As we start a new decade we would love to know that 2020 will be full of success, prosperity and happiness, but what does success mean for you? How do you measure your success and how most importantly how do you plan for it?
Happy New Year to you! Now that you have celebrated, sang Auld lang syne, popped a few corks, dined out on nuts & crisps and are now contemplating the next ten years, it’s time for some top tips for making a difference this year.
That’s my intention, what’s yours?
This time of year, for a coach like ME, is what I would call ‘wholly in my element’. This is what I do, help set goals, plan for success and dig deep by looking at values, purpose, motivation and self-awareness. All of which most of the world tend to focus on at New Year, the difference is that I do it all year round. I’ve learnt a few things that I would love to share
A coach is for Life not just for New Year.
You want to change for life then please read on. Here is my interpretation of ‘The Six Secrets to Success’ when goal setting, at any time of year.
1. Successful people set goals
Whether in Life or Business Coaching there are often mental barriers, negative beliefs and even some hatred towards the word ‘goal’. If you’ve left a corporate job to set up on your own, the word goal may remind you of a time when you were not in a good place. Like ME, you may have had a close influential friend who constantly voiced their opinion that only dull and boring people set goals and the best life is to live in the moment, without goals. Or, like many I work with, including myself, the word ‘goal’ feels overused and has no authenticity. Start by reframing and rewording it to something more connected. Mine is intention.
The very first secret is that successful people set goals, but first they work on any limiting belief or disconnection with the actual word, to take complete ownership, to help that transition from goal or intention to completed – TICK
2. Goals/intentions take you from where you are now (present) to where you want to be (future)
Goal setting will be successfully influenced by knowing your outcome. Sounds simple and let me tell you, it is simple, so please keep it that way. By focusing on your result, you want to achieve DAILY.
Start with the end, fast forward the year ahead (if it is a year goal) what do you see around you in Jan 2021, what has changed and how did you get there? What is different for you? How does it feel? What do you hear?
Write it all down as an exercise for the goal that you set. Our subconscious can’t differentiate between what’s real and what’s perceived, so if we create something vividly enough, subconsciously it becomes our new reality.
The secret is to visualise the end game. Write it down, create a picture or vision board and place it where you see it, every single day.
3. Your goal – your intention – yours and nobody else’s.
Only 5% of people who set New Year resolutions are successful, so with a whopping 95% failure rate it’s clear to see that there is a fundamental problem with resolutions. Most people don’t understand how to set their goals and the steps to take to make achieve a sustainable
long-term result. The biggest secret is making sure that the intention or goal belongs to you. No ‘shoulds’ or ‘coulds’ or ‘my friend says it’s a good idea to join her’, it must be yours 100%. It is a responsibility, a commitment and most often out of the comfort zone and requires changing what you’ve always done.
The secret is to only set a goal or intention that belongs to you. Be careful what you wish for! It may just come true, with enough intention.
4. Set your goal WISELY
Whether you follow the SMART acronym your own design or borrowed from another successful goal achieving person, whatever you decide, make sure it is stated in the present, it is stated in a positive way and it packs a punch for you and only you.
W When (have I achieved this goal by)?
I Investment (mentally, physically, financially, emotionally)
S Specific (clarity breeds success)
E Enthusiastically (Love it, breathe it, see it, hear it, smell it)
L Let go of limiting beliefs (what do I need to let go of)?
Y Yell about it (accountability keeps you on the path to success)
The Secret here is to set your goal so it is crystal clear, your brain needs clear messages, so it knows what it needs to do, especially as naughty monkey brain (limbic) may not want to play ball and will try sabotaging your goals
5. Your own goal is unlikely to be isolated from the rest of your life
You are looking at your goal, it is your goal, you take ownership of that goal and you have visualised the end result, now it’s time to start breaking it down into daily sub goals, mini tasks and weekly accountability. Now let’s look at the bigger picture and who else it involves and how that can influence the success or decline of your goal. For example, let’s take the new year favourite, physical exercise. You want to get fit, that bit is easy. Now what does that mean? Yes, finding an exercise that you enjoy, if you are an extrovert that may mean joining a club, or team sport, if you are an introvert, it may need a solo sport or an activity to do at home. What are the costs involved? The equipment? The time? Who do you need to include in your goal to support your success? If you are a busy Mum, with limited childcare and at work in the day when the kids are at school, then it’s not only about which exercise, but when and who needs to be part of this to enable the exercise to happen. Does a partner need to be involved with the planning, a grandparent who can babysit whilst you go to the gym, has the gym got a creche?
The secret is to know that your goal and intention may well have a huge impact on significant others, get them on board, discuss the benefits and include them, be mindful of their goals too.
6. Take action
The time for procrastination is over, the thief of time is now replaced with organised time. Timing is key and it is now time to get out your diary, fire up your outlook calendar and book in the time for this to happen.
If you are wanting to eat healthier food, diary meal planning, diary food shopping, diary food preparation, diary time to make the new habit a change for life. Habits take on average 66 days so diary 66 days of new intentions, new eating intentions and managing setbacks. Diary weekly evaluation and reflection of what works well and what needs to be amended. Schedule your goal, set reminders, alerts or time management tools to help keep focus.
The secret of success is don’t overthink it, do it. When you wake up at 5am on a cold and icy Monday morning in January with the intention to go for a run remember the powerful words of Mel Robbins and the 5 second rule. 5-4-3-2-1 action!
When you have read my secrets, please don’t keep them a secret, please share or comment.
Believe ME when I say this has been a truly rewarding year.
What’s been the reflection on last year?
That LIFE & BUSINESS are intertwined and when you work on both the best results are gained.
Be successful Be Fabulous Be YOU
Clare