The other day I posted on social media and you guessed it I was instantly slammed by someone that had the opposing view. I’ve no issue with this because I feel that we are all amazing humans and are meant to have different ideas, views and ways of living. It’s part of our charm.
However, it did get me thinking about how we achieve our big ambitions and goals in life. As someone that has coached thousands to achieve more I know that one size does not fit all, but what would I say is the best way to achieve your big goals? How would I suggest you stay accountable and get the right results?
So here are a few top tips that have enabled me to achieve my hearts desire and those that I’ve coached;
Know what you really want. One of the reasons so many people fail is because they don’t really want what they set up to achieve. They think that is the best option for now, or that it is what is expected of someone that is that age and in that career or that stage of their lives. The only one that should define your goals is you, not society, not friends, not loved ones, not bosses. So if you find you never seem to get there, ask yourself “is this really what I want?”
Despite serious illness (Lupus, Fibromyalgia and 2 other Auto Immune diseases) even this year as I embarked on chemo injections once a week, that cause awesome side effects (yes I jest) I’ve still achieved exactly what I aimed to achieve. Because of my new book “Fight the fear — how to beat your negative mindset and win in life” I decided that it was going to be important to adjust my business strategy so that instead of working on getting 1 2 1 coaching clients I needed to work out how to get noticed on an international scale. The answer?
Blogging. I aimed to get myself featured in one or two blogs from around the world every month. However because it was a clear goal I have been featured in over 10 international publications, I’m now a featured blogger for two and I’ve just been offered money to write! My ultimate in life is to get paid to write. Since I was 8 years old I wanted to have my own book published, and so to have used my marketing strategy to be asked to write a book by the UK’s Leading non-fiction publishers was a dream come true, and that all started with blogging. So you see you need clear goals, however, how structured should they be?
For me personally, anything too structured and I loose the will to live. I can’t stand the mundane and if 2 days in a row are the same I will lose interest. Yes, I’ve the patience of a gnat! And as such my goal had to be specific and I had to know what the result would feel like and do for my happiness and success, however unlike some clients I couldn’t diary every action and plan every stage. Whereas I’ve clients who love nothing more than a big spreadsheet laying out every last action for the next 6 months to break down that goal into bite size chunks. Heck, I even know an organisation with a 50-year business plan, now that is goal setting on a grand scale!
Maybe it’s because I’ve worked to a goal my whole business life that it feels so natural to think;
- What do I want?
- Why do I want it?
- What does this give to me, my family and my happiness?
- Is this something I really want or I feel I should want?
- What will it look like when I’ve achieved it?
- How much time each month do I need to give to this goal?
- What do I see as obstacles to this goal?
And question number 7 leads me on to this top tip, that I’ve seen impact on so many people I couldn’t count them all! If your goals don’t have “Now goals” incorporated then the long term big ambitions and goals will suffer.
Therefore as you work out what you really want in life, also ask yourself “what are the things that I need right now?” In this way you can ensure that the day to day stuff, the money you need to earn, the sleep you need to get, the time you need to give to those that matter doesn’t get dismissed and neglected. And when you do this it means that you don’t suffer from guilt or anxiety about the dedication you are giving to your goals either, and best of all think of the role model you could become for those looking to achieve more?
So staying accountable becomes easier. You are less likely to start procrastinating or assuming failure because you factored in that little thing called life. How do I stay accountable?
- I steer clear of the news.
- I steer clear of negative people.
- I surround myself in the right online communities that remind me how awesome life is, how wonderful love is and how great we can become when we believe in ourselves.
- I know who will be there when I’m struggling. Everyone struggles, feels rough or like it can’t be done, the difference is that I know the people on and off line that I can turn to and say “this is a tough day, what should I do?”
- I ensure my office has flowers, music, aromatherapy oils
- And yes like a 5-year old I give myself rewards for hard work. I love social media, so for me its “Right Mandie, get this done and you can have 30 minutes on social media.” Like a 5-year-old at the park, I’m away!
I hope these ideas help you to achieve more. So take a few minutes to ask yourself do I need to fly free or do I need the structure to ensure I get what I really want?