I got inspired reading Jeff Haden’s LinkedIn post sharing the accomplishment of his lofty goal to do 100,000 pushups and 50,000 sit-ups in one year. I’ve always loved the Lao Tzu quote: “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” However, I feel that as hard as taking that step is, it’s still much harder to sustain the stamina to complete a big goal. I remember watching the Olympics with my father. He always used to say that races are not necessarily won by the first runners out of the blocks. Winners are only determined at the finish line. Setting goals, making resolutions, and accepting commitments are things we all do almost on a daily basis. And I think it’s fair to say that most people don’t have a problem getting started. Just think about how many years you’ve made the same New Year’s resolution. How many diets have you started? How many times have you vowed to clean up the garage and keep it organized? If you are like most people, you can probably get excited about starting something new, yet find that you struggle to maintain momentum and enthusiasm to remain committed and follow through over time. It was actually a client who first mentioned Haden’s audacious goal to me. Her perspective was that it seemed a bit obsessive. Obsession is mostly viewed as being unhealthy. Yet, it may be a powerful force that drives us forward. As long as it is an obsession to improve, it can evoke a strong sense of intention and focus, an emotional attachment to the goal. I’d also hazard to say that there’s no right or wrong goal to set for ourselves. Personal goals are just that – personal. Those things we care about achieving, for any reason that resonates with us, even when no one else gets it. It’s important to have a good reason for doing something in order to stay committed to a goal. As long as we are ready to dive in wholeheartedly, our drive may remain elusive as far as others are concerned. But we’d better have a clear driving force. Without it, we’d be haunted by excuses. Having that drive means we’ll do whatever it takes to follow through on our goal. Even when we no longer enjoy it, we’ll do it regardless. I call these “YEAH” goals. A “YEAH” goal is something that we are:
Yearning to do, that we have a burning desire to accomplish Energized by, that we feel invigorated by the chance to rise to the challenge Able to achieve, that we know we are capable of doing Hyped about, that we get really excited about achieving “it”
Because otherwise why even bother? But despite the initial excitement, when pursuing a huge goal, we can lose our motivation along the way. The secret is to create a daily routine to experience daily success that will reinforce our ability to accomplish the end-goal. Running a marathon can feel overwhelming if you can barely finish a one-mile run (remember that high school physical fitness test?) Every goal can be broken into smaller, easier to achieve, mini-goals. It’s easier to stay the course when you know what you have to do every day to eventually create the reality you want. As you achieve each step, you get an instant motivation boost to keep going to persevere long enough to be victorious. Perseverance is all about small wins that help us stay focused in the face of any challenges. It’s different than quick wins, the proverbial low-hanging fruit, going after the most obvious opportunities and doing what’s easiest for a quick reward. Small wins are more about incremental improvement for long-term gain. Every small success indicates that change is possible and builds the confidence to keep trying. My running coach used to tell me that success is achieved when we keep going even when the going gets tough, when our feet hurt, when our muscles are sore, and even when it’s not fun anymore. It’s about the determination to power through and find the small inspirations along the way to keep running, putting one foot in front of the other. And most importantly, we need to own our goals: to set the goal, the standards, and the point of completion. With any goal, it’s important to declare the destination, what is to be achieved at the very end of the journey. However, it’s just as important to also define a threshold of success, the point at which a goal is “satisfactorily” completed, even if not 100%. As you set your goal, create a positive picture of success until it’s real in your mind. But be flexible with your vision giving yourself a broader range of success options. As much experience as we have in setting goals, we often fail to follow through and achieve them. In my experience, the following 5-step framework significantly improves the likelihood of success in achieving a goal:
Have a reason: create a compelling vision that would move you to action
Make a daily commitment: break your big goal into smaller goals and take daily action
Celebrate small wins: maintain the momentum needed to keep making progress
Find daily inspiration: incite your enthusiasm to stimulate your endeavors
Determine your point of completion: define your own success
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” ~Henry David Thoreau
