“A goal without a plan is just a wish”
You’ve heard it time and time again, if you want to succeed, set goals. And I agree. Goals are essential to actually achieve the things you most desire.
Reasons why you should set goals:
-They keep you accountable.
-They relieve some stress because everything you want to do is out of your head and written down.
-They keep you on track when you get overwhelmed
-They make your desires actually feel attainable
But how many times have you made certain goals for your health and happiness and then eventually just sat there staring at them, with no real motivation to move forward?
You create this amazing list of everything you desire to have for your body and overall health and then just freeze when it comes to actually implementing the necessary steps to get there. That’s because it’s not necessary to know what you want and how you need to get it done, but ‘why’ you want to do it, that is the driving force.
The why is all about inspiration and that’s what gets you going and keeps you going. The why also allows you to create specific and actionable steps that will make achieving goals a lot more fun. We are emotional beings and every now and then we often neglect this part of ourselves and only focus on trying to “get stuff done.” We use too much masculine energy, the energy of action, doing and too little of our feminine energy, creativity, exploration, enjoyment, intuition and emotion.
It’s no wonder that so many times, even when we do reach our goals we experience little to no satisfaction. And instead of being able to celebrate what we’ve accomplished, the enjoyment is fleeting and we have to find the next thing to go after to fill that void.Not focusing on the pleasure is also a reason why many people can’t keep up with things like diets, things that only focus on the end result of losing weight at the cost of health and happiness. You end up in this continuous cycle of happiness-chasing that never ends.
It’s so important to embrace the more feminine aspects of our beings that inspire positive and pleasurable action. And regardless of if you’re a male or female, this holds true. And I don’t mean just pleasurable in the end when you’ve reached a goal, but during the entire process as well.
[pullquote]Creating lasting transformation is not about forceful willpower, but about positive inspiration.[/pullquote]The problem with only focusing on the big picture result is that you’re not happy until you reach it and you’ll do anything to get there, sacrificing your health, happiness and even relationships to get there. And if you don’t meet that end goal, then the disappointment feels punishing. Success and happiness become incredibly difficult this way. The key is to focus on the feelings you want to achieve, not the end result. You will realize there are various creative ways for you to achieve and explore those feelings, not only that one thing that will make or break it. The process will become more pleasurable because you are in a process of exploration, creativity, experience and connecting to what truly makes you feel fulfilled. The end result simply becomes a natural side effect that you don’t have to force.
Here are 6 goal driving steps:
1. Write it down: Write down your goals as you normally would for your health, business, love life, etc. This list can be as short or long as you like.
2. Choose the top 3-5: Give yourself options and achieve the goals that are possible. Its better to have a breakdown of possible goals than having an impossible one.
3. Identify the why: Look at each goal and think about why you want to reach that goal and why it’s important to you. Ask yourself why at least 2-3 times and then end with how achieving it would make you feel better.
4.Don’t fix to an outcome: Next, look at the feelings you listed and detach them from any result you were seeking (the original goal). In other words, recognize that these feelings are not a cause of you achieving one specific thing such as a good relationship or landing a great job. These feelings are simply how you want to feel on a day to day basis. The reason this distinction is important to understand is that instead of measuring your self-worth only on reaching that one goal, you will now be focusing on thoughts and behavior you can do every day to bring your desired feelings about, lessening the pressure and increasing the enjoyment. This way, you will begin to increase your positive energetic vibration that will naturally attract and cause the desired outcomes.
5. Take Action: The next part is to begin brainstorming ideas of various positive ways you can achieve these feelings. For this example, maybe it’s taking a dance class, wearing more feminine clothing, getting a massage, using positive affirmations, taking a few minutes out in the morning to appreciate all the amazing things about you and your body, rather than everything you want to change. This process may take a bit of thinking and even guidance, but it’s important.
6. Full Steam Ahead: And then lastly, schedule a few of these activities in a week. They can be small or big, there is no right or wrong answer. Just remember to always focus on the feelings you are trying to achieve.
And here’s the thing, if you can get clear on ‘why’ you actually want to achieve a goal, ‘how’ you want to feel and detach these feelings from the specific outcomes, you will be so much more likely to create positive habits, enjoy them and therefore continue them. Because you feel inspired to take action not forced to.
Life will feel like a continuous series of incredible experiences, rather than a continuous chase after a few difficult successes.
