► Keys to Achieving Outrageous Goals in 2018

Written by Erik Kikuchi

"A goal is a dream with a deadline." - Napoleon Hill

Every January, statistics show that most goals set on New Year’s Day last a maximum of 5 days! So let’s begin by saying it’s not completely your fault. In my earlier years, I participated in several goal-setting workshops and programs and read handfuls of articles and books on the subject. Some have worked and others failed to make the grade. What I found from my own experience in both failures and great successes that the achievement of our goals doesn’t begin with a checklist things to do, but starting with a powerful shift of our mindset, and then taking consistent and massive action towards attaining them.

Here I have listed for you my 20 steps to help get you moving towards building that mindset and truly achieving your goals. Read on and then start putting them into action … today!

 

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” - Anatole Franc

 

1. Remember you are more than a title.

We are not just one identity. Stay away from labels that limit us, such as “I’m a student” or “I’m a doctor”. Our potential is not a profession, a race, a degree, or bank statement. Expand who you are by experimenting with different identities for each category of your life. For example, I am a loving, fun and compassionate father at home, and when I am working on my projects, my identity is a leader serving for the greater good. What new labels can you create for yourself that will bring you closer to what you want and who will be?

 

2. Identify and overcome negative/unsupportive benefits

Determine the negative benefit you will get by NOT reaching your goal. Everything we do meets some of our needs in one way or another; serving or non-serving. If someone is depressed, their secondary benefit typically is them getting much needed attention. You must find new and empowering ways to get that same attention in a positive manner. If not, you may return to what you know or what is holding you back. Therefore, the reasons for achieving your goal must be greater than the negative benefits.

 

3. Empower your language

Stay away from words such as try, should, might, someday! These can simply stop your progress and momentum in its tracks. Work hard to remove them completely from your vocabulary. The words we use every day have a very powerful effect on our actions and results - watch your mouth because your mind is listening! Replace disempowering words with: I will, I must, I can, I’ll find a way and now. This will immediately change your focus, your ability to identify the resources to succeed and then positively impact your results.

 

4. Leverage and stand behind your NO's!

Yes, you have goals and things that you want and must accomplish. However, most people already have their plate full of things they need to do, including you! Therefore, in addition to your goals, save time and headaches by creating a list of things that you will no longer do, tolerate or waste time on. These things usually take the focus away from your goals; your quality of life will improve when you stop wasting time and energy on them.

 

5. Be clear and be specific

Have you ever set a goal to make more money? Great! Send me your email address and I’ll send $1.00 via PayPal! Ok, kidding aside, this is what most good people do. They create a goal that is not clear enough for the brain to pinpoint exactly what it wants, by when and how. Consider this example for structuring your specificity. “I must have $2,000 in passive monthly income by this time next year by using x, y and z resources. I will also find the people and courses to make this possible by this specific date.”

 

6. Envision your results in advance

What has worked for me as well as my wealthiest and most influential friends is consistent and positive visualization. The truth is, most people do visualize, but they visualize their fears and that’s why most ideas or actions never get off the ground! Once you’ve set your goals, stop for a moment, close your eyes and truly experience what you will see, hear and feel once you accomplish them. Fully associate the achievement of your goal throughout your entire body thus setting the dial of your unconscious mind and body on the right path.

 

“The fact is that people cannot build new goals with the same strategy and thinking they used the previous year. Keep an open mind because in order to discover new lands, we must first break free from the comforts of the shore.” – Erik Kikuchi

 

7. Work backwards! 

Whenever I have a valued coaching client ask: “Well, how do I do it?” I first tell them to describe their outcome then work backwards to ‘see’ how they accomplished it. It takes a bit of effort at first. However, I know from experience that this is can be far more productive and effective. In addition, when you create this new timeline of your success, add in monthly and weekly checkpoints to measure and check so you can keep track of your progress and ensure that you’re on track.

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” -Francis of Assisi

 

8. Give yourself constant and positive rewards

At each checkpoint in your schedule, plan to ‘reward’ yourself when you accomplish each intermediate win. This strategy will help you to build consistent emotional and intellectual momentum. When I was in my 20’s building my first company, I absolutely despised the thought of cold calling - I now teach companies to rename as ‘treasure hunting’ by the way. Even though my final reward was exciting and beneficial when I struck a deal, I still had consistent intermediate rewards along the way to help me get out there and do it.

 

9. Have a reason why bigger than yourself

Besides your actual goal, write down empowering reasons for achieving each desired outcome. Ensure these reasons have a powerful emotional charge. To buy something or to attain something isn’t enough to pull most people through the times they’ll be tested on their commitment. In addition, if the reason goes beyond personal benefit and serves others, then you really have a powerful force behind your goal; most people will do more for others than for themselves.

"You must do the things you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt

10. Invest your time wisely

Time is the one resource that we all have in common. Yet for some it’s the most challenging thing to manage. Most people can (and should) free up 2 or more hours each day when they limit and control daily distractions. Consider eliminating TV altogether. Set aside internet browsing for scheduled times and silence your cell phone when you’re really supposed to be concentrating on something. In addition, one strategy that fueled my salary as an employee and sales as an entrepreneur was to invest my driving time, which was over 90 minutes a day, with listening to professional and training audios instead of the radio.

Inspiration exists, but it must find you working.” - Pablo Picasso

 

11. Get resourceful – get help

Some of us want to do everything ourselves, while others ask for the advice of experts and help along the way. I always recommend the latter. Part of getting to where you’ve never been before includes becoming resourceful in the process. This means finding the right people, those who’ve accomplished the results you desire, and then asking the right questions. This might mean taking a course or expanding your studies or experiences. Online training, networking groups, colleagues, books, night courses, coaches, mentors and the internet, they are all great resources and tools to get you on your way.

 

12. Ask power questions

The quality of your results directly relies on the quality and structure of your questions. An example for the average business could be: “How do we increase our sales by 10% in 3 months?” An improved power question would be, “Where can we find the leading experts to train our sales force to make our increase in sales both sustainable and exponential?” or “When will we start hiring the experts who have a proven track record of increasing a company’s sales by over 10% in fewer than 3 months, while creating totally positive feedback fans and repeat clients in the process!”

 

13. Check your inner circle

In your business or profession, your results will grow considerably faster when you surround yourself with not only other like-minded people, but those who’ve achieved a level of success steps above yours. If you’re a manager, work yourself into the inner circles of presidents and vice-presidents. Network within the next two levels above your position and you’ll find resources, mindsets and knowledge which will expand yourknowledge and improve your results considerably.   

 

14. Build multiple pathways towards your goal

Setting up to win requires flexibility. Success is never a straight line and there are always lessons to be learned and obstacles to overcome along the way. For a quick example: If your goal is to become healthy, rather than saying: “I must eat more vegetables” add additional ways to reach your goal. These can include exercising in the mornings, signing up for a cleansing program, taking healthy cooking classes or joining a hiking group, to name a few. Never limit yourself to just one vehicle or method to achieve your goal.

 

15. Celebrate mistakes!

OK, making mistakes is not fun in the moment. However, when this happens (after feeling crappy), consider asking: “How can I learn from this and what can I improve for the future?” With this, you can instantly turn a mistake into a positive lesson. That’s why I say celebrate because mistakes can quickly become stepping stones on your path towards your goal. Remember, making new mistakes is a sign of courage and effort. Most people are too scared to make mistakes and so they do nothing. Therefore cherish the ability to learn and grow as you continue towards your goals. Don’t see mistakes as errors, see them as opportunities to evolve.

 

16. Visualize and maximize

A vision board also needs a collision board. A vision board is a picture poster displaying all the goals you want to achieve. It’s a visual reference, so to speak. However, to add some fuel to your momentum, create a ‘collision board’ to display ‘worst case scenario’ images of what could happen if you don’t take consistent action and go as far as to identify the pain. And I don’t mean just the immediate pain, but over 3, 5 and even 15 years if you continue not taking action towards what you want to achieve. It’s a proven psychological belief that people will do more to avoid pain that to gain pleasure.   

 

17. Turn should's into MUSTS!

Have you ever heard someone say, “I should get…, I should do…., I should start… I should think about…” and before they know it, days, weeks or even years have passed and they have done nothing. It’s time to turn ‘shoulds’ into MUSTS. It’s a completely different feeling in the nervous system when you say I should do something versus when you say “I MUST” with true intention. So, take out your calendar, day timer or whatever you use and begin booking block times needed to achieve your goals or outcomes. 

18. Send excuses down the drain! 

Some good people come up with creative and interesting excuses not to achieve their goals, then, when the times get tough, they’ll be right there waiting to pull them back to their comfort zone. Here’s a fun and important preventative idea. Write down all the excuses you could ever possibly make. Take a new roll of toilet paper and write them repeatedly on as many sheets as possible. Roll it back up, and return it to the bathroom. This will act as a daily reminder every day of what should and will soon be a thing of the past!

 

19. Watch the feet, not the lips

• If you find yourself spending more time talking and thinking about your goals than taking action, it’s time to switch gears! This is where the coach steps in. Listen and remember, baby steps are for babies who’ve never walked before and are just trying to make it to the other side of the room without falling. You’re more advanced, experienced and far better prepared. Don’t wait for the planets to align or until everything is perfect to take your first step! Use the time talking about what you’re going to do and invest that same time in working towards the goal. Write this down: “Good” things come to those who wait; “GREAT” things come who take massive action.

20. Get quality support

If you want to get on an even faster track, hold yourself to a higher standard and find someone to support and guide you along the way of achieving your goals. There will be times when you just won’t feel like continuing or you have important questions that will make the critical difference in your next steps. Having someone with experience by your side is priceless. Like any professional, your road to success may benefit from a success coach or support group that will consistently hold you accountable and to a higher standard. It’s the best investment that you could possibly make for your future. Be it a coach, a peer group find someone who can not only hold you accountable but help you broaden your knowledge and build your leadership capacity.

Once you uncover these principles, apply them with honesty, courage and consistency. You can then restart on the right path to the goals and dreams you intend to achieve. – Erik Kikuchi

 Some final thoughts.

Now that you have the fundamental strategies, sit up, get excited, and picture yourself one year from now as a result of what you have learned here. Start planning your success story immediately. Grab a pen and paper or start a new note on your computer and write with pride, anticipation and determination how you will overcome obstacles and master your life on your own terms.

Be the person you admire, not to be accepted by others but for your own reasons and yours alone. Do it consistently with as much enjoyment and integrity as humanly possible, because when you fall, these tools will get you up faster each and every time and with an even bigger and stronger smile. It’s not just who you become or what you do in the process, it’s how you have lived in the process.

So, ensure to put these twenty principles into practice over the next 30 days and get a coach! I don’t need to tell you the reasons, but imagine an Olympic team expecting to win the gold, and training without a coach! Learn from proven knowledge, shorten your growth stage, limit costly spent time and learn from experience.

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Erik Kikuchi

TEC Canada/Vistage Chairman and CEO Coach

Better Leaders, Decisions, Results.

Contact: ekikuchi@tec-canada.com

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