You Can Reach Your Goals, But Why Would You?
This lovely Friday morning I’m turning the spotlight on Life reDirection Strategist, Jessica Horstman-Sabatini, owner of www.Prosper-with-Purpose.com. I’ve worked with Jessica to achieve goals and you’ll do well to take a few minutes and read what she has to say about reaching your goals…
Okay, you are an ambitious small business owner. You have good organizational and time management skills. You are self-motivated. You believe in and set big, hairy, audacious goals, so why don’t you achieve them? The truth is, most of us don’t have a good enough reason to be successful. So how can we tap into a strong enough reason and reach our goals? Let’s break it into steps.
Step One: Set a specific and achievable goal worth going for
- Gross $200,000 by Dec 31st
- Sign five new clients by the end of the month
- Lose ten pounds by beach season
Great! You’ve set a specific goal that you believe in. You are now way ahead of the majority of your peers who are wondering around aimlessly. What do you do next? Do you work your butt off doing things to make it happen? No! Every year, I watch as colleagues burn themselves out going for big goals that they never reach. They are smart enough. They have the resources and the drive. What they don’t have is the reason.
Step Two: Find a good enough reason to go for this goal. Why is this goal worth going for?
- Why gross $200,000?
- Why sign five new clients?
- Why lose ten pounds?
Don’t fret if the reason doesn’t come up and bite you on the arm. It is perfectly acceptable to sit down and put some thought into this. Ask yourself what accomplishing this goal will get you? How will your life be different? What could be possible if you achieved this goal? List a whole bunch of reasons to get your juices flowing. Then look at your list and ask yourself how inspiring each reason is on a scale of 1-10. If you don’t have a single reason that’s at least a 9, put some more thought into it.
I had always wanted to get in shape. I set body goals every year and never reached one. I decided to take a look at my reason for having visible muscles or losing ten pounds. My reason was “to look hot.” Looking hot is about a 6 on the inspiration meter for me. So, I sat down and thought about what could be a motivational reason for me to get in shape. It took some time, but I realized that becoming a super-healthy-baby-maker filled my heart with joy, definitely a 10, maybe even a 12 on the inspiration meter. Suddenly, watching my carbs, taking vitamins, and going to the gym became a delightful part of my life instead of a toiling process.
If you have racked your brain, and still cannot come up with a good enough reason, you may need to reexamine your goal. In your gut, is this the goal you really want? Or, perhaps a reward would be an exciting motivation for you. If you gross $200,000, reward yourself with a trip to Hawaii. If you lose ten pounds, reward yourself with a new outfit. Again, make sure the reward reads at least a 9 on the inspiration meter. But it doesn’t stop there. You also need to…
Step Three: Keep it in mind
- Post the goal and reason where you see it everyday
- Put a picture of Hawaii next to your computer
- Write a fake article about your success and read it weekly
As the old saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” I find that creating a visual reminder can help keep your goal and the reason behind it fresh in your mind. Write it out, make a collage, hang a bikini on the wall, anything that will put your goal in the forefront of your thoughts. I have a picture of a vibrant, strong woman who is about 8 months pregnant on my fridge. A visual reminder can help maintain your motivation as you now delight in working hard towards your goal. You know what you want to achieve and how achieving that goal will enhance your life. You can do it. You just need a good enough reason.
“Ready to set awesome goals in your life? Contact Jessica to set up your Goal Setting Session. In this session, we do an assessment of everything currently taking up time or energy in your life, clarify which are your top priorities and set unique goals that immediately inspire action. This session is amazing at helping you to gain clarity over where you are and what you want in life. You get an hour and a half with Jessica at only $195! Reserve your session now! 718-701-1092 or HeyThere@Prosper-with-Purpose.com”
