The ONE THING You MUST Focus On to Accomplish Any Goal
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” ― Benjamin Franklin
Happy Freakin’ New Year! Happy end of the last year. Happy looking forward to a fresh start and a clean slate.
Are you chomping at the bit to lose weight, get in shape, better your relationships, grow your business, try something new, or otherwise jump on the resolution bandwagon?
Or are you just plugging away, same old same old, trying hard not to plan or dream big cause you’ve tried before and it hasn’t worked?
Or are you somewhere in between?
This time of year brings out a lot of emotion and baggage. Fear, resistance, excitement, hesitation, frustration, anticipation…you name it.
But while so many people focus on WHAT they are wanting to have or create and HOW to do it, I think a lot are missing the boat on the real reason we have hopes, dreams, and goals.
It’s not really to accumulate stuff, or be a size or two smaller, or achieve something. Those are the tangible results, yes, and often very rewarding. But the REAL reason we do what we do is to feel a certain way.
We’ve lost sight of our WHY.
Regardless of WHAT your goal is or HOW you can go about achieving it, you simply must spend some time and energy focusing on the WHY.
Our WHY drives us and keeps us going when things get challenging. Because things WILL get challenging. It’s inevitable. Our WHY is the feeling behind what we’re creating. And if we’re not in touch with our why, it’s really easy to give up.
When faced with figuring out the WHY, most people start answering with the superficial answers of the immediate gain. But I invite you to dig deeper and explore how you would FEEL and what you have to gain in the long run. Below are examples.
WHY do you want to get in shape?
The Superficial Response
- to lose weight
- to get off medication
- to look good naked
The real WHY behind it
- to feel more energized, less fatigued, less blah
- to be around for my children or grandchildren
- to feel more confident, sexy, happy, and in control of your life
WHY do you want a better (or different) relationship?
The Superficial Response
- to get away from a bad situation
- to have someone who gets me
- to not be lonely
The real WHY behind it
- to feel more connection and love with my partner
- to share my life with someone
- to feel more
WHY do you want a different job or to grow your business?
The Superficial Response
- to make more money
- to spend more time with my family
- to get more clients or customers
The real WHY behind it
- to provide a better life for myself and my family
- to make a bigger impact on the world
- to answer my calling and use my talents and skills
You’ll start to realize your WHY for most of your goals is very similar or will have common themes, such as:
- Increased confidence, self esteem
- Happiness
- Service and/or connection to others
- Fulfilling your life’s purpose
These are common things that drive us all as humans. And if we’re not focusing on these as the real reasons driving us, we can be easily tempted to give up when things get rough.
So as you set those resolutions, make sure you take some time to think about and declare your WHY. Even post it where you can see it and share it with your support system (aka cheerleaders).
Photo By: Randy Heinitz
