Eat The Elephant One Bite At A Time

I've recently been reflecting on how we set and achieve our goals - what makes some people consistently achieve what they set out to do, while others often falter along the way. A big ah ha! moment came about when I realised that having an intention, motivation and willpower to achieve something is not enough, however, this is how most of us have been trained to set goals and achieve our goals.

Here is a goal-setting and achieving formula that I've found very practical and almost effortless:

1. Have an overarching vision of what you want for your life, something that inspires you.

2. Identify the one or two goals that will move you closer to that vision in the short term.

3. Set a clear intention to accomplish the goal

3. Take a hard and honest look at what will stop you from accomplishing your goals (this is a step most of us skip) and craft solutions to the identified issues so you know how to respond when they show up on your journey.

4. Establish the top 2 or 3 activities or tactics that are the biggest contributors to you achieving each of the goals that move you towards your vision (e.g. activity or tactic - write 3 chapters of the book per month)

5. Craft a daily action plan that allows you to do what you can each day to move the needle on those top 2 or 3 priorities (e.g. daily action plan - sit down to write 2 pages each morning at 07:00).

6. Score yourself daily and weekly on how well you have adhered to your plan.

This approach is very effective whether you're trying to save money or secure new contracts or publish something daily. Take tiny steps daily and you will be surprised at how much momentum you build towards your goal and how effortless it all begins to feel. Even if you end up writing a crappy book the first time around, at least you have a completed manuscript that you can edit or redraft, which is better than starting with nothing.

I think the magic lies in taking your eye off the big goal, which can feel overwhelming at times, and instead focusing on the one or two things you need to do today that will eventually result in reaching your goal.

For about this approach to goal setting and achieving, please read The 2-week Year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington.