Wow! We’re already several months into the New Year – can you believe it?!

If you’re anything like I am, you may be looking at the goals you set and evaluating your progress. Before you get too far, though, I’d like to introduce a different approach … an approach that makes goals real and actionable.

In other words, it’s an approach that dramatically increases the likelihood that you’ll see the results you want to see as you wind down 2017.

Here’s the key:

Go further than simply setting goals.

Create intentions, and use setbacks as fuel to keep going, learning, and changing in business.

The thing is, this is NOT just another new year.

We’re facing big changes around the world, which means people need you and your gifts now more than ever.

That’s why it’s crucial that you get into the success mindset, and continue moving forward, so that you can share your gifts and make the biggest positive impact possible.

First of all, let’s talk about the real reason we set goals. Almost everyone sets goals, right? But when we understand the deep importance of this ritual, the pursuit of those goals takes on a new meaning.

The Importance of Setting Goals

Goals give you direction. If you truly want to succeed, and you want to play a role in meeting today’s challenges head-on, you must take focused action in the right direction. If you don’t set goals, you won’t know what that direction is! (If you need help selecting the best next move for your business, apply for a complimentary conversation with one of our experts to solidify it, here.)

Goals put you into the success mindset. As you strive to reach your goals, you learn to be uncomfortable—to move beyond your comfort zone and stretch further than you’ve gone before. And that’s what we need as conscious entrepreneurs, today more than ever.

But, how? How do you set goals that not only allow you to share your gifts, but that also allow you to make big money doing so?

The Secret to Successful Goal-Setting

Your success depends on your mindset. The real secret to success is your mindset—the thoughts you consistently have, the beliefs you hold close, and the actions you consistently take based on these beliefs. So when it comes to setting goals, think about where you’re coming from. If you’re like so many of the people with whom I speak, you’re coming from a place of generosity and love. You want to make this world a better place—for all of us—and when you’re able to operate from this place, you’re able to set and achieve goals in alignment with this mindset.

Shift your belief system. Before you set goals, you must first accept the premise that it’s not only acceptable to have desires, but it’s necessary. We all want to receive the good that life has in store for us, and setting goals is a powerful way to position yourself to receive, even as you’re using your business as a platform to give, to heal the world.

Once you’ve developed a mindset that will serve as a strong foundation for setting goals, it’s time to make them a reality.

Make Your Goals a Reality

Start small. As conscious entrepreneurs, it’s so easy to dream big, right? We want to make the biggest possible impact! Sometimes, though, thinking big can mean goals become overwhelming. That’s why I recommend breaking your goals down into smaller steps. This way, you can see—and maintain—your progress.

Create accountability. Once you’ve broken your Big Goal down into smaller steps, assign a date of completion to each step. Put these dates on a calendar and stick to them. Be flexible! Of course, life will throw you curveballs, and you may have to shift your priorities, and therefore, your dates of completion. This is totally normal—and it’s okay!

Go from resolution to reality. Michelle Perkins recently shared a great 3-step process for making goals happen.
Step 1: Make a decision. Change begins at the point where you decide to pursue an idea.
Step 2: Believe you can do it. Feeling some fear and discomfort is natural, but you should also believe it’s possible (and if you don’t, consider what training, support, or experience you can pursue to improve your skills and gain confidence).
Step 3: Take action! Nothing happens without taking action.

These steps are designed to get you started as you evaluate and design your goals. To tell you the truth, they’re the tip of the iceberg! Over the course of my career, I’ve done tons of research, studying, and reading up on how to set and achieve goals. So below, I’m sharing some of the favorite tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way.

“Ninja” Tricks for Reaching Your Goals

My personal trick. When I get something in my head, and I set about, “How am I going to go for it?” I consider how I’m going to set it in spirit, set it in stone, set it in my consciousness, and embody it.

Watch the video below to see the ninja trick I use to stretch myself and manifest my goals.

Take your goals deeper. Look beyond the “face value” of a goal. I recently read a great article on Forbes.com that pointed out that although businesses are designed to make money, entrepreneurs may want to choose other resources over money; for example, time. In other words, time is the singular non-recoverable investment we make. So while a certain project may be hugely profitable, financially, an entrepreneur may choose to spend less time on that project (and therefore earn less of a profit), and more time on a different project about which she is more passionate … a project that will help her reach her goals. Read the article in its entirety, here.

This is a big one for me. My kids are still at home, and spending time with them is super-important to me. So when I’m designing my goals for the year, they align with my desire to spend time with my two children.

Take only the right actions. “If what you are doing is not moving you toward your goals, then it’s moving you away from your goals.” And it’s true, right? You have only so much time in each day… so spend it taking only the actions that move you toward your goals, and watch how much faster you reach them!

Get the right resources. One of my favorite books on this topic is The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity: A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance by Edwene Gaines. I highly recommend you read this book to discover how to raise your abundance consciousness.

Setbacks are Fuel

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Find the lessons. Everything you are and have been has gotten you to this point. Learnings, challenges, and setbacks are key to continuing to grow and evolve as a business owner and as a human being.

What can you learn from your setbacks? Take a lot of time on this one … there is so much to learn in reflection.

Commit to moving forward. Don’t let fear stop you from taking focused action in the right direction.

Remember that you can course correct. A setback or mistake is an opportunity to learn what didn’t work and to try something new. Here’s one of my favorite quotes from Maxwell Maltz:

Again, this is NOT just another new year. We’re facing big changes around the world, which means people need you and your gifts now more than ever. So shouldn’t the way you set goals reflect that?

When it does, you’re more likely to make the impact (and the money) you want to make.

Let’s Chat!

I would love to hear from you: what kinds of goals are you setting this year? What can you learn from challenges (from the past or that you’re facing now)?