We are headed into the New Year, now is the time that people start to think about the new year. Do you set ambitious goals each year? Have you ever gone back and read the goals you set a few years ago – do they still resonate for you a little too much? Would you be able to write down the exact same goals for this year?
Yep, I thought so. Most people set goals and don't ever achieve them. And, while I do wholeheartedly endorse setting goals – I also am not a big fan of wasting time. Setting goals the same goals year in and year out without seeing any progress is a waste of time.
I'm in the midst of creating a product that is going to help people ramp up their ability to reach their goals (and to help other people too!). A real important part of creating the product is setting it up so that people will succeed. So, I've been thinking about why people don't reach their goals. It's because the set they wrong goals. Goals (especially in the area of personal development) tend to focus on what people are doing wrong – rather than focusing on their natural strengths. Most people don't achieve their goals because…
Most people won't do anything they hate doing for very long.
Here's a quick story to illustrate my point.
I just had to tell her to stop banging her head against the wall…
One of my clients was a very talented coach. She helped her clients overcome money and mindset issues and she had one of the highest renewal and transformation rates in her industry.
Ok. Great. So, what was her goal? Her goal was to improve the bottom line of her company by spending 2 hours a day learning Infusionsoft to create better funnels.
Each and every phone call we had, she would whine about how hard all the technology was for her.
Frankly, I knew she was just wasting her time. Infusionsoft was not her “talent”. In fact, every minute she spent banging her head against that particular wall was losing her money and costing her precious time with her clients.
One day, I just told her to stop banging her head against the wall. She needed to set goals that were based on doing more of what she was already good at and loved to do rather than getting better at something she never would master.
We found her team members to handle the Infusionsoft – and her business grew.
Are your goals about doing less or doing more?
You can torture yourself trying to “do better” or you can really succeed by getting better at what you love. Have you ever tried to lose weight? If you have, you know that focusing on not having chocolate, makes you want it more. Focusing on eating healthy foods that you love – results in less chocolate being eaten because it is crowded out by the good stuff. Goal setting works the same way.
Here are a few ways of getting to do more of what you love in your business:
- Outsource the things you hate doing. Find yourself a good virtual assistant or trade time with others.
- Instead of spending your learning time beefing up on things you don't really know how to do – spend that time learning how to get better at the things you *do* love.
- Take some time and appreciate what you have achieved – rather than bemoaning where you have fallen short. What you focus on grows.
What do you love to do? How can you do more of it in your business next year?
