How guaranteed is it that you will smash your upcoming goals?

It’s nearly Christmas and I really cannot believe the year is already coming to an end and we're soon to begin a New Year!

Many people see this time of year as a time of optimism and excitement and also a time to set goals.

I had previously introduced you to the Secret Sauce for Winning, however, today I want to dig abit deeper into the arena of goal setting.

It is my expectation that after reading this post, you’ll know exactly how to set, stick with, and smash your 2018 goals.

As I write this post, I am listening to “A Game of Strategy”, a soundtrack to the BBC’s “The Hunt” documentary.

I am staring out of our study window and I am feeling particularly fired up about the year ahead and what I might want to achieve.

2017 has been foundational and it has been interesting viewing life more from the perspective of others.

However, something is bugging me about this process of goal setting and it is something most people do not think about.

There are 2 questions that everyone should be asking themselves in relation to goal setting:

1. What is it I want to achieve?
2. What will it cost me to achieve it?

You see, the world’s fixation is on question number 1. The lucky ones that actually ask this question fixate on how they frame what they want.

Everyone is interested in what they will get rather than on what they have to give up to get what they desire.

The truth is, to achieve #1, you must also ask #2.

Imagine aiming to own your first ever home, but yet you continue to travel at a cost to exotic locations in the world that you fancy.

Greg McKeown introduced us to the way of the essentialist in his must-read book called Essentialism, where he states:

Essentialists Ask: “What is the trade-off I want to make?”

Non-Essentialists Ask: “How can I do both?”

The essentialists question is tougher and more liberating because it often leads to the question of “which problem do I want?”.

Trade-offs represent a significant opportunity for us to weigh up our options and strategically select the best one for us, thereby increasing our chance of achieving our desired outcome.

With this in mind, let’s jump into some practicalities.

How to set your goals

Some thoughts below:

• Choose

It is easy to overemphasis our choices (our options) and underemphasise our internal ability to choose (our actions).

The latter is your right and should be used to great effect in order to make your goals your own.

• Be deliberate 

Taking the time out to fully consider and write your goals down in ink is very important as this process will force you to consider the current year and how it could have been better.

In addition, it gives you the opportunity to make your goals visible and to make them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound (SMART).

• Get uncomfortable

Setting goals in your uncomfortable zone is exactly where you need to be focusing. If your goal feels totally nuts to you, then it is exactly the type of goal you should pursue.

I personally cannot believe that only a few month ago, I knew absolutely nothing about blogging, and now I am pretty much an expert and even written a course on the subject.

Making your goals public is another way to turn up the heat. This tactic most certainly will push you to achieve that goal if anything for the superficial fear of public disgrace.

• Reverse Engineer your success

To set a goal, you have to begin with the end in mind and reverse engineer your success. But before you start, it helps to ask yourself why (i.e. purpose) this is important.

Your goals should form a part of a wider framework that also helps you map out a plan for achieving those goals.

Below is an example using the POST acronym I had introduced you to in the Secret Sauce for Winning :

An illustration from a selection of my 2018 goals

How to smash your goals

Having set your goals, below are further thoughts to help you smash them:

• Give yourself the permission

Ever considered that you might be what is holding you back? For the majority of people who want some success in their lives, this is usually the case.

I do this by literally talking to myself in private and visualising I am at the place that I want to be.

“I am good enough to stand on the world stage”, “I know enough to help other people”, “I could fail but that's ok!”.

• Escape and Focus

Following One Course Until Success (FOCUS) has been one of the defying reasons for my many small wins.

The more distractions and problems crop up, the more I stand defiant and fight the noise. Escaping could be as easy as popping on some headphones or going to a coffee shop.

• Use Strategy and Tactics

Writing goals by themselves is redundant. You need identifiable steps that should be taken to get you closer to your goals.

Those steps may not always be the right steps, but taking those steps is a faith walk and always leads to an outcome that is closer to what you desire.

See the table above for some ideas or download the freebie template at the bottom of this post and brainstorm some ideas.

• Take daily steps

I have a saying that I repeat with our sons daily and it goes like this:

This really spells out how every successful day should be. I make a deliberate attempt to do something that brings me closer to my desired outcome every single day.

The most important reason for taking daily steps is because of the momentum that builds up, which you need to stay fired up day after day.

If you can add to that by viewing each day as an opportunity to be better, then you're onto a winner!

• Celebrate small wins and have fun

Meeting your mini goals and making marginal gains should be recognised and celebrated. I enjoyed a celebratory dance with my wife when I had the first 100 subscribers to this blog.

This provided some validation that people were reading my scribbles, but more importantly, it gave me the drive to want to reach even more people as you will note in the table above.

• Create a small team

Victories aren't usually won alone and the same goes for your 2018 goals. Getting someone else to buy into or have visibility of your goals is a good way to keep you accountable.

My wife is on the team as far as this blog is concerned and helps me out with the beautiful images that accompany each post.

She also gives me the nudge when there is a sign of a drift or laziness tries to kick in. You too can replicate the above with your partner or a close friend.

• Use the genius of routine

Do you want to move obstacles out of your way? Then you should really get a routine in place. Without routines, non-essential distractions inevitably overpower us.

However, with a routine in place, you execute on autopilot and don't spend your precious energy prioritising stuff. You just do it no matter the weather.

Those of you who do the school run will identify with routines. You drive from point A to B and you don't consciously think about it once you have learned the route.

In the same way, your ability to execute on your essential goals improves with practice just like any other ability.

Related posts:

• 7 Habits For Highly Successful Side Hustling
• 7 Tips to Help You Find Time for Your Side Hustle
• 5 Ways To Start A Business For Free At Zero Risk
• 10 Game Changing Money Moves To Make In Your 30s

To help make your 2018 a success, I have created a freebie Winners Roadmap template from the example above 🙂 Feel free to subscribe & download it here:

What are your 2018 goals? Can you share any tips that have worked for you?

Do please share this post if you found it useful, and remember, in all things be thankful and Seek Joy.