This month my main theme has been all about goal-setting. It’s funny because I set up this tracker the other day to start a new habit for 21 days and so far, I’ve missed every day – I mean not one time have I done something on this particular goal and it’s already mid-January.
So since the first step to taking corrective personal action is awareness, I moved myself into phase 2 - I had to stop and examine what is going on with me that would keep me from moving forward & walking confidently into this goal. It took me about a day or two to pander around with this, but I think I figured it out.
I didn’t have any love for the goal at all.
Passion for the goal? What a thought! Yes, I am developing this theory now that in order to truly be successful at accomplishing something you want, you must have a strong desire to do it. Passion is a main ingredient for getting what you want.
What other ingredients are there?
* Positive, forward focus – a well formed goal should be one that you are moving towards, not away from. I learned this in NLP. If you say, I’m going to stop eating big,cinnamon sugary donuts every day and that’s what you focus on as your statement you’re more likely to expand the picture of big donuts in your mind. Therefore, you’re more likely to do what?? Eat more big cinnamon sugary donuts. Create the statement in a forward focus – I want a healthy diet daily where I drink water, eat fruits and vegetables, etc. Now where’s the focus? Yes! You’ve got a mental picture of a healthy diet; * Alignment with your faith/values – if you have a strong aversion to cigarette smoke, but your goal is to work at the Marlboro factory, you’re probably less likely to do what it takes to get the job. However, if you examine what’s most important to you and have aligned your goal with what you believe, you are more likely to pursue with full force; * Must be self-initiated and maintained – one other thing besides strong desire/passion for a goal to be successful. You have to be the one that can take action towards the goal, not someone else. I’ve tried to give a good friend what I thought was the most outstanding advice ever, but guess what, it came back as “that didn’t work for me” or “I just didn’t get to it”. Why? Because I was trying to take the driver’s seat for them. You can only drive your goals, your own pursuits. Sure, you can influence from the passenger seat, but when it comes to making a goal successful, it has to be something you can initiate yourself and keep up with.
Well, I learned a few things this weekend about myself. And I’ve decided to scrap that goal I had for now and start a new one that has all the right ingredients. First, I’ll make sure it’s something I really have sincere passion to accomplish.
MBA Woman out!
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Tanya Smith, the Monday Makeover Coach, helps busy mid-career professional women liberate their thinking so they can enjoy waking up daily to work they love. Become a fan for exclusive previews on Facebook at http://facebook.com/workcoach. Get ready to experience career transformation through the upcoming coaching group, MBA Woman Success Circle this February!
