Happy New Year!
If you’re like most people, then you’ve got a lot of goals in a lot of areas, don’t you?
If you are feeling overwhelmed with all you’re going to accomplish, you may be wondering where you’re going to get the time to do them all.
I’ve been goal setting for years, and while I (and the rest of the world) may get pumped up by all the wonderful things I’m going to accomplish and all the changes I’m going to make, what I’ve learned is that there is only so much time.
It’s still true that if you want to know how much goal accomplishment gets done, just drive by your local gym’s parking lot during the first week of January and then compare it to the first week in March.
I once heard Brian Tracy talk about setting goals, and he recommended a technique that not only made a lot of sense, but that turns out to be so powerful, it is life changing…
He said the way to get the most out of your goals is to make a list of your top ten goals for the year. Think about what’s most important to you in the different areas of your life and write down ten things.
Next, prioritize that list so that the most important goal is number one. The way to determine which goal is number one is to ask yourself which of the ten things you’ve listed would have the most impact on your life if you actually accomplished it.
Once you have your list prioritized, throw away the other nine goals and make a commitment to making that number one goal a reality in the next twelve months.
And once you’ve made that commitment, ask yourself what one action you can take today, right now, to begin reaching that goal. And once you have identified that, do it.
Before you go to sleep tonight, identify the one action you’re going to take tomorrow, and then commit to taking it.
And then do this each and every day until you have accomplished that one most important goal.
When I heard this, my first thought was, “Yeah, but what about the other nine goals? What about balance and all that?”
And that’s when he explained that despite our best intentions, most goal setting starts strong, but by March slows down, and by the summer most—if not all—have been abandoned.
That’s why identifying one goal, the most important and most impactful goal, is a better way to go.
In thinking about this one goal, think about how much your life will change (and the lives of your family members) if you reach this number one, most important goal.
If your goal is to become a top producer in your industry and double or triple your income, think about the impact that will have on your family. Think about buying that new home, or providing for your parents, or allowing your wife or spouse to stay home.
If your goal is to finally write that novel, think about how your life will change when you finally accomplish that this year! Think about the weight off your shoulders now that it is a reality rather than just another dream.
If your goal is to lose weight, get in shape, and get off your medication and live a longer, healthier life for yourself and your family, think about the long-term rewards achieving that goal will bring you! (And think of the consequence if you don’t.)
Whether or not you agree with Brian, I’m here to tell you that it’s more impactful for you to hit the most important goal in your life than it is to set ten and not hit many of them…
And, hey, if you reach your number one goal by July, you can get to goal number two!
If you’ve set goals for years and not been very successful at following through, then why not take the pressure off yourself and try this method?
How good would it be if you actually reached your most important goal in 2019?