take action Archives - The Goalden Lady

4 Tips To Planning Your Goal Effectively

We think up big and small goals on the regular. Anything from what we will eat in the morning to how we will plan for retirement. No goal is too great or insignificant, but it still involves mental and physical action to get the best outcome.

It seems like pursuing a goal should be as easy as moving forward with everything already in place, but it’s not magic. Your life is in your hands and the results come down to the basics of strategic planning and decisions.

Goal-Making Questions

Every goal should be actionable, but some will require deeper thought. Here are some goal-making questions to ask yourself:

What do you want? If you don’t know what you want, how will you get there? It’s a simple question, but a lot of people act without knowing exactly what they want. Knowing what you really want will give you the best possible results. Write it down, detail by detail.
How will you start? Some people believe you need to have all of the stars aligned before you can start. That’s not true – you simply start where you are, with what you have. Take note of your resources and figure out how to move the needle. Everyone doesn’t have the same advantage when starting – some will have more, some will have less, but you must make it a point to focus on yourself and start where you are. If you don’t, you’ll be in the same place as you were before.
What can you change? This is where a lot of people get stuck in life. They worry about things not going their way or some circumstances that didn’t turn out in their favor. Although you aren’t able to control what happens, you CAN control how you react and what to do moving forward. You can’t control everything, so learn to adapt and adjust. When you give up the anxiety and stress of worrying, you’ll quickly begin to see improvement.
What can I do to move it forward? Working on your goals and strategies takes focused work, but don’t forget to take some time and have a little fun. When you make time to take a break, you allow your mind to breathe and create more ideas and figure out challenges. Visualize and create your blueprint – improve it as you go along.

Productive Habits Will Get You There

It takes daily practice to drive yourself towards your dream. Prepare a set of helpful habits that will guide you into working on your goals daily. This helps out, even when you don’t “feel like” following through.

Self-improvement is a lifelong task. Having focus, discipline and resilience will make that journey a little easier. Once you accomplish one goal, there’s always a bigger and better one to go after. Put your goal in place with these tips and become the successful person that you visualize!

#BeGoalden

You’re Not Perfect, But You Can Still Be Successful

The idea of being perfect can be your worst enemy. It makes you think you’re making progress, by being ‘busy’ and constantly being in a state of getting ready.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the absolute best at what you’re doing, but when it turns into a big project of nothing, that’s where we have an issue.

Everyone wants to be perfect and do things right the very first time, but it almost always never happens that way. There’s no such thing as perfection, but you can get close to it.

Is Being Perfect Possible?

The idea of perfection has caused a lot of mental harm to people. We know that no one is perfect, so why do we continue to chase the illusion?

We see perfection on social media. People who have the perfect spouse and they go on perfect vacations, with their perfect salaries, in their perfect little world. That’s what we want.

We also see perfection in other people’s judgments. When we’re being judged, the first thing we think about is how we can change, so we can avoid that judgment in the future.

Stop thinking that everyone else is perfect and you are behind or lacking any ability. There’s also a side of people that you don’t see, or know nothing about, that isn’t so spotless. Most people will only show you what they want you to see.

No one will ever be perfect and that’s okay – just don’t fool yourself into thinking that perfection is what it takes to be successful.

Excuses And Procrastination

How many times have you used the excuse of making something just right (perfect), only to end up extending the time and eventually, not following through?

Being a perfectionist definitely leads to procrastinating. “It has to be just right, or it won’t work.” What about just doing it to the best of your ability and putting the thing out there and seeing what happens?

The only way you will know the result of something, is if you just do it and put it out there. It may not be exactly how you pictured it in your mind, but you need to take action in order to know if it’ll work.

How can you work towards a desired outcome if you have no feedback to go on? Yes, feedback can be scary and it can hurt your feelings (if you let it). Get in the habit of consistently doing and putting it out there, so you can see where you need to improve.

The more you put it out there, the more progress you make. The more progress you make, the closer you will get to perfection. You won’t be perfect, but you’ll get really close.

Don’t Waste Your Time

Don’t waste time with it. Take imperfect action. That means speaking in public, taking that test, publishing that book, cooking that dish for those special guests, talking to that person, closing that deal – whatever it is you’re attempting to be perfect at.

If you keep working on it, before you know it, two years will have passed by. What if you had done it and learned how to make it better along the way? Within those same two years, you will have become a pro at what you’re doing, as opposed to still figuring out the perfect way to start.

While you’re hesitating by being ‘busy’, someone else is out there making mistakes and correcting it as they go. They are continuing to enhance and advance. They will accomplish their goal by carefully managing their time, while seeing past the illusion of being perfect.

Time is constant and no one can stop it. Be productive by taking advantage of it and constantly making great strides. Ask any older person and they will tell you that they wish they had more time, or used the time that they had, more wisely.

Pushing Past Being Perfect

Nothing is perfect. Even your technical device will have a hiccup every now and then, but it doesn’t stop because it’s not perfect – it updates and keeps going. When it comes across another error, it’ll update again and keep going.

This is how you must look at perfection. Be imperfect, but don’t let it slow you down. Make it better (update) and continue on. You’ll see your success quicker this way, rather than mindlessly creating the perfect process.

Being disciplined and having tough skin will help with overcoming your misconception of being perfect. You must be willing to take losses, as well as being judged. At the same time, you have to be resilient and remain focused if you want to achieve any goal.

Don’t let being perfect be a distraction. You can keep putting off starting and say you’re not ready, but you’ll find yourself in the same place, this time next year.

Make a commitment to getting unstuck. Launch your idea, even if it’s not 100% ready. Speak in public, even if your voice is shaky. Receive judgment and criticism, even if it stings a little. Allow it to fuel you, not frustrate you.

You’re already ahead of most people who let their thoughts and ideas live in their heads. The best way to get close to perfection, is to put yourself out there and take imperfect action.

#BeGoalden

How Creating Better Habits Can Prevent Future Problems

By not having strong habits in place, we can become our own worst enemy. Potential obstacles can be a challenge, but it can be handled effectively, beforehand, with the right effort.

Little things that we tend to overlook for too long, can become big distractions. If we aren’t careful, snowballs can become avalanches and spiral out of control.

Yet, some of it is in our control. There are many situations we can prevent from happening, but we must intentionally practice building our habits in a productive way.

Weak Habits Won’t Help

Building powerful habits can help you avoid falling into small, predictable traps. By procrastinating on the little things and putting them off, you forget about it and then it becomes a bigger issue that should have never happened.

Let’s take paying monthly bills, as an example. Most bills are due at the same time, every month. We know this, but we’re so used to the thought of it being due, that it slips our minds and we forget to pay it on time (or some of us just ignore it completely).

Before you know it, the lights have been turned off, due to our lack of attention. Now, we have to make phone calls and wait for the services to be restored. Late fees have to be paid and we may have to wait 3 business days before they can turn them back on.

Time and money have been lost, due to weak habits.

It Happens In All Areas Of Life

You know what needs to be done, but for whatever reason, you decide to procrastinate and do it later. It doesn’t just happen with bills – it happens in all areas of our lives.

The diet that was supposed to start today, doesn’t start because you didn’t prepare for it. You’re still eating entire pizzas and cheeseburgers for lunch and dinner. In your mind, you’ll start tomorrow, but you need just one more day.

Every weekend, you’re still shopping online and buying what you want. That’s fine for some people, but if you want to improve your life and you keep telling yourself that you’re going to save money, that’s not going to work.

How To Advance Your Habits

Everything seems simple in your mind, but it’s hard to do when it comes to taking action. If you want to make a change for the better, here’s what you need to do:

First, make the commitment. You’ve already done that part in your mind, but now, you must physically act on it. Your commitment to yourself should be held to a high standard. Give yourself consequences, if that helps. If you eat that doughnut, you must do 50 push ups. Think before you procrastinate.

Secondly, prep yourself. Put your bills on auto-pay. Get rid of the junk food in your house. Put internet controls on your computer to limit your lazy time. When you prep yourself, you put yourself in a better position to be successful.

Third, take action. Even if it’s not perfect action, do it anyway. The worst thing you can do is nothing at all. You learn along the way and get better as you go along. If you have to do it over, do it over, but don’t stop. Always move forward.

Always Think 2 Steps Ahead

Once you develop these productive habits and more, you’ll experience less of those ‘preventable’ situations. This part of your life can run on autopilot to your benefit.

Think prevention – what can I do so this won’t happen, again? Are there routines I can put in place to avoid these annoying interruptions? Figure it out before it happens.

By being a progressive thinker and action taker, you will be able to stay 2 steps ahead of the game. Reacting at the last minute, especially when you were capable of handling it earlier, places you in a better position to be more productive and ready.

Don’t wait for it to become a problem – position yourself to manage it ahead of time. When you think 2 steps ahead, you win back your money, time and energy.

#BeGoalden

The Process Of Success Is Not As Hard As You Think

The process of success has nothing to do with a ‘secret’ or a ‘hack’. We make it seem as if there is a button we can push and the next day, we’re successful. It doesn’t happen that easily, but it’s not as hard as you think.

Social media will have you thinking that all of our achievements are just one magic step away. You are always one step away, but only if you keep going. If you quit, you’ll only be left with an empty feeling of regret.

Give Yourself Permission, Not Excuses

Most of us have a reason to stop ourselves before we start.

“The time isn’t right.”

“I need more information.”

“I’m waiting to see if Beth is going.”

“Doug tried to do it and he lost lots of money and failed.”

We are so creative when it comes to making excuses. Excuses only give you permission NOT to start. What you need to do is give yourself permission to start.

What are you waiting on? Why are you so scared? If it won’t kill you, it’s your responsibility to move forward and make the attempt. You don’t have to wait on anyone or anything. Give yourself permission to reach your goals.

Make The Commitment

After you decide to give yourself permission, make the commitment that you will stick with it, no matter what happens.

Intentions are good, but commitment is better.

Distractions are the enemy of commitment. Although the internet is a great resource, we often use it for other things and it becomes a huge distraction.

It’s easy to become sidetracked by anything if you don’t have a solid commitment towards your work. For example, your environment can be a distraction. People want you to take a ride with them to the store or something on TV catches your eye. Before you know it, the day is gone, along with your productivity.

When you make a commitment to yourself, not only are you building your confidence, you are also building your belief. You can’t build your personal foundation by letting distractions throw you off balance.

Be aware of where your time goes. There will always be other things you’d like to do, but commit to your plan first.

Take Action!

Again, what are you waiting for? You have enough information to begin, so start taking action!

This is where most people become paralyzed and afraid. There’s always something that will conveniently stop you from starting.

In order to be successful, you have to fail – it’s part of the process. There’s no way around it, but through it.

Get in the habit of starting. No matter what it takes, do something to get the ball rolling. By taking action, you are putting your plan into motion and allowing yourself to play on another level.

Success Awaits

It’s not as hard as you think. When you give yourself permission, make a commitment and take action, anything is possible. It all begins in your mind.

By establishing these habits, you develop yourself into a more disciplined, focused and confident person. If you stay on your path and create your own luck, you’ll open your future up to more opportunities than you can imagine. Success awaits!

#BeGoalden

Move To Improve

We let so many thoughts scare us…

it needs to be perfect
it’s not the right time
what if they don’t like it
what if I fail

Then, there’s another level. We make situational excuses…

I’ll start when I get paid
it rained
I have to do ‘A’ before I do ‘B’
Little Billy got sick

What are we afraid of? It’s not that we’re really busy – it’s that we’re afraid to actually do.

People who really go after what’s in their heads are special. They don’t stop to overthink and analyze how crazy it might seem. They aren’t afraid of the voices in their head. They just go and succeed and keep right on going.

Everyday, try to have that mindset. Commit to doing something everyday, even when it sucks. If you put in the daily effort, it can’t get any worse – it has to get better.

So, whatever it is that you want to do, please don’t worry about the outcome or what other people will think. That is exactly what stops you.

“Be like a computer. Respond with results, not excuses.”
The Goalden Lady

Google, or any other search engine, has never given an excuse when you use it to find answers or research.

Creating excuses is a habit that has been unconsciously passed down from generation to generation, across the world. When someone asks you something, instead of telling them the truth, your mind automatically looks for an excuse. It has spilled into so many other areas of our lives, we accept it without thinking.

We treat procrastination the same way. It’s used so much, we believe it. We’re making ourselves intellectually soft. No one wants to think or do anymore.

It’s going to be hard to quit, but I challenge everyone to catch yourself when you make an excuse. Catch yourself when you procrastinate. Don’t let yourself off the hook. Hold yourself accountable.

What do you do instead?

You find the mental power within you and push through. You do it. Perform. Act. Create. Operate. Be intentional and start. Be intentional and finish. It doesn’t have to be big, just begin. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Start by making small changes. You don’t have to start drinking 8 glasses a day, start with 2. You don’t have to start by running a 5k, start with a walk in the neighborhood. You don’t have to start with an expensive date with balloons and roses, start with a kind word and a smile.

Build your foundation. Work your way up to the results you want to obtain. Often times, we see what we want and it overwhelms us because we don’t know how to start – all we see is the end result. Start small and keep building, day by day.

Also, you will have to kill the negative chatter in your head, because that’s also stopping you. Your will to improve has to start in your mind.

Tell yourself how great you are. Tell yourself that you have the ability to do anything. Tell yourself that no matter how difficult it gets, you will find a way. Tell yourself these things, because it’s true.

You’ll even fall, sometimes. That’s okay, just remember to get up. There will be times where it hurts, but give it the time it needs, then keep going.

It’s going to be hard. You’re going to want to give up. You’ll make even more excuses because that’s easy. Change is hard. As long as you have breath in your body, believe that you can do it.

You won’t improve by doing the same thing – at some point, you’ll need to upgrade your game. Do something positive, something that will push you towards a greater situation, to the next level – something different.

It sounds so simple, but it’s one of the most hardest things in the world for people to do.

Take action and move.

#BeGoalden