Energy flows where attention goes.
If you’ve spent just five minutes with me, you know I’m a personal development junkie. PD is like an IV straight into my bloodstream.
Nothing gets me more excited at the end of each year than sitting down to conduct my annual audit and outline my goals for the year ahead.
Just thinking about it now gets me P.U.M.P.E.D.! ??????
So what’s my secret to success?
Well, that requires a little trip back to 2019 and my first true experience with insane burnout. When searching for solutions, I discovered a video by NYC-based Burnout Coach, Caitlin Donovan who said:
“In order to avoid burning out, you need to love your life as much, if not more, than your business. If your business is your way of escaping from your life – you’ll burn out every time.”
Hearing this was a defining moment and absolute game changer. Like many Type A personalities, I had built my entire life around my business (career) and brand, and if for any reason it all disappeared (hello COVID!), I would be left with nothing.
I had chosen work over a life outside of it. Instantly, I knew some significant changes had to be made.
Here’s how I did it AND how you can do it too:
Step 1: Your Purpose
As I mentioned in my article last week, “What’s your purpose?“, you have to first focus on what lights YOUR heart on fire. Ignore others’ opinions and expectations, define what is truly important to YOU. That is your purpose.
Step 2: Conduct An Audit
Remove, delete, terminate, walk away from (whatever version of “end” you would like to use) anyone or anything that doesn’t align with (OR isn’t going to help you in) achieving your purpose.
If someone in your life makes you more unhappy than happy, they’ve got to go.
I audited everyone – clients, vendors, family, friends and my social media. Through doing this exercise, I made the difficult, but necessary, decisions to terminate a few clients, source some new vendors, distance myself from certain family members, walk away from a couple of friendships and unfollow or block negativity filling my social feeds.
In order to become the person you’re working so hard to be, you need to be surrounded with positive energy, encouragement and the type of people who are going to force you to level up!
Step 3: Outline Your Goals
Outline your goals and write them as if you’ve already achieved them.
Remember, EVERY goal needs to help you get one step closer to living in alignment with your purpose. As you’re creating them, make sure they are S.M.A.R.T. (vague goals are not going to cut it.)
S – Smart
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Timebound
Here are my own goals to use as a guide – both personal and professional.
Personal
- I visited X new cities
- I read X books
- I invested a minimum of $X USD and regained my buffer zone of $X in my bank account
- I invested a minimum of $X USD into my investment property mortgage
- I continue to uplevel my tribe with authentic, loyal, genuine friendships and business connections
- I continue stepping into my most radiant self – it’s time to continue to GLOW!
Business
- I continue to attract high net worth clients who are low maintenance that generate a minimum of $XM USD profit AND fulfill my professional and personal goals
- Masterclass
- I launched 7 Steps to Event Success!
- I attracted a minimum of X glowing testimonials
- I generated a minimum of $XM USD in sales
- Press
- I was featured a minimum of X times in trade & business publications
- I won X awards
- I spoke on X stages
- Level Up! is written
- I created and coordinated my marketing masterclass ready for a 2022 launch
Mantra for 2020: Love & Life Next Level!
I’m choosing happy OVER hustle.
Step 4: GO ALL IN!
According to research, you’re 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. That’s huge!
I’ve found the most success by sitting down to write in my Start Today Journal BEFORE I officially start each work day.
Like my mentor Rachel Hollis (even though she doesn’t know it), I believe you can only pursue ONE goal at a time. So once you’ve written your goals, at the bottom of the page, rewrite the goal you’re going to go ALL IN ON and then:
Make a plan and work on that shit Every ?? Single ?? Day ?? until you’ve achieved it.
My first “GO ALL IN” goal for 2020 was to launch my Masterclass 7 Steps to Event Success! and guess what???
I DID IT!!!
And now for one final tip.
Distractions are E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. To help me stay laser focussed, I implemented a if it’s not a “Hell YES!” it’s a NO policy that applies to all aspects of my life.
With this approach, when an opportunity presents itself, rather than saying yes immediately I take stock of how the potential yes weighs against my goals. If I cannot clearly see how it will enable me to get one step closer to achieving one of my goals, I respectfully decline.
And with that, off you go to brainstorm, quantify and WRITE those goals!