Many of you have probably heard of this by now but it bears repeating – especially since we are two months into 2015 and you may feel that you aren’t as far along in your goals as you thought you would be on January 1st.
There was a 1979 Harvard MBA study centered on goals and planning for those goals. The results were pretty typical; I really don’t think times have changed much on this topic. The results of this study were that
A whopping 84% of the subjects had no goals planned.
13% had goals but had not written them down.
A teeny 3% of the people had written down their goals and plans to achieve them.
Ten years down the road the same group was interviewed again. These results are pretty staggering.
The 13% who had goals in mind but had not written them down were earning twice the amount of money as the 84% who had no goals at all.
Here comes the really astounding number.
On average, the 3% who had written down their goals and plans to achieve them were earning 10% more than the combined 97% from the rest of the group.
HOLY SHIT is what I say about that! Every time I read it I have the same reaction. That is really powerful stuff!
So here’s my challenge to you my fellow visionaries. Go get a pen, a really good one that you enjoying writing with. I know you have one – we all have a favorite kind. Find a piece of paper without some sort of scribble on it (if you have children you understand this), or your journal if you prefer. You can do this on the computer in a document but to be honest, I think there is more energy-input in something hand written. And of course there are fewer distractions from notifications on Facebook or email. Then find a quiet space, light a candle if you like and center yourself. Set your intention to let this flow with positive energy for a positive outcome.
Step One
Create your vision for your life. FEEL it as you write this down in as much detail as possible. If you are familiar with the Law of Attraction you understand that FEELINGS play a big part in this process. Include in this vision the things you would like to achieve this year. Make a list of them. Whatever they may be, even if they seem unrealistic, write them down.
Once you think you’ve got the vision down see if you can summarize this as a declaration that you are making. A short sentence that encompasses this vision. Write it down separately and post it where you will see it daily. You can even make a screensaver out of it!
Step Two
Take your vision and break it down into goals. These should be achievable chunks of your vision. As you achieve these little nuggets of accomplishment you can check them off and do a happy dance. The ball is rolling and the plan is in action!
Make this declaration, “I’m one of the 3%!!!! Ten times more earnings here I come!”
Do the happy dance or the abundance jig! Whatever feels right for you.
Step Three
Once you have the goals nuggetted down (I think this is my very own new term!) set time frames for them. This makes them measurable. The time frames for each goal will allow you to get a picture of how things are progressing. You may find that some steps are super-fast and some are taking a little longer. All of it is ok and perfectly individualized for you. There is no right or wrong way to do this.
If you are a visual person and like to see stuff right in front of you (like I do) you may want to get a calendar or planner that has blocks that you can write in so you can grab a favorite color pen or marker, circle some dates and put notes on it.
CELEBRATE! Acknowledge your accomplishments no matter how small. Big ones are on the way when the small ones are checked off. Get your groove on and start jigging away!
Step Four
Accountability. The calendar is a good way to hold yourself accountable. It’s visual, it’s right there in front of you and you can see those lovely, colorful little reminders. You can take actions to speed things up if a nugget is approaching that you are lagging behind on, or you can get your groove on with that happy dance for those nuggets that were completed ahead of time!
Another option for accountability is to get an accountability partner. This can be a friend who also needs accountability and you can support each other with check-ins. Share your calendar of action items for the week and have scheduled check-ins to see how the other person is managing their time in order to accomplish their goals for the week.
Accountability via a coach (such as myself! www.CherriseBoucher.com) is an awesome option because often a coach is someone you don’t personally know on the friend level so they can kick you in the ass with a little more oomph and give you a reality check. Or, they can also be a gentle coach who nudges you along but still holds you accountable for your action items. If you are like me, I know that when I have action items that I need to report in on, I get my shit together and accomplish them. Or at least 95% of them.
There you have it. These steps are in no way difficult it’s just a matter of doing them! Partnering with someone else who wants to accomplish things helps to keep the momentum going. Give yourself little rewards for accomplishing goals if that helps. If you have an accountability partner maybe you set a lunch date for when you have both achieved a goal you set. Put a dollar in a jar for each completed nugget. Whatever you do make it fun!
Here’s to YOUR vision and accomplishments in this and every year!