Are you having the success you want in achieving your goals? What would you think if we told you there is “The Simple Step That’s Missing to Achieve Your Goals?” Would you want to know what that simple step is?
We have been taught by the best, even from people like Zig Ziglar about setting and achieving our goals. For years we have heard the 7 steps process or similar programs. We know that in goal setting we need to go through a process to determine our goal. I personally think there are way more than 7 steps or things that we should do to create the success we want.
Here are some things I feel are important when setting and achieving goals:
- Decide on and define your goal.
- Write it down, listing the benefits.
- Determine why you want it. What is your motivation.
- Visualize yourself achieving it. Put it on your vision board. Use all 5 senses: feel it, smell it, touch it, taste it and see it.
- Make daily, weekly and monthly action steps.
- Create a plan with consistent accountability
- Write declarations and affirmations. Say them out loud
- Follow through with your action steps and deadline
We have even been taught how to do our goal setting with the S.M.A.R.T Goal setting plan. This plan helps you find your Why:
Why do you want it?
What will your life be like if you achieve it?
How long will it take you to reach your goal?
and so on.
This is a great way to create your goal to be specific and measurable while also making it attainable and actionable.
While I know all of these are great ways to achieve your goals and they are huge in assisting us to set the goals that we want in our life there is “The Simple Step That’s Missing to Achieve Your Goals”. That key piece is called Emotional Intensity.
For years we here at All Things Possible have been teaching clients and at conferences about the Emotional Spiral. In the emotional spiral we can see how our positive and negative emotions can begin to spiral into our highest highs or our lowest lows. As emotions show up, and yes, we all have them and they WILL surface at one time or another, we must decide how we want to respond with that emotion. We have to choose how we feel it and how long we want to hold onto that feeling. Although this may sound cold and callused, it is true. We are in control of our lives and we do choose how long we feel our emotions and how they control our lives.
We want you to be more successful in your goal achievement and to add that missing step we’ve been talking about. To assist with that concept, we’ve adjusted the original emotional spiral diagram; turning it sideways and adding a few little extras to hopefully make it a little easier to wrap your mind around.
Imagine this emotional spiral as your goal achieving vehicle complete with a steering wheel, gas, and break pedals. (See the picture below.)
The first thing you need to decide when driving a car is where you want to go, then, you turn the steering wheel in that direction. When driving your ‘Goal Car”, your direction is determined by your goals, your thoughts, and your words.
Now you need to determine your velocity. This is determined by the amount of pressure applied to the gas pedal. While brakes are essential on your automobile, while driving your “goal car” they just slow you down, eventually stopping you. And yet, we often press down on the brake while still trying to reach our goals. Of course this isn’t on purpose. In fact, most people are not even aware that they are ‘riding the brakes.’
Here is how we ‘ride the brakes.’ Let’s say I have a goal to earn an extra $5,000 this month. Now, let’s make sure I am following all the steps to get my goal.
- Step 1: Decide to earn $5,000 this month.
- Step 2: Write down my goal and post it on my Vision Board.
- Step 3: Create positive Declarations and repeat them several times each day.
- Step 4: Take daily Action Steps that will move me towards my goal.
- Step 5: Keep doing steps 3 and 4 till the end of the month.
What thoughts and feelings are you experiencing throughout the month? Do you WORRY that you won’t get your goal? Do you feel like you will be a FAILURE, if you don’t get your goal? Do you feel you might be WASTING your time and energy on your goal? Do you feel STRESS, because you are half way through the month and not on track to achieving your goal? I could go on with several examples, but stop and notice the negative emotions that come up for you when working on your goals. The emotions we choose to feel are of utmost importance to our success in achieving our goals.
When we feel these negative emotions, it is like taking your foot off the gas and putting it on the brake. It doesn’t matter what direction you turn the steering wheel if you are standing on the brake. Your car won’t go anywhere. There is a big difference between lightly resting your foot on the brake, and mashing it to the floor.
Emotional intensity equals pressure on the pedal. When you feel negative emotions, it’s like putting your foot on the brake. The intensity of your negative feelings determines how hard you’re pressing the brakes of your ‘Goal Car.’ Let’s face it, most of the time, when we feel negative emotions, we don’t just feel them lightly, but quite intense. Are you starting to see how often you have your foot on the brake in your life?
Now, we get to the point in our goal getting quest, that we keep our ‘foot off the brake,’ how much pressure are we actually applying to the gas pedal?
It’s one thing to be positive, but how do we add intensity to our positivity? Well, I’m glad you asked; I am going suggest two tools, Imagination and Visualization.
Spend some time daydreaming. Use your imagination. Daydream about what it will be like when you achieve your goal. Stick with that daydream until you can actually feel those emotions. Then keep at it until you feel those emotions very strongly.
Visualize what it will look like, when you have achieved your goal. See yourself with enough money to pay all you bills and still have plenty left over to buy something just because you feel like it. See yourself spending more quality time with your loved ones. See yourself on an exotic vacation with your family. Add details to your visualization. See your dreams in vivid colors. Imagine smelling the aromas, tasting the flavors, hearing the music, and touching the textures. Make it real as if it had already happened. Invest so much time with your imagination and visualization that you feel the success.
Congratulations, you have just applied some serious pressure to the gas pedal of your ‘Goal Car.’ Unfortunately, your ‘Goal Car,’ is not equipped with cruise control. So to get to your destination, it’s necessary to consistently apply pressure to your gas pedal. Consistency is the key to success. Make it part of your daily routine to spend time each day with a liberal dose of imagination and visualization. It’s all about Emotional Intensity, Baby! Just be conscious of your emotions and make sure they are positive emotions.
Although you CAN get to your destination while alternating between the gas pedal and the brake pedal, it will likely take you twice as long to get there!
Watch our episode today,” The Simple Step That’s Missing to Achieve Your Goals with Bill & Kris Barney”. In this video we talk about this process in detail and give you three stories and examples of how this has worked in our lives and in the life of our client. When you work to achieve your goals the same way that you drive your car, (no road rage allowed here, :D) you will find, it is so much easier to achieve your goals. Use this powerful piece to gain valuable speed and success in you achieving your goals!