Ready to achieve more of the goals that you set? Here’s what’s working for me!
1. Set Smart Goals that Depend on Your Actions
No, not just the measurable kind… though that’s important… but the kind that are within YOUR control completely.
Learning how to do this completely shifted the way I felt about goal setting. (I learned this from Adam Urbanski in his Success Focus program, which I cannot recommend too highly!)
Instead of:
- I will fill a workshop with X # of participants.
I’d set a goals like this:
- I will write and publish a sales page for my next workshop.
- I will drive traffic to that page by… (sharing it on social media, writing a press release, sending an email to my list, etc).
- Every day for two weeks I will find one way to promote this workshop and invite at least 3 people personally to participate.
- I will actively encourage my affiliates to help me get the word out by… (how I would do this).
See the difference? The second list is completely within my control and doesn’t depend on anyone else’s decisions. But if I achieve all those, think I’ll achieve the first goal?
It’s so much easier to stick to my goals when I know they depend completely on ME. I’m not discouraged when I get a “no” or something doesn’t work as well as I’d hoped, I just go back to the drawing board for a new idea or move to the next thing on my list to promote!
2. Find Your Motivations
You’ve got to find what works for you. What motivates you? What energizes you?
Is it rewards? Accountability? The goals? The process?
How do you find that hyper focused “zone” that lets you get things done?
Think about a time you were able to stick to it and achieve a goal or complete a task. What enabled you to do that?
3. Create Accountability
A few weeks ago I was on the verge of totally missing a deadline I’d set for myself. I didn’t want to do the work. I wasn’t feeling inspired.
It’d have been so much easier to just throw myself on the couch, wrap up in a blanket, and watch an action movie.
But… I’d told my mastermind group I would make it happen. And I know that the end of August I have to see them in person… I don’t want to be in the front of the room admitting I gave up!
That was the accountability I needed to jump in and make it happen.
Who do you have in your life that can help you be accountable for reaching the goals you set for yourself? Find a friend or colleague, a coach or mentor, or mastermind group and help each other.
And add some sparkle!
Why’d I say “stick like glitter glue” instead of “super glue”? Isn’t glitter glue more fun?!
Make your goals fun, too, by rewarding yourself when you accomplish them.
Today I’m sitting at Starbucks and I’ve been here for a couple of hours, writing blog posts for the next couple of weeks on my blog. My reward to myself was two Michael Franti albums on iTunes I didn’t have yet.
For bigger goals, give yourself bigger rewards. Acknowledge yourself for achieving the goals you set! Because you rock.
Your Turn!
Here’s a bonus tip – keep a victory list of the goals you’ve achieved. When you’re feeling less than motivated, look back over what you’ve accomplished to remind yourself that YOU CAN do it!
And here’s my question for you today… in the comments, would you share a goal you’ve set that you achieved? :)
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Hi Michelle,
I do agree on what you have written. I think it would be best if we made it in written form and put in on place we easy to look at. This way we will always remember it.
I have an accountability partner, which has helped tremendously! We meet every Tuesday (haven’t missed one since we started back in March!). We keep our goals written down on a Google Doc so we can reference them and as you said refer back to them to see how far we’ve come.
And, our next 3 month rewards is a trip to the wineries! How’s that for motivation!
I love this! You totally turned the obnoxious and boring explanation of SMART Goals around made it FUN! Looks like I need to break out the glitter glue and finish working on the ones I started months ago.
One goal that I was very proud of finishing was my planning guide. Boy did that take a lot out of me. But with the help of some awesome ladies (you included), I did finally get it done and it seems to be a pretty popular “freebie”. I’ve actually been working on turning it into a 6 module workshop. And SMART Goals is part of one of them.
Can I use your post in the reference section? <3
Brilliant as usual Michelle. The accountability piece is big. If only more individuals understand the value and power of accountability. Thanks again for an empowering post.
Step 1 is fantastic! I haven’t really thought of it this way, thanks for sharing this idea… I’ll definitely use it for my next project :)
Great post, you are right, we all do rock and deserve the best. Setting and sticking to goals is a great way to achieve our dreams.
Michelle,
Thanks for this post and “Yes, glitter glue is more fun than super glue.”
Recently, my website fell apart. It has taken me weeks to put it together again, always distracted by the fact that I felt I was falling behind. Instead of working on the business development goals I had written for this past quarter, I was putting former pieces of work back together and it was a giant PAIN IN THE YOU KNOW WHAT!
What turned it around? I asked myself, what new goals could I set that would be a step towards putting the website back together AND get me to some fast cash income that would help me 1) hire some help, and 2) put me back on my main path?
Voila! I have just completed the first of three sections with the next two 80% of the way. Simplified. And with marketing to bring my new simplified messages to my market, there’s some cash towards help with the next steps.
Part of my new found energy for goal setting is the discovery that Identity Goals work for me e.g. as a business woman I have a daily business practice so my new web development goal isn’t defined by quantity and time. It’s defined by my identity as a business woman with a daily marketing practice and a visibility goal (that I work on daily). My “broken” website is a priority for spending some of each day’s marketing/visibility practice in re-crafting the site.
For me, that sparkles! And sticks like glitter glue!
Kate
I love the way you explained the smart goals because that is so much more doable for me. In the past I didn’t like setting goals although I know they are important, but now I will set them as you described above. I do have a couple of accountability partners which have been very helpful. One thing I’ve got to get better at is rewarding myself as I tend to just keep working. Great post!
Hi Michelle,
Accountability is the motivator for me. Similar to your example I dread the feeling of having to sugar coat my excuse of failure to others!
As for your questions I don’t rewards myself much, but I will now. My last reward was a long time ago. I can’t remember the goal I reached but I remember I was on a diet so I bought Terry’s chocolate orange. Life doesn’t get much better with Terry’s!
Thanks for great read.
Naomi
Great advice, Michelle! I’ll make sure to follow these to achieve my goals.