It can be so easy to think of the new year as the year you’ll start making changes and start working on achieving your goals. The problem with this mentality is that you’re just waiting for a specific date to pass rather than actually being really serious about taking action.
I get it, it’s easy to get stuck in the same old routines and get comfortable with your everyday life while also wanting something greater. The emotion, drive, and desire to shake up your life has to be greater than the excuses you make. More specifically, it’s all about knowing yourself — having the self-awareness to figure out what it is you actually want out of life and doing what it’s going to take to get there.
I’m convinced that — especially in the digital age we all live in — it’s so much easier to just talk about what you want to do and then blast it out on social media. However, to actually follow through with it and get results is much harder — and so is being self-aware. Not many are really willing to be introspective enough to make the gains they need in order to push themselves.
With all of this in mind, here are a few facts around goal setting that you should know:
- People with written goals are 50% more likely to achieve them
- 92% of New Year’s resolutions fail by January 15th
- Only 3 out of every 100 adults write down their goals on paper
- Sharing your goals with a close confidant is proven to increase the chances of you achieving your goal
- Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible
- The world’s most successful people agree that what you get by achieving your goal is not as important as what you become in the process
- Specific goals that are time-bound and measurable work best
- In the process of achieving your goal, you will be sacrificing something else
- 14% of people have a goal plan in mind, but these are unwritten goals
- A Harvard study suggests 83% of the US population does not have goals
In today’s blog post, I’ll highlight five ways to set goals and crush them.
1. Stop waiting for the perfect time
Mindset is an interesting thing because it can completely empower you to take action today or hinder you to continue waiting until the perfect time. I don’t think I’m wrong to say that most would fall under the latter category. Sometimes the idea of waiting seems like a better choice than trying and failing.
That kind of mindset will stop you from doing anything at all. Nothing is going to frustrate you more than living the same life day in and day out without doing anything different. It always amazes me when people approach me and want a totally different lifestyle but aren’t willing to put in the work to get there. So many are looking for that magical e-course, eBook, guide, video, and just inspiration in general to gain that overnight success. Simply put, it doesn’t exist. It’ll have to start with you and having the right perspective to fuel your path to greatness.
2. Stop doing shit you hate
I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve encountered who continue working the day job they hate because they’re willing to trade happiness for money, and now trapped themselves into thinking they “have to do it.” Again, this all comes down to your mindset and POV of who’s in control of your life.
Here’s the reason why the message in this video resonates with me so much. When I was 22 and fresh out of college, I started working in the corporate world, and I hated it. So I started job-hopping a ton because I wanted better opportunities and knew that I had to find them, as well as create them myself. From age 22-26, I did nothing but grind with my 9-5 then come home and work on what I was actually passionate about from 6 pm to 12 am — sometimes even until 2 am.
Make time for what you enjoy doing. I’m not talking about sitting around and watching your favorite shows or movies, but doing something that can get you out of doing the shit you hate today. You’re in the driver’s seat, so take accountability in that.
3. Push yourself to learn
Early on in my career, I met a decent amount of coworkers who just had very little patience with helping me excel at the day job I hated and would make me feel like I wasn’t ‘fit’ for the job. A good analogy I could think of is how we were all judged on our potential for success based on whatever our GPA was. Mine throughout school was a B/C average until I actually found something I knew I wanted to do.
Knowing what you’re passionate about and having a purpose behind that is going to push you to keep learning all that you can. On the flip side, if you don’t even know what you want to be doing but know that you hate your current situation, taking the time to learn will help you discover a new path.
Further, know that learning something new can come in a lot of different forms. Here are some ideas:
- Turn to podcasts and subscribe to the ones that really interest you
- Watch on-demand webinars or even join live ones
- Look into an online course from Fiverr. They have courses in just about every discipline to either help you learn a new skill or improve on what you already do. Check out the many options here.
- Check out Instagram live sessions of accounts that you aspire to be like
- Download eBooks, guides, and whitepapers
- Subscribe to blogs that align with your vision
- Try doing different things and get out of your comfort zone
4. Stop making excuses
Nothing is going to kill your dreams and ability to achieve goals than making excuses… that, and being lazy. The notion of self-awareness is something that I feel isn’t talked about enough and if it is, I truly believe that people don’t deeply understand what comes with it.
Being self-aware means that you know what you’re good at, you know what you want, and you know what it’s going to take out of you to get that goal. Typically, it’s easier to pass the buck and push the blame onto something or someone else besides yourself. This then builds excuses upon excuses where you can continue complaining about why your life sucks without feeling like you need to take accountability and responsibility for it.
Here are some key steps that will help:
- Stop comparing yourself to others. The only person you’re competing with is yourself.
- Know your strengths and weaknesses.
- Start small and scale.
- Know that failure is a part of success.
- Who gives a shit what other people think? Their opinions don’t pay your bills.
- Have patience and enjoy the process.
5. Build a personal brand
Anytime I walk into a sporting goods store or shop online, one of the brands I turn to first is Nike. Why is that? Plain and simple, it’s the brand. It’s not even the shirt. To put things into perspective, let’s say I was given two hoodies, one with a Nike swoosh on it and the other without one, I’d go with the swoosh, all the way.
Building a brand takes time and a ton of great content. For this very reason, anytime someone comes to me and asks what they can do right now to change the course of their career, to stand out more, land their dream job, or start their own business, my top recommendation is to build your personal brand.
In fact, here are some key reasons why you should absolutely build a personal brand:
- You build a community of like-minded individuals who will support you and proliferate your content, reputation, etc.
- You can later leverage your personal brand for other business ventures down the road. Think about what Gary Vee did with Empathy wines. Granted I only tried the blended red wine and it wasn’t very good at all, but he still sold the company after operating for only two years to Constellation (a $6B company).
- You build credibility and trust.
If you don’t yet have a website, I would suggest creating one. BlueHost has some great web hosting options for very affordable prices. Starting at $3.95 a month, they also give you a free domain name for the first year. Get your dreams started today and host your website with BlueHost.
If you have a website but it’s not visually reflecting your brand, I recommend using Elementor. Their visual interface makes it easy to make a professional-looking website with very little experience. Simply pick a template and then customize it for your brand. Check out their options here.
Wrapping It Up
Remember that as you look towards the future, taking the necessary steps right now is even more important. In order to create the kind of life you want in the days to come, you have to execute a plan today. If you wait, you’ll likely be waiting for the rest of your life.
Go the extra mile needed so that you can set goals, crush them, and then scale to something even bigger. More importantly, going that extra mile for something you are passionate about means that you’ll put in the work ethic needed as well. Nothing is more discouraging than living a life only building someone else’s dream as yours sits on the back burner.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. I only recommend products and services that I use and stand behind, and if you decide to try them, I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Doing so helps me run this blog and provide free content for you, my readers.
