Tis the season for goal-setting and resolution making, and being the proactive gal that you are, I’m guessing you’ve already started envisioning what 2017 could bring to your life and business.
Which is why I want to talk to you today about how to set goals that you’ll actually achieve in the new year.
According to Forbes, more than 40% of Americans make resolutions at the start of each year, but only 8% actually achieve their New Year’s goals. I want YOU to be a part of the elite 8%, and today we’re going to cover how to do exactly that.
The goal-setting system I’m going to be sharing with you is the one I personally used this year to help me cross 6-figures in sales while working just 3 days a week!
Ok, so here goes…
- Create your vision. What do you want life and business to look like and feel like in 2017? As you develop this, aim to find that “sweet spot” between expanding (out of your current comfort zone) into who you desire to become without pushing yourself too hard. It’s a great idea to journal your way through this. Consider your business, personal life, family life, health, spirituality, social circle and any other important categories for you.
- Find the feelings. Now, reread what you wrote. (Sometimes it’s helpful to let it sit for a day or two before moving into this step.) Is it resonating? Does it feel good to you? Does it excite you? Do you feel a sense of anticipation and eagerness? Or, does it feel overwhelming, uncomfortable or not quite right? If need be, rework your vision. If things are a “go”, then I want you to define the key feelings of your vision. Read what you wrote and notice what it evokes from within you. (Danielle LaPorte’s book, The Desire Map, could prove immensely helpful with this!)
- Set clear (feel-good) goals. Now is the time to set a few, clear goals that are in alignment with both your vision and your feelings. Oftentimes when people fail to stick with their resolutions it’s because they start here, at step 3, with goal-setting. But, since you’ve already done the foundational work, you’re setting yourself up for goal-achieving success in 2017! The most important thing to keep in mind as you set your goals is that they should FEEL GOOD to you! This isn’t about pushing and putting a ton of pressure on yourself to achieve something you think that you “should” want. This is about getting really clear about the few, simple, eloquent goals that when achieved will deliver the feelings you’re desiring and move you closer to your vision. Depending on your personal preferences, these goals could be as concrete or nebulous as you like. Again, this is about setting goals that feel-good, because that’s the ONLY way you’re going to stick with them. Here are a few of my feel-good goals from 2016 to give you a sense of what I’m talking about here:
- Create space in my life for the things that I desire. (time space, energy space, financial space, etc.)
- Enroll 8 amazing, perfect-for-me ladies into my 1x1 coaching program by March 2016.
- Deeply impact and inspire as many women as possible to dream bigger and live bigger.
- Give yourself permission to revise. This is super important. Sometimes visions change. Sometimes goals need to shift. And that’s OK!!! Just because you said in January that you want to quit your 9-to-5 by April doesn’t mean you MUST if you realize that staying with your steady paycheck will allow you to expand in other ways. Trust yourself. Trust your intuition and if goals need adjusting or revising give yourself permission to make the necessary changes. This is YOUR LIFE for the creating!
This approach to goal-setting is very intuitive. It means you need to trust yourself and your ability to achieve your biggest desires without pushing, pressuring and stressing yourself out along the way.
Remember, the journey has to align with the destination. If your vision for 2017 is enjoying an easeful, prosperous life and business, you cannot get there by putting a ton of pressure on yourself and feeling crappy every step of the way. It just won’t happen!
Are you ready to set goals that feel good? Goals that light you up and get you truly excited to get out of bed each day? Goals that make you feel aligned with your soul’s purpose, not like you’re crushing your soul to achieve them? Those are the kind of goals I want for you in the new year -- and I hope you want them for yourself too. It’s what you deserve :-)
After you move through this process, and set a small handful of feel-good goals, please share them with me and the other members of our beautiful community here.
P.S. Mindset Reset is coming! If you want to clear any lingering Mindset Blocks that might keep you from reaching your feel-good goals in 2017, click here to be the first to know when the Mindset Reset Challenge launches in early January :-)
