Goal Setting, Joe GirardHow many partially finished “ideas” do you have waiting to be completed?

If that sounds like you, you’re not alone. In fact, I am in the same boat! It’s totally normal to have a bunch of great thoughts and visions for your future. But if every time you tell yourself you’re going to get something done and then don’t, it kinda eats away at you, right?

I have just finished up a cool new product called the 90 Day Sprint that will help you finish your goals right and wanted to share with you what I call the 7 Commandments of Goal Setting.

(Click here or the play button below if you want to listen to this post)

If achieving your goals was easy, everyone would do it. Most people think that they can just use willpower to get them to complete their goals. What about motivation? Do you think you need to get motivated to do this? Nope. What you need is the right plan, and the right mindset to make it happen. Follow these 7 points and you will dramatically increase your chance of success.

First Commandment: Make a commitment.

Make a commitment to change. And make a commitment to yourself. Just step up and say, “I’m doing this.” This is cornerstone of getting results. You must steel yourself and get mentally prepared to make things happen. Don’t say, “I would LIKE to do that” or “I’m THINKING of doing that.” 

My friend Colin quit smoking a few years ago and do you want to know the shift that helped him do it? Do you see people trying to quit for what seems like forever? Every time you see them, they say “I’m going to quit smoking”  or “I’m quitting” (while smoking a cigarette). Well what Colin did instead was just say, “I’m a non-smoker. I quit.” 

Pretty cool, eh? Well the same goes for any of your goals. So don’t say, “I going to start a business” or “I want to build my brand” or “I want a healthier relationship.” Instead, make a commitment and then the moment you do, say out loud “I’ve started a business” or “I’m building a strong brand” or “I am developing a healthier relationship.”

When you make that mental shift and make a commitment, you’re golden!

Second Commandment: Have discipline.

Be willing to do the work, especially when no one is looking. That is the true mark of a leader. Can you push past that lack of motivation, keep Facebook closed, or maybe just tell others you have to get something done before you can go for that drink? I’m not talking about being a shut in and anti-social for 90 days while you focus on goals. What it’s all about is building the right set of activities within your plan, committing to them, and then having the discipline to get them done. Learn how to shut out the distractions and stay focused.

Third Commandment: Be accountable.

It’s easy to be accountable to others, but will you be accountable to yourself? Don’t make excuses or take shortcuts. Only YOU will know.

Sometimes I struggle with this. I think many people do. To be successful, there is really a ton of un-glamorous work that needs to get done. especially in systems and structures that will help you build a solid foundation in your business. To be accountable, you have to invest the time in developing yourself, your systems, and doing all the little things consistently that reap the long-term rewards.

But when you start to get these little things done, something magical happens. You start to build confidence and things start to get easier. Because the more you get all the foundation work done, the better prepared you are for bigger challenges, and the more committed and accountable you become. Only by staying accountable will you be able to see true growth,

Here’s the trick to being accountable – don’t judge yourself.  When you take a look at what you have been working on, just review it without judgment. Ask yourself if you did what you said you would do, why or why not, and what can you learn from it? Then use that info moving forward.

Fourth Commandment: Be honest.

One of the best traits of leadership is the ability to be totally aware of your own ignorance. Or “know what you don’t know.” The faster you can accept this, the easier your life will be. You can be as smart as possible, but when you understand that you can always learn something new (even from someone just starting out), you open up unlimited possibilities.

Also be honest with yourself about where you CURRENTLY are. Wherever that is, it’s perfect. But acknowledge it first, then make a plan. When we over-extend ourselves, try to make ourselves out to be bigger than we are, or ignore the truth of our situation, we constantly hold ourselves back. We stay stuck. Take a look at where you are, what you are capable of, and make a plan that’s right for you.

Fifth Commandment: Always be learning.

Mistakes happen and challenges will crop up. How will you respond? Look at everything you do as an opportunity to learn and grow. Hey, the world is changing every day. As I build all my stuff, I keep seeing other new ideas that I want to jump to. Does that happen to you? There is an endless amount of great information out there and if you are not tapping into it, you are missing out!

How much do you read each week? Do you subscribe to blogs like this that help you get an edge? (If you haven’t, do it NOW) Do you read or listen to podcasts from experts in your field to help you get a deeper understanding of your world? Do you look at the challenges the customers of your customers face and try to find ways to build your insights?

Or are you just another one of those people who has it “all figured out?”

Now, look at it from a goal setting perspective. Start writing in a journal each day for the next week and determine how much of the “stuff” you do each day is helping you grow or is simply just a chore. What is your ratio of learning to staying the same? Now multiply that for a year, five years, and ten years. What should you do differently?

Once you make the commitment to learn, things will change. Because YOU will change.

Sixth Commandment: Take action.

Nothing feels better than seeing something through to the end. But to make it happen you have to just get started. This used to drive me crazy when coaching sales teams! I would ask a rep what they were working on and they’d tell me, “Oh over the past day, I was building this great list of people I am going to call!” I would ask how many calls they had made and they would sheepishly tell me they called no one. That just killed me.

To be fair, I am a planner and like to really make sure I have a bulletproof, repeatable system, but I schedule time for planning. The rest of the time is all about taking action on the plans. At the beginning of this post I asked if you have unfinished projects. Well perhaps it’s time to stop planing them and go get them done. Finish ONE thing. Take action.

I find that I jump around too much, so I have to apply this rule quite a bit. It’s that ADD in me, I guess. But to combat that, I need to make sure I know what I have to do for the day, and just simply take action. Using some of the other commandments, I then get disciplined and at the end of the day, hold myself accountable. No one but me knows if I did what I said I would.

If all else fails, follow THIS commandment. Take action. Get to work. Get it done. Figure it out after. 

Seventh Commandment: Have fun.

The most important of the commandments. In this program, in any program, and in life. Forget about the future. Forget about the challenges. Find a way to be totally present in everything you do. Love the process and it will never be difficult.

Try to find joy and have more fun in all the activities you do each day, not just the results. It’s normal to tell yourself that you will be happy when you “just get this work done” or “when I am making $a certain amount of money I will be able to relax.”

When we get caught up in results, we miss the opportunity to enjoy what’s right in front of us. I worked with my spiritual coach last weekend on this thought too. We discussed that crazy notion when we say we are building our business or career for our family’s future. And in the process of working like mad, we lose connection with the ones we love. Isn’t that crazy? We create most of the stress and challenges ourselves!

So no matter what you are working on, how seriously “important” you think it is, or how many hours you “think” you need to put into your business or career, find a way to enjoy each moment. When you are knee-deep in work, find some peace in the opportunity you have to do something about it and get to work. Then make time for the ones you care about, re-connect, and live a good life. Those are the REAL goal setting fundamentals.

Will you be one of the few who actually gets things done? Or one of the many full of reasons why they couldn’t? Time to make the change!

I hope that today’s post will get you moving and taking action. If you are interested in learning more about the 90 Day Sprint program, click here or the image below.

90 Day Sprint

For a limited time, I will be offering it for $9, so get on the earlybird list before I change my mind. When I launch it, you will get a link and you can start setting and achieving your own goals. Sound good?

Here is a sample page to give you an idea:

90 Day Sprint Sample Page

And if you liked this post, remember to comment below and share it with others.

Joe Girard
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