The word goals conjures up all kinds of emotions. Then when you talk about achieving a goal, even more feelings come to the surface. Thoughts of past goals achieved and those not achieved flood the mind.
When I have achieved a goal, one of the most surprising questions I get asked is “how did you achieve that goal with so much going on?” The reality is, you will never achieve your goal unless it is something you really want.
Don’t want it that bad? You’ll find every excuse in the book not to do it! Trust me on this one. I am the master of excuses when it comes to what I don’t want to do.
What I have learned is that if I want to achieve my goals and dreams, I have to put in the time and effort. I have to want to achieve my goals more than I want to do anything else.
When someone may choose to watch tv after their kids go to bed, I choose to work on developing a workbook to go along with my current book.
When someone may choose to scroll social media, I choose to be pro-active when I am on social media to see how I can improve my own business.
Of course I have down time but I also understand the importance of working towards what I know is my purpose.
Not sure where to start in pursing your goals? Here are 7 easy steps to begin your journey to achieve your goals.
1. Write out your goal.
Seems simple enough but if you don’t write it out, then you don’t have a concrete goal.
My next goal: Write a rough draft of my next book in November, which is NaNoWriMo.
2. Think through the steps you need to take to achieve your goal.
Think about all the steps needed, but then only take action on the first step. Don’t think about the action you need to take 20 steps ahead. Think about the very first step, write out a detailed plan, and then create plans to achieve that first step.
3. Schedule time to work on your goals.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Period. I’m sure someone important said that along the way but let’s pretend I came up 
with if just for fun. If you want to achieve your goals you have to set up a time to actually work on your goals. Otherwise they are just a pipe dream.
4. Evaluate your goals at 30, 60, and 120 days.
When you check in to see how far you are from your goals, you can make mid-course corrections. If you have to adjust something at that point, do it! Whatever it takes to get you to continue to move towards your goal is what you need to do.
5. Make sure the goal is attainable.
There is nothing more discouraging than setting a goal and not reaching it. The best way to make sure you aren’t discouraged is to set a goal that you know is attainable. Establishing your steps, giving you bit sized goals to attain is motivating to keep moving forward.
6. Establish a Due Date.
When do you want to achieve your end goal? You need to have specific times laid out as to when you will achieve the overarching goal.
7. Most important: Be Consistent.
You cannot reach your goals if you are not consistently moving towards achieving them. I love this quote by Eric Thomas “But I’ve also found that consistency has always been the major setback in my being able to successfully reach my goal within an ideal amount of time – the more inconsistent I was, the longer it would take for me to get that check mark on my task list.”
What goals are you currently working towards? I would love to hear them and cheer you on!
Stephanie
If you are a leader or emerging leader who wants to lead with meaning and purpose, then let’s connect. I would love to help you become a leader worth following.
P.S.- Continue the conversation on Facebook! I would love to hear how I can help you on your journey. To receive up to date content, sign up to receive my free 7 Steps to a Prioritized Life on the home page and posts will be delivered right to your inbox. If Facebook isn’t your favorite social media site, you can connect with me on Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Stephanie German is a leadership coach, adjunct professor, and dedicated work-from-home mom. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and is the chair of the Red Shoe Society Central Valley (Ronald McDonald House guild). When she’s not coaching clients or writing about leadership, Stephanie is usually headed to the mountains or the beach with her family, drinking savory wine, or working on the latest project with her husband. Stephanie’s greatest desires are to nurture the next generation of leaders while raising her own children to be strong, independent, and brave. She lives in Fresno, California with her husband Blake and her three spunky daughters, Cara, Kinsey, and Peyton. She is the best-selling author of So Your Boss Can’t Lead?