LOST GOALS – SIMPLIFY AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Are you the type of person that sets a goal and often doesn’t finish it? Do you ever wonder why you aren’t able to complete the goal? Or, are you the type that has failed at so many goals in the past that you are done with goals and refuse to set them anymore because you can’t handle failing yet another time? Take a moment and google ‘goals’ and you will find 958,000,000 different search results. This huge number indicates this probably won’t be the first article you’ve read on goals, or the last; however, I can assure you this article will give you simple, daily actions that can absolutely change your life’s direction and give you the tools to begin crushing your goals.
We will briefly discuss the following progression: Lifelong Habits, Over-zealous Start, Simple Execution, and Tracking Momentum; or as I call it LOST Goals.
L – LIFELONG HABITS
Of all of the people I’ve worked with in my different roles throughout the years, no one has ever said, “I can’t wait to quit this goal and not improve.” Every person has started with great intentions. It has been these great intentions that have given me the opportunity to spend time with a vast number of people that are drastically different, yet often fail in a very similar way. They have Lifelong habits they are trying to improve and often, they decide the best way to improve and reach their goals is to emulate the top person or source in that field. They talk to friends and go online. They try to discover the best workout, the most aggressive sales process, the best diet, or the perfect budget. Their eagerness to improve consumes them, and overtakes every thought they have with hopes of one day reaching that mountain top.
Yet, even with the most ambitious starts, Lifelong habits creep in. They miss a workout, only complete 5 cold calls, overspend on an outfit, or have 3 slices of pizza for dinner. Unfortunately, self-doubt begins to enter their mind. ‘I’ve already screwed up’. ‘I can’t believe I’ve messed up this quickly’. ‘I’ll never be able to complete the goal’. That self-doubt continues to fester, and sometimes turns to shame.
O – OVERZEALOUS START
One of the biggest problems with goal setting is an Over-zealous start. We look at the end goal – losing 50 pounds, getting out of debt, becoming an expert salesperson, saving money for an emergency fund – and we mentally commit to the idea that bigger is better. We immediately begin the expert workout 6 days a week, start the absolutely perfect diet, begin working 14-hour sales days, or begin to save every single dollar. However, this Over-zealous start is often not enough to help us overcome our lifelong habits, and when we are not successful it can lead us to self-doubt and ultimately, quitting.
S – SIMPLIFY
So, how do we break the quitting pattern and achieve our goals? Many researchers say it takes at least 21 days to create a new habit. 21 days in a row can be an overwhelming number, and we need to Simplify our plan. We need to make daily actionable activities that we accomplish and allow ourselves to gain momentum. What I’m suggesting is an absolutely Simple idea. Every day before you go to bed, take out your goal journal and write a small decision you made that day that supports your long-term goal (you can certainly write more if you choose, however one is all that is necessary).
T – TRACK MOMENTUM
THAT’S IT. Then the next day, before going to bed, Track another small decision you made that day that supports your goal. Continue this process for one month. Think about how it could feel after 30 days of making at least 1 decision towards the goal you are working towards every day. Think about a sporting event when momentum is in one teams favor. It seems like everything that team does and every action they make keeps pointing them to the goal: winning the game. The momentum will begin to build and before you know it, you’ll be making the small decisions automatically. You will have begun a new habit.
Once you’ve started a new habit and those lifelong traditions have been subdued, you are much more prepared to begin a more intense goal setting program because you’ve already proven to yourself you can do it. Remember, you now have momentum on your side!
Best of luck to you reaching your goal and remember we all have Long-term habits, need to make sure we are not Overzealous when we start, must Simplify our plan, and Track our progress so momentum will drive us to success!
Justin Clark is a sales professional who is passionate about people and helping them become the best version of themselves.