Tired of Not Reaching Your Goals? Read This.
When I started my business, I was ready for big things.
And so I did what I thought every business owner with big dreams did, I set big goals. Like exciting, massive, almost-insurmountable goals.
To me, it makes sense. I started my business after almost a decade in a Fortune 500 company. And in the corporate world, the goals are always big.
So I followed suit… I wanted to work with 100 clients. Have 100,000 email subscribers. Host a challenge with 1,000 participants.
But what I found to be true for myself is that my goals were so big that I had no idea where to start. As much as these numbers excited me, they also overwhelmed me. I couldn’t figure out where to even start with them most days.
The other problem was that every day that I hadn’t achieved one of these goals, I felt like I was failing. This put me in a perpetual cycle of not achieving, of feeling like I wasn’t making it.
And I have to tell you, I care about connecting with people and building relationships WAY more than any numbers. So the goals I had set weren’t all that motivating for me.
As we approach not only the end of a year, but also the end of a decade, I wanted to take this time to share how I’ve changed my approach to goals because I have a feeling it’s just the approach you need.
Here’s how I currently set up what I’m working toward (hint: it’s a lot more realistic and fun than picking crazy numbers to go for).
1. Start with a vision.
For a while, I thought the solution was no goals. My mantra was “SMART goals are dumb!” But as I explored this topic, I realized that there’s nothing wrong with goals. Goals are neutral. What was wrong with goals was the way I was using them.
I had goals confused with vision. If your goals are big and ambitious (and slightly overwhelming), chances are that you’re actually focusing on your vision.
To me, vision is not about achieving anything. Having a vision is about inspiring yourself to work toward something bigger than yourself. It’s about imagining what you hope life will look and feel like down the road.
Typically, I focus on two types of visions: Where I’d like to be in three years and what I’d like my life to be like in 10 years.
By looking a ways into the future and thinking about what I want to experience between now and then, it alleviates the pressure. Because three and 10 years years feel so far away, I’m not attached to actually getting there right now. I’m also okay if my vision changes over time.
When it comes to vision, Jadah Sellner is a genius, and so much of her work and content supports women with big visions.
At the end of 2018, Jadah shared a podcast episode about her process for reflecting and renewing that I just loved. If you’re looking for a resource to develop your own vision, I highly recommend listening to this episode.
Typically, as creative entrepreneurs, we are really good at dreaming up visions of what could be, and the next step is figuring out ways to realize them.
2. Set intentions that align with your vision.
The next step is breaking down the big, beautiful, totally inspiring vision and setting some intentions.
To me, intentions combine the best aspects of our visions and goals. What I love about them is they aren’t quite as long-term as a vision and they aren’t as immediate as a goal. And, they help me set my weekly and daily goals so that I’m working toward the business and life I envision while not completely overwhelming me.
How can you tell the difference between your vision, intentions and goals? Consider this:
If you’re dreaming about, “What do I want to experience in the next few years?” You’re thinking about your vision.
If you’re asking yourself, “What am I going to do today or this week?” You’re coming up with goals.
And if you’re reflecting on, “What am I going to focus on this month, this season and this year?” You’ve found the sweet spot of intentions.
As a creative entrepreneur, I always have a lot of ideas I want to pursue and projects I could focus on. And that’s where intentions come in. I use the intentions I’ve set to determine my priorities.
If I find myself considering a project that’s not among my intentions for that month or season, I make a note in a journal or a Google doc so I can come back to it later. And then, I get back to working on what’s most important right now.
If you’re not already regularly reflecting and setting intentions, now is a great time to start as we march into a new year.
I’ve used Susannah Convway’s Unravel Your Year since 2017, and I love it more and more every year. The questions she poses are powerful, and this resource helps me slow down and think about what I want for the next year. I also love that she includes worksheets for every month so there’s a reminder to slow down and reflect on the regular.
Now that you’re clear on what you intend to do in the coming months and year, you can finally hone in and set some goals.
3. Create small, achievable goals that are congruent with your intentions and vision.
Goals to me are no longer these massive, distant things. Instead, I set weekly and daily goals that get into the nitty-gritty tasks of simply getting stuff done and making progress toward my larger intentions and visions.
The most important part? Focus on what you can control. Goals are the minutiae. They’re what keep you moving forward every week and every day. When your vision is big, small goals can give you a sense of accomplishment regularly.
If you start to notice that you’ve overwhelmed by a goal, try breaking it down into two or three smaller tasks. If it’s still overwhelming, consider whether it’s really more of a project and whether it’s in alignment with the intentions you set for that season.
Coming up with 3 weekly goals has helped me to regularly break down my bigger intentions into bite-sized action.
I always ask myself: “What do I need to do this week to move the needle in my life and business?” And then I come up with 3 priorities to tackle that week based on the answer.
And then each day, I look at my priorities for the week and determine what tasks to work on.
By far, my favorite way to set my priorities for the week is writing them down in the amazing Desire Map planner by Danielle LaPorte.
Personally, I love the weekly version of it. I’ve been using it for four years, and it helps me set a few priorities for the week and then set daily tasks that align with them.
For my more detail-oriented friends, I’ve heard the daily version is better because it gives you more space for all the things.
There’s also an updated version for those who only need planners during busier months or don’t want to be restricted to a certain year or date.
Don’t let your goals get the best of you anymore
By thinking of my vision, intentions and goals in this three-tiered way, I’ve been able to get out of my own head and focus on the actions I can take each day to move toward what I hope my life looks like in the future.
As we wrap up the year, I invite you to join me in visualizing your vision one or two times a year, intentions every few months and goals every week to reframe how you go after your dreams, faceless achievement fatigue and actually get MORE done.
***Note: I am an affiliate for Danielle La Porte’s planner and collect a small percentage of the sale if you buy one, however they are seriously amazing and I wouldn’t be recommending it if I didn’t truly love using it!
