OK, here we go... 2017 is already in effect.
You’ve set some goals for the new year. Some you really want, and probably there are one or two you should want, but do not. There may be one in particular. You know it is the right goal to have. It is worth your time to pursue it, and fulfilling it will do a lot of good for you and your team as a whole.
But if you are honest, you will admit that your level of motivation to reach the goal is not high. You are just not that committed to it. You can think of reasons why it would be a good goal to accomplish this year, but if you are not really committed, your chance of reaching the goal is low.
The good news is that you can increase your desire for it in 7 steps:
1. Get the plan together.
First, learn everything you can about how you can attain your goal.
Talk to those who have achieved it and ask them how they did it.
Once you’ve gathered the info, had the conversations, and digested it all, form a plan.
Make sure that you can clearly visualize how the plan will be fulfilled.
2. Get attached to the plan.
The next step is to really get attached to the plan. You do this by filling your environment with reminders to go for the goal. You can change your screensaver, put up post it notes, look at motivational videos around your goal, and more.
If you are really going to get attached to the goal, let positive, affirming people know about it. Forming a mini-support network would be huge here.
3. What good can come if you accomplish it?
If you have followed some of my previous blogs, you will know that this next step is a staple of mine that works.
Create a Google doc with the question, “What Good Can Come If I Accomplish ________?” (Fill in the goal). Every time you think of something good that can come, put it on that Google Doc. You want to get as long of a list as possible here. The more you can come up with, the better.
Don’t be afraid to ask friends what good they can see coming from it, and even researching about the benefits of _______ (insert your goal).
4. Burn the ships: What's keeping you back?
Since you took the time to see that this goal was worthy of your time and talent to pursue, take the time now to burn all the ships that can steer you away from its fulfillment.
What has held you back from fulfilling this goal in the past? Whatever it is, the time has come to deliberately remove or offset it. Say your goal is to be more appreciative of your team, to notice the good they have achieved, and not just be quick to point out the flaws or focus on the negative. One thing that has motivated you to set this goal is your anxiety over what you believe the consequences will be if your team fails to do their job right. It is still important that you point out what is off, but try offsetting that with three things they have done right. That is a way to balance off the negative.
5. Burn the ships: Your negative beliefs.
In a previous post, we talked about core beliefs and their power to influence our behaviors.
If there are core beliefs that are holding you back from accomplishing this goal, it will help you to move forward if you can make progress towards replacing the negative ones you have identified.
6. Daily complete small steps towards the goal - what small step am I going to complete today?
Break down your goal to small doable steps, and ask yourself what small step will you accomplish today. If you keep working towards your goal daily, and you keep experiencing wins because the steps are doable, then you will see your desire increase even further. (Don’t be surprised if you desire to do more than just the small step you set out to accomplish. But be careful. Sometimes doing more than the small steps helps, but sometimes it can throw you off your rhythm. Test and see what works for you.)
7. Keep finding reasons to fight for it.
Throughout the entire process, keep coming back to number 3. This will help you to move even further in growing your desire.
Increasing desire is one of the top ways to see your goals accomplished. You don’t have to stay stuck in low desire and just will yourself into accomplishing your goals. Add desire to your will, and you will accomplish great things!
Chew On This:
- What would change in your life if you learned to increase your desire for goals that you are only half-heartedly pursuing?
Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.