3 Tips for Powerful Goal setting
Have you ever sat down with a pen and paper to start writing down your goals for the new year and thought “What’s the point, i won’t get through half the year having completed them!” Or you may have felt overwhelmed with all the things you want to accomplish that you end up doodling your sleeping cat? Goal setting can feel like writing a grocery list or a bunch of chores that need to get done. It’s no fun to pursue a dream, be a better you, or gain confidence if you feel enslaved to do so. How does one make goal setting exciting, energizing, and worth one's investment? Drawing from my own life experience I have come up with 3 ways to attack your goals with vigor and lasting drive in seeing them to completion. I call them the 3Ms of goal setting: Meaning, Momentum, and Motivation.
Why are you setting this goal? Once this goal is reached, how will it enhance your life? If you don’t reach this goal, what will be lacking in your life? By knowing the meaning behind your goal, you uncover the purpose and definition of why it is important to you. Uncovering the meaning behind a goal helps you see the prize (outcome) before it is manifested, creating a hunger to go after it with all of your heart’s desire. When you connect an emotional response to an item, you gain an excitement and a personal connection to it. When we make a personal connection with an item, unseen, our brain starts to make us aware of this item more often. Similarly, when you set out to buy or envision the car you want all of a sudden you see that very same car everywhere. That type of car has always been around. It is you who has become aware of it because of your emotional connection in obtaining it.
Momentum!
Another way to add vigor towards goal setting is by generating momentum. Like a bullet being shot through the barrel of a gun, what must you create in order to catapult yourself at high speeds toward your target? What action steps do you need to take to carry out this goal? A goal can become forgotten or lost in the everyday hustle of life if daily action is not taken. Having passion for a goal is only half the climb. The other half is the execution. The action (steps) do not have to be big, just so long as you are moving, daily, in the direction of your dreams. When a baby realizes he has command over his feet and legs, there is no stopping him from running toward the skies. Yet, he only comes to this realization through daily practice and perseverance.
Motivation!
Perseverance can also be seen as motivation. Our motivation is like the fuel that drives us to the finish line. What is going to keep your gas tank full until the end? What do you need to have in place when the journey toward your goal(s) become discouraging and or a daily? What is the prize waiting for you at the finish line? Your motivation should be that last cup of water available to you when you thought the gatorade container was empty and dry. Whether you hire a life coach to keep you accountable, place post-its affirmations around your room, or you reward yourself with a double chocolate fudge sundae, your motivation should be the inspiration that brings you back to life when you want to stop and call it quits!
Through understanding the meaning behind your goals, generating momentum to go after them, and holding on to your motivation during the rough times you will ultimately unlock the potential of your heart, create a sense of accomplishment, and gain confidence that you never thought you possessed. You ready for the best adventure of your life? Your are worth it!