(HINT: And Just Having Goals Isn’t Enough)
Almost a year and a half ago, right at the end of the year, I started working with a new coaching client. He’d become stagnant in his personal growth and in his pursuit of his goals.
He was stuck.
As the new year approached, some people began to post about their goals for the upcoming year. Others, well, they shared why they weren’t setting any goals in the first place.
Some were adamant that nothing would stop them from moving forward. Others still shared their wins of the year but didn’t mention how they’d leverage their momentum to do even more in the coming year.
The more I looked at what people were saying about how they were going to achieve their goals, the more I realized my coaching client’s struggles mirrored the challenges of many of the people I know, and also many of the challenges I’ve faced as an entrepreneur.
I want you to achieve your goals. I want you to make a list of things you want to accomplish and be able to cross it off six or twelve months from now. I want you to win.
But, what I’ve learned is there are two things you need if you’re going to achieve your goals. There are two key ingredients, and without them, you aren’t likely to succeed.
Reason #1: Nothing is pushing you.
Without a desire to leave where you are, you’ll never get where you want to go.
When I worked at my corporate job, I was tired of the poor treatment, the lack of respect, and the absence of opportunity. I didn’t like where I was or where I was headed if I stayed there.
My job was pushing me away. The longer I stayed, the worse the environment got and the more I wanted to leave.
But, to be honest, though I was being pushed away, I had no idea where I wanted to go. And, because I wasn’t clear about my goals, I sat, miserable, getting pushed but without a place to go.
Reason #2: Nothing is pulling you.
There’s a huge difference between being pushed and being pulled. Let me give you an example.
A few years ago, two of my corporate colleagues applied for the same job. One of these friends got the promotion, the other didn’t.
Since I was in a leadership position, I started asking questions to the hiring managers who had sat in on the interviews. I wanted to know why one of the candidates had done so well, and the other hadn’t.
I wanted to know why two employees, of roughly the same age and training, and with comparable levels of success and tenure had such different results.
One of the hiring managers finally gave me the answer I was looking for. He told me the key to winning in life and in business and achieve the goals we set for ourselves.
The hiring manager told me,
One employee seemed as if he was running away from his current job. The other, the one we chose to hire, seemed as if he was running toward this job. We want someone who is excited, not someone who is desperate to leave.
Wow!
It’s not enough to have something pushing you to win. Although it helps. It’s also not enough to just have a goal. Though goals are important.
If you are going to achieve your goals, you must have both.
You must have something, somewhere, or someone you’re tired of dealing with pushing you. But, you also need a bright spot on the horizon pulling you and keeping you focused and moving forward.
Originally published at www.ellorywells.com on February 13, 2017.
Originally published at medium.com