By Caroline Godin

You’re tired, you’re stressed, and the last thing you want to do is tackle some goals in your life. It’s too much work, right? You’ll never clean that closet, or run that marathon, or get that promotion. Either you don’t feel ambitious or motivated, or you simply don’t know how to become a goal-crushing master.

Those things are attainable, you can do it, and we can help.

Want to know a few things about goal-crushing? Read on.

The Power of Goal-Crushing

First, let’s talk about the power of goal-crushing.

When you reach that goal, you have a sense of accomplishment, a powerful feeling of authority over your goal. You rose to meet the challenge, and you crushed it. Doesn’t matter how long it took, but you achieved success. Now, you might think about what’s next. You might feel motivated to go further or try something new.

Goal-crushers become goal-hunters, looking for the next mountain to summit, the next accolade in their repertoire.

Since you completed a goal, you might even have more time. Filling that gap is up to you. Is the closet finally cleaned out? You can enjoy the neatness or turn to the messy hallway. Did you run that marathon? You can look for upcoming running challenges or take time from that and relax a little bit. Did you get that promotion? You can enjoy the new job or start thinking of other goals within the position or in your personal life. The possibilities are endless once you master the art of goal-crushing.

Sound good? There are things to consider before you get to this point and it’s all relative to what you want to accomplish.

Becoming a Goal-Crushing Master

Goal-crushing doesn’t happen overnight (unless your goal is sleeping through the night). It takes time, commitment, and lots and lots of little steps to get there.

Analysis

You’ll need to start with an analysis of where you are and where you want to be. Make a short list of goals you’d like to meet and narrow it down to the top one or two. Decide where you stand on each one and determine what needs to be done. You can pick an easy one or a hard one, but choose something measurable and attainable. That is to say, the goal must have measurable steps, and those steps should be attainable in a fairly short amount of time.

For example, cleaning out a closet can start with one shelf or one type of item. It should be a short task, so you get rolling towards your goal right away. If you’re looking to run more, start with a short walk or run and find time to do it consistently.

Small wins fuels the drive to bigger wins, and that’s no small thing.

Plan

Next, you’ll want to put together a plan of attack. Write it down and consider breaking the steps into even smaller micro-steps. Unless there’s a deadline out of your control, you want to pace yourself. Even if you’re ambitious, start small. Let your little steps happen in the short run so you can start to see progress right away. Give yourself some deadlines to push you into action.

This could be as short and simple as having a walking/running buddy. You might have a dog you can take or friends looking to do the same. Partnership in goal-crushing is a major boost.

Obstacles

No matter the goal, you’ll face obstacles, so it’s important to anticipate as much as you can. Is someone else vying for that promotion? Do you need to revamp your resume? Maybe your goal involves another person, in which case you’ll need to find a way to communicate effectively to get that person on board.

The trick with obstacles, whether you see them coming or not, is the drive to overcome them. When you commit to a goal, you commit to overcoming obstacles. Barring unforeseen circumstances, like an injury or drastic financial changes, your goal isn’t going anywhere. Even in those situations, you may just have to change the timeline in the plan. The commitment to overcoming obstacles means being patient and willing to stay the course.

Adaptability

Improvise, adapt, and overcome. Sound familiar? It’s a common phrase and it’s an important life motto. If your computer crashes, you may need to borrow from a friend or use the library to work on your resume. If something urgent comes up at a time you had slotted for a run or for cleaning your house, you’ll have to shift plans and take care of the urgent matter first. You may even have to adapt to a new plan.

Let’s say city workers are doing roadwork on your running route. Adapt to a new route. If the position you were vying for at work is either taken or dissolved, come up with a new plan of promotion. Don’t settle for excuses. There’s always a way to improve your career.

Next Best Step

Sometimes your steps get taken for you and sometimes unforeseen events jar your plans. Take a step back and look at the big picture. Redo your steps and figure out the next best step for your current situation. Just keep doing the next best step and you’ll be back on track to goal-crushing.

The idea is to keep moving forward, even if moving forward means self-care, such as taking a nap. If that’s the next best step, do it. Then, set an alarm and plan your steps for when you’re up and moving.

Accountability

One major trick for staying track toward your goal is having an accountability partner. Whether it’s a spouse, friend, mentor, or life coach, relying on someone else to check on you and keep you on the right track is vital.

It’s highly beneficial to know you need to report you’ve done the things you’ve committed to doing to someone.

Get yourself an accountability partner and schedule routine check-ins. Have a small step in your goal that can be accomplished before the next check-in to keep you honest and goal-focused.

Too often people try to give up and slip off the path to goal-crushing, but an accountability partner will make sure that doesn’t happen. It’s even more effective if that person has goals, as well. It’s a partnership fuelled by camaraderie and motivation.

Celebration

The best part about goal-crushing is the celebration. But don’t wait for the whole goal to be reached; celebrate small wins, too. Celebrate overcoming obstacles and getting the first one or two steps done. You’re on your way but go forward with joy. In those little moments, say, “Hey, I did that. I didn’t quit.” Be excited and let your accountability partner celebrate with you. If you’re helping each other, be sure to celebrate small wins with that person, as well. Positivity can be contagious.

What the Future Holds

The future is bright and holds a goal you can tackle with all the above points. Picture your task done, the closet clean, the marathon finish line, the promotion achieved. How would that make you feel? Hold on to that and make it a reality. Keep that feeling alive with those small steps to victory. You never know what’s possible until you decide to commit to making it possible.

Time to Get Started

It’s time to get started and become a goal-crushing master. No matter your goal, it all starts with one step: the commitment to do it, one step at a time. If you’re not sure where to start, reach out to a life coach and we’ll help navigate this path with you. We want to see you succeed, so what will it be? Housework, physical fitness, professional development, or something else? Let us know!