Are you getting in your own way?
Have you set your business and personal goals for 2020? If yes, how well did you achieve your 2019 goals? Are your new goals BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals)? If not, why not?
You can find lots of advice on setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound) goals, crafting actionable plans and measuring results. Then reality bites. Or you hold back from starting. What is your response?
A simple formula that works for us and our clients is:
- Think Big
- Start Small
- Get In Action
Sounds too simple? Well even with this basic approach we can get in our own way in any one of these steps. One of the best teams I ever worked with has a principle that stated “A non-result plus a good excuse still equals a non-result.” This was not to beat each other up or point fingers. We made lots of mistakes and fell short of our BHAGs and deliverables. Rather than excuses, we saw falling short as opportunities to learn and improve. We would engage in quick root cause analysis and design new next steps. Then we got in action.
Why do we make excuses? Sometimes we are just not sufficiently motivated enough. An excuse is often a means of self-protection. We want to protect ourselves from feelings of fear, discomfort, doubt, guilt, anxiety or inadequacy. We hesitate from thinking big in the first place due to limiting beliefs and negative stories we have accumulated. We may be overwhelmed by our vision even though it excites us. That is why step 2 is so important. You don’t need to know (and no one can) every step to success. Start small with an achievable step in the right direction, get in action, learn from the results and take the next step. The best game plan in the world is no good if, while you are refining it, the other team has been on the ice and scored 10 goals! Get in the game!!
Sometimes you just need a different perspective on your goals and progress. An accountability partner may be the missing piece especially if they help you focus on actions and results and call you out for unproductive excuses.
If you want to get more done and achieve your goals, check the new No More Excuses template here or in our Resources page.
” Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. . . Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it” – Goethe
Contact us today. Let’s get started!