How to Achieve Goals
Goal setting is enormous at the beginning of any year. People talk about “smashing goals,” the “hustle,”… and that dreaded “new year, new me.” We all want to use January 1, 2019, to be our DRASTIC overnight success. We dive into BIG changes and then lose enthusiasm within a few days…
Have you ever wondered why you don’t seem to hit those goals yearly?
It could be that your “cold turkey” system isn’t working.
Why do we lose enthusiasm?
We have the CONSCIOUS BRAIN, the voice in our head that helps us make voluntary choices.
And we have the SUBCONSCIOUS BRAIN that is in charge of breathing, heartbeat, digestion, etc… AND is also in charge of our:
EMOTIONS
HABITS
BELIEFS
COMFORT ZONE
MEMORIES
FIGHT/FLIGHT/FREEZE RESPONSE
… and so much more.
95% of our brain is SUBCONSCIOUS. If you start something new, entirely out of your comfort zone, your brain will freak out.
This means… 95% of your brain is FIGHTING AGAINST YOU.
Doesn’t that sound discouraging?
This will happen if we shock our system too fast; our subconscious brain gets confused and wants to return to safety.
Do not give up.
Here are some quick tips for GOAL SETTING that will work if you DO the work.
Decide 1-4 GOALS: Choose only one if you struggle to achieve your goals and more if you are advanced.
Make sure they are MEASURABLE: this means numerical or time-based (example: “lose 30 lbs”, “Read 20 Self Help Book”, “Launch my new business by June”)
Write down ALL of the TASKS related to those goals (example for reading: “choose books, purchase books, create a reading corner, schedule time every day to read, read 20 pages a day… etc.)
Take it ONE DAY AT A TIME. Focus only on one task, take bite-sized pieces and slowly build momentum.
GO SLOW, and DON’T GIVE UP.
Recognize that your subconscious brain WILL try to trip you up. It does not know that going to the gym is healthier than drinking or that reading every night is more enjoyable than Netflix. You have to be gentle with it and show that the changes are not a threat.