The Challenge of Following Through

Most of us periodically set some kind of goal or resolution, but then we come up against the challenge of following through with the actions we need to take to make it happen.

Set the Intention

When is a goal not really a proper goal? When it’s just a wish, or what some people call a ‘Someday, I’ll…”

Ok, you’ve made a ‘decision’ but decisions are fickle, because we humans are emotional creatures who are prone to being swayed by other people’s opinions, or by external circumstances. Consequently, mere wishes can soon be discarded, with the excuse that, “I wasn’t very serious about it anyway.’

To make a goal real, ideally you want to follow the SMARTS formula. Write down your goal and address these headings:

S – Specific and detailed, but preferably simple.

M – Measurable and Meaningful– set parameters around it.

A – Attainable – if not, you’re setting yourself up to fail, but always remember that if someone else can do it, maybe you can too. Affirm it as if you have already achieved it.

R – Relevant – To you, or to someone you really care about. If they’re not, you’ll soon lose interest in the execution.

T – Time-framed, with milestones to check on and reward progress.

S – Steps required – break it down into small, manageable chunks.

If you can write down the goal and answer all of the above, then you’re well on your way.

Clarify the Motivation

One of the great motivational speakers with whom I’ve had the privilege of working, Dr John Demartini suggests that, having set a goal, you should write down 200 reasons why this matters to you. Now that’s a tough gig!

I’d highly recommend though that you really work at writing down at least 50 reasons ‘why’. The first ten or even twenty perhaps are usually easy enough to rattle off fairly quickly, but then you may struggle. It will make you really think about the significance of the goal itself. You may also find that some of your answers feel a bit repetitive, but you can tweak them to differentiate from your previous answers.

The goal may be for your own personal gain in some way, or it might benefit other people, such as family, friends or simply people in need.

If you really like a challenge, you could write down the consequences of not following through on your ‘decisions’.

Your job is not yet done though…

Maintain Focus

This is where most of us fall over. We set the goal, then forget to keep it front of mind. Having written your 50 reasons, you need to remind yourself on a regular basis. Some ‘experts’ recommend reading them aloud first thing and just before bedtime. If that sounds like something you wouldn’t be disciplined enough to follow, then you should at least have the goal, and ideally the reasons why it matters, (a) written down, because the act of writing them helps your brain to remember them and re-read them as often as you can, and (b) have the goal displayed somewhere in your regular line of vision.

This may seem a little ‘woo-woo’ if you haven’t read anything about neuro-science, but most of us, when we think about things in our future, tend to find that the pupils in our eyes will look up and to the right when we are imagining things in the future, whereas for most of us, our eyes will look down and to the left when we are remembering things from our past. If you are left-handed, this may be the opposite, plus not everyone will always follow this pattern for different reasons that I won’t go into here.

Let’s say that you have a workstation, and your computer desk is in front of a wall or partition, you should ideally place the written goals on the wall, up and to the right of your normal line of vision. Your peripheral vision will then catch sight of these goals and remind your sub-conscious about the goals and why they matter.

If this isn’t practical, you might have a vision board somewhere that you see daily. I once had a board on the toilet wall, so that every time I visited, I was reminded of my goals!

This is just one of many tips that I give my clients when coaching them, or when they are following my programs. I’ve used it many times, and I can absolutely assure you that it is extremely effective.

Another key support is to find an accountability partner to whom you must report on progress. Some people use a system of rewards and penalties to add extra weight to their need to act.

Recap

I hope this post may have helped you at least realise why you may not have achieved goals you set in the past, or better yet, to help you set and achieve new goals despite the challenge of following through.

Remember these key points.

• Set the Intent – Write down your goal, using the SMARTS process.
• Check that you’re serious by writing down your 50 reasons (and perhaps 20 consequences of not succeeding.)
• Keep your focus on the goal with tools, techniques and rituals to keep them front of mind.
• Find an accountability partner to keep you on track.

Feel free to contact me for assistance or help in these regards.