Setting the Right Goals
Have you ever felt like you’re putting in all the effort but still not seeing the results you want? It might not be the work you’re doing but how you’re setting your goals. The way we set goals can either push us forward or hold us back, and today, we’ll explore how to set goals that truly transform your life.
Why Focusing on End Results Can Be Discouraging
We all set goals at the beginning of the year, whether it's for our careers, relationships, or personal growth. But what if the problem isn’t the goals themselves but the way we approach them? Too often, we focus solely on the end result, and while ambition is great, it can also be overwhelming.
Let’s say your goal is to become a pickleball champion (shout out to all the pickleball enthusiasts!). If your only focus is winning a national tournament, you’re likely to feel discouraged when progress seems slow—especially if you’re just starting out.
Instead of fixating on the big prize, you need to break down the journey into smaller, actionable steps. For instance, committing to practicing your serve for 30 minutes each day is a small win that brings you closer to your ultimate goal without overwhelming you.
The Power of Action-Oriented Goals
In my own experience as a reinvention coach, I’ve seen how focusing on the actions rather than the outcome can make a significant difference. When I first transitioned from teaching to life coaching, my goal was to book 20 clients in my first year. But I became so fixated on that number that I overlooked the steps needed to reach it, leading to stress and frustration.
So, I shifted my focus. Instead of obsessing over the 20-client goal, I concentrated on networking with five new people a day and consistently providing value through workshops and social media. By focusing on these smaller actions, I made steady progress, and eventually, I reached my larger goal without the overwhelm.
Making a Shift
Let’s apply this to your own life. Whether you want to grow in your career, build stronger relationships, or improve your health, the key is to shift from thinking about the end goal to the daily actions that will help you get there.
For example, if you want to reinvent yourself and become more confident, don’t just set a goal to be confident by the end of the year. Instead, commit to smaller, more actionable steps. You might decide to:
Engage in one new social situation each week
Take a public speaking class
Reach out to a new mentor
These actions will gradually build your confidence, and before you know it, you’ll have achieved your larger goal.
Celebrate the Small Wins
The beauty of focusing on actions is that it allows you to celebrate small victories along the way. When I saw my social media following grow or connected with a potential client, I learned to celebrate those moments, no matter how small they seemed. Those little wins added up and ultimately led to bigger successes.
In the same way, each time you accomplish a small step—whether it’s practicing your sport, making a new friend, or landing a small project at work—you should take time to acknowledge it. This keeps you motivated and less focused on the far-off goal.
How Do You Want to Feel?
One powerful way to set meaningful goals is by thinking about how you want to feel. At the start of the year, I set goals based on three feelings I wanted to experience: secure, invigorated, and powerful. I didn’t just set vague goals; I set ones that would evoke those emotions.
Ask yourself: How do I want to feel by the time I reach this goal?
Maybe you want to feel fulfilled in your career or energized by your health journey. Let those emotions guide the actions you take each day.
Take Action Every Day
Reaching your goals is a marathon, not a sprint. By focusing on daily actions, you’ll find that the big goals eventually take care of themselves. So, take that small step today, and tomorrow, and the next day.
Reassess your goals:
Are you too focused on the end result?
Can you break them down into smaller actionable steps you can take every day?
When you shift your perspective from outcome to action, you’ll find that not only do you stay motivated, but you also enjoy the process a lot more.
