Dec
16
2009
Setting larger goals
Author: SueI trust you read the previous post. (If not, I suggest you take a minute to do so before you read this one – it’ll flow together better that way.) I’m sure it made sense. You might have heard about SMART GOALS before.
The question is: did you do the exercise that was included?
I know the majority of you did not. This is no surprise. It’s also no surprise, if you look around you that most people are not living their dreams and not achieving their goals. It really was a small exercise and would have only taken 5 minutes or so to complete.
How many of you took the 5 minutes?
How many of you feel guilty right about now? Lots of people get caught in that cycle as well. So, if you’re feeling guilty, STOP. Stop what? Stop feeling guilty. Stop the voice inside that’s berating you for not getting that teeny-weeny exercise done. It was your choice – you did it or you didn’t. It really is that simple. I, as a certified professional coach, hereby grant you permission to not feel guilty. You are absolved. The end.
Let’s move on.
Today is a new day.
For those who did the exercise: CONGRATULATIONS! Give yourself a pat on the back and realize that you are in the top percentile of the population who are on the way to success in their life and business.
For those who ‘want a second chance’ and there’s a lot of you out there … STOP HERE. Go back to the previous post. Do the exercise. Then, when you are done, continue with the rest of this article.
From the time I left home at 17 until the first year I met my husband, I made a list of goals at the end of each year. Sometimes the list was very short, sometimes long. Sometimes a goal needed to be ‘brought forward’ from the previous year (this was my way of allowing the universe another chance – it didn’t really occur to me that it wasn’t achievable because if I wrote it down, at some level I simply knew it was achievable. I know, I know. Yes, I’m used to be one of those people who occasionally loosened a piece of lint on the floor to give the vacuum cleaner another chance too.) For some reason, it never really bothered me to carry a goal forward. I know this is not the normal thought process. But that’s how my mind worked. Over the years, my track record for achieving the goals that I had written down was very close to 100%.
I remember the last time I consciously wrote out a list of goals – it was almost two decades ago – I listed about 30 items that I wanted to achieve that year (perhaps a tad high). Places I wanted to visit; travel modes I wanted to try; activities/sports I wanted to try; books I wanted to read and the language I wanted to learn. Then, like always, I filed the list and forgot about it. After all, it was written down. I found the list by accident near the end of the year. Everything on that list had been achieved with the exception of learning Spanish (sometimes my goals are too large).
Here’s where I went weird. I was actually distressed at my results. It was too simple, too easy. Achieving goals had to be more difficult than that! So, I made it more difficult. The next year, I didn’t write down my long-term goals (I’ve always kept up with the short-term ones). I got out of the habit of doing it. Life happened. The dog died; the kids’ favourite uncle died; the nanny quit; I closed my company to look after the children; my son’s favourite teacher left; we got a new dog; we got married; then life really happened…
My new business (if you could call it that – my husband always referred to it as a ‘hobby’) went through dramatic feast or famine cycles for the next 15 years including a year (or two) here and there of total shut-down (teenagers … sheesh!).
Now, the children have grown up, the business has been doing better and, earlier this year, I was reminded of long-term goal setting. I joined a success circle where we were requested to ‘post’ our ‘bold goal(s)’ in a public forum. That makes you think a little harder about your goals. Now, instantly, you are accountable to someone (even if it’s simply the awareness that someone somewhere may be watching).
So, I posted a ‘bold income goal’. As soon as I hit ‘send’, I had a mini panic attack. What if? (and you know the stuff that goes through your head) Then, I got thinking: “What action could I take toward that bold income goal that would tip the universal scales in my favour? See … always thinkin’! The universe and nature are one and the same. This brought me to the concept of combining one of the basic mathematical patterns found in nature with my income goals. What better way to determine income than combining math (money) and nature (universe)? Some of you may know where I went from there (especially if, like me, you’re a Dan Brown fan – think DaVinci Code here). Based on a specific mathematical sequence, I created a table of income goals broken down by month for the balance of the year. The same chart can be used to determine the number of clients each month. Yes, that chart is going to be available – I’m planning something for the New Year with it. Want ‘first dibs’? Email me with ‘Chart’ in the subject line.
What happened next? From out of seemingly (of course we know better, don’t we?) no where, clients appeared. Just enough clients to reach my goal each month for six months (admittedly, month 2 was a glitch … a little low; but month 3 was that much higher to balance). Because, where was my focus? It was on achieving a specific amount of income. I did not focus on receiving more than the number listed. Another lesson learned (this is constant in my life, by the way). The focus was important. However, I had not left room for the universe to bring me more.
Whew!! That was a looonnnnggggggggg way around to the point, wasn’t it? Sometimes that happens. Sometimes, you need the background to understand the concept a little better. I trust that background helped because now it’s time for –
The exercise
- Take that sheet of paper you drew up last time (if there’s room on it; if not, draw a new table)
- Write your BOLD GOAL (this is your ‘overview’ or ‘big picture’) for the year 2010.
- Put December 2010 (or an earlier date if you want) in the next column.
- Place this list somewhere where you can see it early in the day every day.
- Each morning look at that goal; picture it as having already happened; FEEL the emotion that goes with the achievement. Take a minute or two to bask in the feeling. We’ll talk more about ‘why’ at another time.
Here’s an unusual request:
- LIMIT yourself to ONE GOAL ONLY for this exercise.
- Keep it simple.
- Keep it BOLD.
- Check it off when completed.
- Repeat.
Added bonus for high achievers
- Hold yourself accountable to: (1) the universe and to (2) fellow human beings by POSTING THAT BOLD GOAL on this blog (for newbies: click on ‘comment’ then type your goal, any comments and click ‘post’).
- Want to be held really accountable? Tell a friend, a co-worker, a family member.
- Need support in accountability? Tell your coach. Don’t have a coach? Contact me. I’m here to help support you in achieving your highest potential. That’s what I love doing!
That’s it for today. I look forward to seeing some ‘bold goals’ posted here. I’ll be posting mine next time. Why do I get extra time? I don’t. I choose to wait because I want you to figure out your own bold goal not a variation on mine … sneaky, aren’t I?
To fabulous goals!
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OOPS! I almost forgot (for those who were wondering…)
Weight loss update: we’re still not home, so no scale (perhaps, that is a good thing!) I did, however, through the entire vacation, do increasing amounts of stretches each morning; on the second week I added in the free weights (which I actually remembered to bring with me). Vacation is almost over and I’m happy to report that I averaged 5 out of 7 days each week with stretches and/or weights. Plus, we walked every day (sometimes as many as 8 miles) with the doggie; went canoeing at least once a week and bicycled a couple times a week as well – most of those were at least an hour outing each. So, in the big picture, I’m very pleased with the results and happy to be home to my ‘gym’. What did I miss the most? The hot tub! I’ve gotten used to being spoiled since meeting my husband – if I have aches and pains it’s the hot tub for me. Unless they’re really bad of course – then it’s the ice pack. When I have to crush ice and lay on it like a bed and I say ‘aaahhhhh’ – I know I’m in rough shape. Sometimes I have to use alternating hot/cold therapy – like the time my son’s dirt bike got out of control and landed on top of me or the time the tree attacked me and pinned me to the ground… another story, another time … no shortage of stories and events in my life!
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Sue Crutcher, CMMSC, CPC, CPTN-CPT
Money, Marketing and Soul Coach; Life Empowerment Mentor; Baby Steps to Success Expert; Creator of [t]Sunami Of Success™ Program*
* = [t]Sunami of Success and [t]Sunami of Success Program are © July 2009 by Susan (Sue) Crutcher. All rights reserved.
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