Tag: accomplishing goals

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What Goals Are and What They Are Not

What Goals Are and What They Are Not

Here we are, winding down another month, ready to leap into a new one. This means it’s time to set new goals for yourself, in all areas, i.e. personal, professional ,career, financial, etc. But why do some people struggle with setting them, despite having the intent?

Perhaps it’s due to the label of goal and what this truly means. Perhaps the following can help give you more clarity so you can go about setting goals, that are meaningful, achievable, and motivate you to reach them.

So, what is a goal and why do we need them? A goal is an end result or objective you want or need to accomplish. Goals, which can be both long- and short-term, provide direction and motivation to help you achieve a desired outcome. To help you understand this concept more, let’s go over what goals are and what they are not.

Goals Are the Things You Want To and/or Need To Achieve

Goals are specific, measurable, and time-sensitive objectives designed to help you measure progress and stay on track toward achieving your desired outcome.

For example, a goal like this:

“I will lose 10 pounds in three months by exercising five days per week and cutting back on sweets, sodas, and processed foods…”

…is a well-thought-out goal.

It describes what the goal is: Lose 10 lbs. It explains how you will go about it and has a realistic time frame. You can use that information to design your action plan.

Goals Are the Results You Want to Achieve  

As mentioned above, a well-crafted goal describes the end result or outcome you are working towards.

Here is another example: “I will start a ghostwriting business for people who want to make money selling clean romance novels on Amazon Kindle.”

You will create smaller goals from this first goal, such as building a website where potential customers will learn more about your services and find contact information.

From there, you will need a goal for creating content that highlights your talents and outlines the benefits of collaborating with you.

Then, the next goal will be setting up marketing campaigns to reach out to romance authors needing assistance with their writing projects.

All these steps lead to one end goal: establishing a successful ghostwriting business.

Goals Are Time-Sensitive

A goal requires time sensitivity because that time limit creates a sense of urgency and motivates you to complete it. When setting a goal, it’s vital to have an end date that gives you a realistic timeline for completing the task.

Being realistic here is critical as it helps keep you focused and on track regarding reaching your objectives without frustration. Plus, a time limit gives you greater insight into how much effort is needed to reach your goal within the set timeline.

Goals Help Measure Progress

Goals provide a clear target to work towards and to track progress toward achieving them. They measure progress because they provide a tangible tracking mechanism, so you know how close you are to achieving the desired end result.

You use goals to set shorter-term milestones that allow you to monitor your progress and help you stay motivated and focused on the bigger picture. Concrete goals will enable you to evaluate yourself objectively and make adjustments when necessary.

Goals Need to Be Both Large and Small

Goals range from long-term objectives, such as purchasing a house or starting a business, to short-term goals, like saving for a vacation or learning a new skill.

Setting big and small goals is beneficial because it helps create a sense of balance. Big goals provide the long-term motivation and direction you need, while small goals give you short-term objectives to reach along the way.

What Goals Are Not

Goals are not the steps, processes, or actions you take to achieve the goal.

These steps are the means to an end and are separate from the goal itself. Goals are the desired end result of a particular activity or endeavor. They set the benchmark for success and provide guidance and motivation to reach that end.

Remember, goals are not the actions you take to achieve them. Setting clear and measurable goals helps you focus your efforts and progress toward achieving your desired outcome.
Focus on the end-result to drive your goal further; vision it daily to achieve it.

 

If you’re struggling with setting and reaching goals, reach out to learn how we can help You don’t have to do it alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Morning Rituals: Setting the Stage for a Serene and Centered Work-Day

 

When you get up in the morning to go to work, are you sluggish and hesitant to get out of bed, or are you energized and ready to face the day? Do you feel stressed or calm when you think of going to work?

If you answered the first part of these questions with yes, then it’s time to reverse this and get you motivated to start your day pm well. Stress can lead you to think and feel negatively and you won’t do your best.

There are better ways to start your day on a positive note so you will perform at your highest, and that is by having daily rituals that start your day.

Rituals can change the way you view the day and can improve your well-being and quality of life. Having a set routine helps to develop good habits and reach your goals and aspirations, while rituals can improve your mood and shape your beliefs. They will allow you to keep accountable and stay motivated on the days when you do not want to get out of bed.

 

Morning rituals are the best way to set your days up for success and stay in control of the day, regardless of challenges you may face. The way that you wake up each morning will dramatically increase your quality of life and balance your stress levels, allowing you to feel calm and at peace throughout the rest of the day.

 

What is a Morning Ritual?

 

Both routines and rituals are crucial to a positive state of mind and maintaining mental stability. However, it is important to know that they are not the same thing but that they complement one another. A morning ritual takes on a task that may be part of one’s routine and puts meaning and intention behind it.

 

Rituals are habits that an individual develops to nurture and build a strong mindset. They allow you to appreciate the benefits these routines provide in  your daily life and provides value beyond completing a task.

 

Rituals are self-empowering and allow a change in your perspectives  reality. They allow us to reinforce habits with reasoning behind them that can be very effective on improving our mental health and emotions. They are a great way to improve your outlook and attitude so your day becomes easy; you will learn to become calmer and deal with any stressors you face.

 

Here are some examples of Morning Rituals:

 

Gratitude

 

Gratitude reinforces happiness and can set the tone for a positive outlook on the day. It allows you to appreciate the little moments that occur throughout the day and finding ways to be grateful for whatever the day presents.

 

One way to practice gratitude is through journaling. By making a list each morning of the things you are most grateful for, you will train your mind to look for moments of appreciation throughout the rest of the day. Starting your day off with a grateful mind is the best way to stay positive and full of joy each and every day.

 

Goals and Aspirations

 

Writing down your goals and how you will achieve them is the best way to stay motivated and keep yourself accountable. It is easy to say a goal out loud but writing it down and staying attuned to it each morning will make you more likely to achieve it and stick to it.

 

Along with your gratitude journal, writing daily goals will lessen any stress as you will know what to do each day, plus will be getting closer and closer to your goals. Goals that you think about each and every morning will keep you dedicated and committed no matter what obstacles arise.

 

Read

Take time each morning to read from a book; it could be a chapter or a few lines from a novel you enjoy or that motivates you. By doing so, you will be working on your personal or professional development and be inspired to get to work. Many people read Bible verses to start their day. Set a timer for 5-15 minutes, or read a page a day – soon you will have the book finished.

 

Meditation

 

Meditation is a great practice to keep your mind healthy and productive throughout the day. By clearing your mind for a short period of time each morning, you will notice the positive impacts that meditating has on many different components of your life.

 

Research has shown that meditation has direct links with happiness, reduced anxiety and depression, balanced emotions, and alertness. When you acknowledge and sit with your emotions, you will notice that they no longer follow you throughout the day and prevent you from completing your daily tasks.

 

Meditation has tons of benefits that will improve your perspective on reality and your calmness throughout the day. Meditating will also help you realize gratitude and focus on your aspirations while staying as productive and dedicated as possible. It’s important to remember that mediation is not taking your thoughts away but, with practice, you won’t feel compelled to do anything about them. Start with 2 minutes, then work your up to reap the benefits.

 

Creating rituals leads to more focus, concentration, and inspiration to face the day. These are only a few suggestions so take one and start using it, then do another and so on. Soon, rituals will be a part of you day you can’t miss.

 

If stress is taking over in your workplace, reach out to learn about services and programs that will help you to manage it so you can have a more productive team.

 

 

 

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Monday Success Tips: Feel Stuck? Use the Rule of 10-10-10

 

Ever feel stuck? When balancing work and life, keeping the focus on your newly set goals and desires – all the things you truly want – can be a bit frustrating in trying to keep them in your awareness and in being reachable.  It seems that we get programmed to think more on what we don’t want and we use language that speaks to this:

 

“I don’t want to have to struggle paying my bills each month”

“I want a new job but no one is hiring right now”

“I don’t like how I feel – I’ll start working out later”

 

Using words that are negative and detrimental to the psyche only will keep you down and doing the very things you don’t want to.  Here is a very easy exercise to get you out of the “muckies” and get you leaving them behind. If your situation(s) are truly frustrating you, then the answers should wake you up.

 

This is called the 10-10-10 Rule; think of your issue and the ‘pain level’ of not working on it, and ask yourself the following questions:

  1. If I don’t work on my current issue, will it make a difference in 10 minutes?
  2. If I don’t work on my current issue, will it make a difference in 10 months?
  3. If I don’t work on my current issue, will it make a difference in 10 years?

For example, if you are really unhappy in your job, and the pain level brings you sleepless nights, anxiety, anger, etc. asking these questions should help you to decide that even 10 more minutes of experiencing these symptoms is detrimental to your health and you will make the decision to look for a new job.  If you didn’t any action, do you want to be in the same place in 10 more months or 10 more years?

 

Hopefully, the answers will lead you to see that you need to make some big changes; looking at the ‘dark side’ of your situation will no longer be an option.  You now have the decision to do something about your life and the direction you want it to go.  10-10-10 is a simple but powerful tool to move you forward and get the end results you want in your life.

Your Weekly Action Plan

This week, list all the things you don’t want (job, finances, relationships, health, etc.) and assess them for importance; assign a number for the level of pain – how frustrated you are – to them.  Now, apply the 10-10-10 questions to see which one(s) pains you the most. Write out exactly what you DO want in clear terms and what steps you need to take to get it – put a date to start and to achieve.  When you feel tempted to give up because ‘it’s too hard,” keep the 10-10-10 questions in mind – they should help you remember the pain and spur you to keep taking action,

I hope you have a successful week – If you need help in your leadership role, or for your team,  why not get some help; stop the struggle and call today to get started. I’d love to help you get the confidence you need and create a culture your employees will love.

 

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