Setting goals is a bigger deal than we give credit to. When we set out to achieve something, big or small, we’re telling ourselves that we want a specific outcome and we commit to making it happen.
Goals are great. Accomplishing them is the best feeling. But what happens when we continue to set goals and not accomplish them?
We no longer trust that what we say we want to do is ever going to get done.
How many times have you said you were going to exercise more and ended up doing nothing?
How many times did you decide in your mind that you were serious about your goal but didn’t really believe yourself?
How many times have you made a New Year’s Resolution and failed by February?
This creates a pattern in your mind. If you continually set goals and don’t do anything to work towards them or give up halfway through, you’re teaching your brain that these choices are your habits/patterns.
By repeating that over and over, it’s almost impossible to accomplish a goal.
If you’re looking to REALLY have the goal you set out to achieve, you have to create new patterns.
How do we do this?
Start with small achievements.
Set your intention to make your bed every day and if you do that already, start paying more attention to it and rewarding yourself when you do.
Then take on a new goal that’s slightly bigger and still doable. Decide that every Monday, you’re going to set intentions for your attitude throughout the week. Set a reminder on your phone daily that reinforces your goal. Again, rewarding yourself with a small treat is bringing attention and happiness to the new habit.
Make a goal that’s at the edge of what you think you’re capable of, and go at it fully prepared. Set reminders, see if there’s something you can do daily to get you closer to the end goal, grab an accountability partner who will check on you and keep you on track. Give yourself every single opportunity to achieve that goal through supportive actions.
This is how to make new patterns. It teaches your brain that you WILL follow through and you will begin to trust your level of commitment to each intention you set.
If you’re failing on the small things, it’s impossible to win the big things.
You have to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run.
Start crawling, and don’t give up so easily. Don’t talk yourself out of it. Don’t rationalize why you “can’t” do it today and will try again tomorrow.
Sometimes we have to take action before our mind convinces us not to.
There may be a time where you just have to shut off the inner voice and do the work.
I personally like to listen to those motivational YouTube videos where they yell at you to make it happen because it takes me out of my rationalizing mind.
Set yourself up for success. Try out all the tips and tricks to see what really works for you.
Remember: you don’t have to start when it’s the new year, now month, new day. You can start right now and you can make it happen.
