Can you believe we are now three weeks into the new year? Most people have already given up on their resolutions. In fact statistics show that January 10th is as far as the majority will get. If you are still with us on this journey, congratulations. You are prepared to find the answer to the question others did not bother to ask, “How do I turn a desired action into an achievable successful goal?”
This is week five in our series so, before moving on to the next step please make sure you have;
- Read the previous blogs
- Written your list of wants
- Selected and created your top three/five list
- Identified obstacles that may delay or stop your progress
If you have not done the above, please go back and complete these steps before continuing. Then click here for today’s download.
Now that we have ranked our selected list we will concentrate on your number one statement. We are getting closer to having an achievable successful goal. At the moment we have a desired action. How do we turn this ‘desired action’ into an ‘achievable successful goal’? Well, we need to look at our options and how to overcome the obstacles we identified in the last section.
Read through your obstacle statements again. What will you do to overcome each one? What strategies can you use to get yourself back on track? What is your way forward?
Here’s an example. Let’s say you want to lose weight and you have a healthy meal plan for the week. The obstacle is you have been invited to a celebratory dinner at a great restaurant. So, what are your helpful options? You could decide to skip the starter and dessert, or order fish with greens instead of a heavy meat dish served with carbs.
Giving yourself options helps you set the rules for your own game so there is no way you can lose. Try using a flow chart or mind map to help you with this exercise. This will encourage you to fill in the blanks between ‘If…then…’ keeping you on track and propelling you to success. Follow these steps and you may find that achieving your desired action is closer than you first thought.
Once you have some ideas about how to overcome these obstacles decide;
- What actions could I take over the next 30 days to achieve my goals?
- What action would I take to achieve my goals over the next 15 days?
- What actions should be done over the next 7 days to help me achieve my goals?
- What action will I take today to set me on the path to achieving my goals?
By the way, that last decision is really a call to action. If you can do it today, DO IT TODAY. This is where a goal differs from a resolution. You now have a road map; a plan with timely steps to get you to your destination.
Once you get the hang of these four steps and you have planned how to achieve successful goal number one, go ahead and do this again with the rest of your top three/five list.
At OVP Coaching we will show you how setting goals will get you to where you want to be. Click here to select your coaching program.