Stop Banging Your Head Against A Brick Wall...
Have you ever wanted to achieve something really important and yet no amount of time and effort seemed to get you closer to your goal? I hear this time and time again from new clients who are sick and tired of banging their head against a brick wall, achieving nothing more than frustration and anxiety. Imagine their relief when they realise there are 5 simple steps you can focus on that will make a big difference to the end result...
The 5 Key Steps To Success
It doesn't matter what you want to achieve - perhaps your goal is to find a new job, change careers or find a partner - the same principles apply so I urge you to print this article off, or at least make some notes on the following 5 steps, which combined with a good dose of 'action', will help you achieve your goals:
Step 1: Know What You Want
There are far too many people who aren't clear on what they actually want to achieve and as a result flaff around, never feeling the sense of success or satisfaction they crave. It is imperative to be clear on what you are striving to achieve, so for example if you want to lose weight you need to be crystal clear on HOW MUCH weight you want to lose, or if you want to change jobs get clear on what type of career or industry you want to work in. Your first step is to set a specific, measurable and timely goal that you are driven to achieve. Please also note that it's important that you are driven by your own personal reasons rather than wanting to achieve a particular goal for someone else.
Step 2: Know How To Get It
95% of people don't achieve their new year's resolutions because they don't spend time planning HOW they are going to actually get what they want, and goals set during the rest of the year are no exception! There's no point in having a goal if you don't have a strategy to achieve it so make sure you spend some quality time planning your approach and getting advice where appropriate.
This is a significant step where many fall down because they put together a strategy, take action on it, and then when it doesn't produce the results they want they continue to follow the same plan of attack. Unless you want to end up in a straight jacket it's important to avoid the definition of insanity and instead refine, tweak or overhaul your strategy until you have a well-formed plan in place that actually works for you.
Step 3: Get The Right Skills
Now that you have a plan of action in place it's important to do a self-audit to recognise whether or not you have the skills required to reach your goal. For example, if you want to get a new job but have no idea how to construct a good resume or how to behave in interview you could up-skill by working with a Career Coach. If you're an Accounts Assistant but want to become a Chartered Accountant you would need to take on some additional studies. Or perhaps you want to get fit but need some help putting together an exercise plan.
Either way, up-skilling doesn't have to be expensive or time-intensive, and there are nearly always options available to suit your particular needs and current abilities. The important point here is to recognise what you need to learn in order to move forward - your personal development is vital!
Step 4: Create The Right Environment
Once you have a clear goal, a strategy to achieve it and the skills to physically reach that point, it's critical that you do your very best to make sure that your environment supports you. By that I mean ensuring that the people around you support your goals, that your living and/or work space are appropriate, and that your habits and patterns of behaviour support you.
So for example, going on a diet but having KFC sitting on the bench that your partner brought home is NOT a supportive environment! Similarly, being distracted by incoming emails, test message alerts and Facebook updates when you're trying to study is not a conductive environment to facilitate focussed learning. Make it a priority to create an environment that conspires for your success.
Step 5: Get Your Head Straight
This is a major ingredient when it comes to achieving your goals. You can have steps 1-4 in order - so, your goal well stated, your plan of action in place, the right skills to achieve your goals and a supportive environment - but if you don't believe you can achieve your goal, or if you have any other limiting beliefs about yourself, you will sabotage your own success time and time again. It is therefore critical to deal with your inner demons, flush out the negative self-talk, check in with your beliefs, and get rid of your fears and phobias!
As with Step 2, this is a major stumbling block for many, but it doesn't need to be. I've helped so many clients deal with challenges that are mentally holding them back, some big but most small, and the reality is that as we get older we bring a bigger collection of old habits and negative behaviours into the mix each time we look to achieve something new. It therefore goes without saying that it's a smart move to work with someone to help spring clean your mind and get you mentally prepared for success.
