Creating a Goal That Drives You Is the First Step to Making Change That Sticks
It’s already March—wow does time go fast! Are you still making progress on your New Year’s resolutions? If health club attendance is any indication, many of those resolutions have already fallen by the wayside. In conversations with clients and friends, I’ve discovered many people aren’t even bothering to make resolutions. Aren’t they just a waste of time, anyway?
Trade Weak Goals for a Greater Vision
Let’s face it: a resolution is just a weak idea of how we’d like our life to be different. Most resolutions are inspired not by true passion or desire but by the feeling that we should do something. That pressure can be external (our spouses, family, or community) or internal (ourselves), but no matter where it comes from, it creates goals we’re likely not passionate about.
So, what’s the alternative? A good goal comes from a greater vision of something that we want so badly, we will stick with our plan to achieve it even when the going gets tough. And when you’re trying to change a habit, behavior, or way of thinking, it’s almost guaranteed to get tough at some point.
Creating Goals That Drive You
A great goal begins with some reflection. Drill down to what you really want and why you want it. Spend some time to describe what life will be like once you’ve achieved your goal—see it, feel it, smell it so strongly that you can bring it to mind effortlessly. This is important for those times in the future when you’re feeling weak. It will buoy you up and help propel you forward.
Once you have a strong image of the value of the change you hope to make, it’s time to create your plan of attack. You’ve already created a strong vision, now it’s time to make that goal SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and timely.
Don’t let 2017 become another year of unkept resolutions. Take the time to create a greater vision and a clear path forward. We’ll even give you a leg up. Request the TiPS goal vision tool today and start making change that sticks. For personalized support, contact TiPS today.