It's not just about setting a goal...

Goals.

I know, I know. You hear about them all the time - It's so important to set goals. If you really want to see and make a difference set yourself some SMART goals. Goals for work. Goals for life. Goals for school. Goals here, goals there, goals, goals everywhere!

I admit it. Goal setting sure hasn't always been my favorite thing. I've found it tedious. I've found it annoying. I've found it unsuccessful.

Here are the problems I had.

The goals I've set in the past haven't been inspiring to me. Some goals for work were set merely for the formalities and technicalities of it, mandated from a source other than myself.

The goals I've set in the past were "have to's" or "should do's" and not "want to's".

The first thing I needed was passion and motivation.

More recently I've found the goals that do inspire me have a lot more likelihood of surviving out there in this sometimes brutal world. They've been about things that I'm actually motivated by and really vibe with. Kind of like that feeling of hearing a song that you love - you turn it up, you jam out, you can't wait to hear it again, it excites you. Somehow that song knows how to reach you down deep. That's how your goal should feel with you.

So I set a goal to write 5 minutes a day back in October after I was struck with a book idea about helping frustrated moms find balance in their lives. Like, I really liked that idea. I had used the concept of a wellness wheel dozens of times with my clients in the wellness program I designed and saw how powerful and effective it was.

I saw people's eyes light up with understanding about why they were feeling and acting the way they were. I saw people grasp the idea of change and how making a few small changes in their habits and thoughts could totally shift their reality in a positive way.

I wanted to share that simple, yet powerful tool, with the million of moms out there that, like me, struggle to get it all done with some sense of semblance. Juggling work, kids, cooking, cleaning, and not feel like we're running around like an angry chicken with its head cut off.

The second thing I needed was direction and education.

My goal of writing 5 minutes/day grew when I joined an online writing group that provided me with education and guidance to help keep me focused on my goal. I'm the kind of person that likes to research and find as much information as possible, and in the world of writing and publishing there are endless resources out there to get lost in. Some are good, some are bad, and I wasn't looking to play a game of roulette and waste my time going down the wrong strategic path. Along with the education, it also really set some hard deadlines for me to meet.

The third thing I needed was an accountability partner.

A third component to finding goal success for me was accountability not just in deadlines, but with an accountability partner. Someone I would check in with weekly either by text or phone. Through that contact I gleaned ideas and brainstormed through some sticky points that naturally came up in the process of writing my book. I shared goals, they shared goals and in this partnership we mutually benefited and grew stronger together in our individual goals.

Put it all together.

Putting all three of these components together made all the difference.

I'm now over 30,000 words in my book and working on the first self-edit.

You know what else is motivating? Not giving up and seeing it happen. Three months ago I just had an idea to write a book, and now, I'm getting ready to have an editor look it over in the next 1-2 weeks and get a cover design done. Whaaaat??!!

Now, what do you want to do? What makes you feel alive and excited? What is something that you want to set a goal about? What education and guidance is out there to help keep you stay focused? Who is an accountability partner that you respect and shares similar motivating and inspiring ideas?

So we know that goal setting actually is really important. It gives you something to work towards, it gives you a purpose. A good goal can be broken down into baby steps - like 5 minutes a day - to help get you momentum and move towards your end desired result. Goal setting provides that kick butt rewarding feeling when you meet that goal you set your mind to. Success there, translates into success in other areas of your life, too.

Now what part of all of that is tedious, annoying, or uninspiring?? Your world really and literally is yours...what are you going to do with it?

Let me know what you are passionate about and how you're going to set a goal around it - I'd love to hear about it! [email protected]

Make 2020 YOURS,

Best,

Brianne <3