you want to lose 100 pounds, set your target to lose 2 pounds this week. If you want to write a book, set your target to write 15 minutes each day. Last year, I actually set my goal to do 1 pushup a day and increase that number by 1 more each week. At the end of 2017, I can now achieve 53 pushups each day. Starting small is the key for many of our goals. It works in ever desired outcome that you create.
- Write your goals down and keep them in front of you. If you don’t already, be sure to place your goals into a written document. Share it with a few folks that can both encourage you and graciously hold you accountable. Until you write goals down and place a few deadlines on them, you are simply dreaming, not achieving.
- When you get “off the beam,” simply get back on. Pilots refer to a flight plan as “staying on the beam.” When they get off the beam, they course correct and get back on track. You will have a season that your commitment to your goals gets off the beam. Don’t stay there. Just pick the morning that you will get your will and your way back on the beam. It’s going to happen. It happens to all of us. Don’t let it end the goal. You can do this!
If you have never given a bit of your time to set a few goals, start now. It can radically change your year. I’ll share a few of my goals with you later this week. Sometimes we need a cheat sheet to get our goal motivations started. If you need a little help, just send me your list of questions to chuck@achuckallen.com
–AChuck