Written by Jessica Allison walks you through steps to find the spark in your life and what to do to accomplish your goals!
Are you struggling to reach your goals? Do you want to get off sugar, lose weight, and have more energy to move forward in a relationship, nail down the upcoming job interview or audition, or insert any other idea you have about health and success? How are you going to get there? Question your right to have what you want. The sky is the limit. You don’t need to feel trapped in cement by your goals. They are fluid and should change as you change. When you put the energy out there, it comes back to you. Then your passions will continuously be fired up.
What is your purpose? What is the difference between a goal and an activity?
A goal is the end result, what you’d like to achieve, and the big picture. Activities are steps you take towards your goals. Activity is not the goal. The confusion is beginning to think activity is the goal.
Example of unclear intentions:
- Get a new job in 6 months
- Go to the gym 3x a week
- Hang out with family and friends more often
What is the purpose? The questions are why change jobs, why go to the gym, and why spend more time with family and friends? Be specific and write down your intentions answering the how, why, when, where, and what formula.
How do you keep goals aligned to your purpose? Goals should be connected, have congruity. It’s an instinctual thing; you’ll know it when you feel it in your gut and heart. Your values drive your goals.
Have you thought about asking where your goals came from anyways? Are they goals that someone else put on you? Is this goal something you need right now, or do you need to let go and start fresh?
What is the goal of goal setting?
- Personal growth and development
- Helps you organize your time, what you do each day
- Moves you forward
- Activity leads toward reaching the goal
- It inspires you
- Forces you to take responsibility
- Focus and clarity
- Your energy and actions are directed
- Improve decision making and focus
How does this happen? How do we do it?
Write it down and build a muscle around writing down the goals. This makes it real. Do it at one month, three months, and six months. See where you are going, look for opportunities, look at successes, and define what lights you up. Find the spark!
- Prioritize and track the time you spend reaching the goal
- A dream board is a great tool—words, pictures, flash cards that remind you of your goal
- Measure your goal on a calendar
- Where and how do you get support towards reaching your goal
- What is in your wildest dreams
- List what influences you
- Use books, a mentor, accountability partners, answer to someone who helps you with making sure you stay committed
- Look at what skills you need
- Be persistent, consistent
- Look for where you have problems or procrastination
- Are you in a transition period? Going through a phase in life? What chapter of your life are you in?
- Define what is realistic and what is lofty
- Practice an attitude of gratitude, be thankful for your successes and challenges
- Set time for yourself, schedule it like an appointment that you cannot cancel
- Delegate work, ask for help, hire help
- Stick to your core values
If you don’t understand the activities you need to perform in order to reach your goals, or don’t know what your goals and intentions are in the first place, what is the cost? Your energy will be scattered, and you will not be living a life aligned with your core values. You probably are more reactive to your environment. Why set goals anyways? The benefits of reaching goals provide empowerment, focus, and living life with intention, creativity, purpose, awareness, positive self-esteem, and abundance. Put on your thinking cap, get specific, and find your spark.
-Jessica Allison
Jessica is a work at home mom, fine art photographer, makeup and skin care enthusiast, and lover of history and the outdoors. Check her out at facebook.com/groups/flygirllips or www.idahochildrensphotography.com
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Last modified: August 13, 2017
