Deep down inside I really despise goals. But the only reason for that sentiment is that I feel that goals become ceilings that we trap ourselves in. I have a different attitude than many and as I coach and mentor others I realized there are a few different tricks to setting goals. My mindset is to just go at it as hard as I can and don’t stop until I gave it my all. Intense focus, tunnel vision, blinders on, and just going full tilt until I surpass good and shoot for great.
But not everyone operates that way.
My disdain for goals is that they are often set too low, and once we have achieved them the brain tells you to stop and go chill. How many times have you told yourself that now that you have hit your goal, you should reward yourself? But in reality you set an easy to reach goal and stopped to celebrate rather than blowing right through that goal and kept going.
So how do you set goals and make measurable results that extend beyond just good?
Here Are 3 Hacks To Help You Achieve Higher Goals
· When goal setting you need to be honest with yourself. Don’t set easy goals but also don’t set them so high that you cannot even touch the rim on your best day. Think of the best you have ever done before at the given task, think about the effort you put to reach that point and set a new goal. For example, if you’re in sales and your best call day was 50 calls, but you know you started to slack off at 2pm, then setting a goal of 60 now is not even border-lining on good. A realist viewpoint says if you made 50 and kept going strong until 5pm you could have maybe done 70. Now set your goal based on that and maybe shoot for 85 knowing you’re going to have to go hard all the way until its time to go home.
· Don’t focus on more than one goal per day when you’re trying to reach greatness. To reach a goal you need intense focus and tunnel vision. You must keep your eye on the prize at all times. To quote Jimmy Iovine from The Defiant ones – if the horses don’t have blinders on they look to the left, they look to the right and they miss a step. So when you’re spreading yourself too thin, you’re missing steps and you will come up short on your goal.
· It is so hard to just be good at something, let alone great. And the number one killer of dreams and goals is excuses. Regardless of bad luck, bad timing, things not going your way or the wind blowing in the wrong direction, you cannot make any excuses. The mind can talk you into anything. Humans can find ways to justify anything. And I am saying don’t do it. For every time I started a diet my mind would look for anything to give me a reason to go eat the garbage I shouldn’t eat. Had a bad day? Oh, I should be able to have that snickers since I am stressed, right? Nope! No excuses! Don’t let your mind talk you into making excuses on why you didn’t hit your goals otherwise you’re going to keep telling yourself “next time.”
Don’t underestimate the need to focus. While putting things on paper is a nice reminder, remember you still have to actually do the work to reach your goal.