Posted: 13th April 2016
We all think we want our dream to be our reality, but it’s surprising how little effort many of us are willing to put into achieving this. Often the mismatch between words and actions is down to lack of self-confidence. However, very few of us admit this.
Do you have a big goal that you would like to achieve in 2016? I’m not simply talking about the New Year’s Resolutions that were forgotten before we even said goodbye to January. Is there something you would like to do or achieve this year? If not, then identifying your big goal or challenge is a goal in its own right.
There are lots of reasons why we fail to achieve our goals. Here are some of the most common reasons for failing to achieve our goals:
OK, so now you know why sometimes you don’t achieve your goals. But, what can you do to improve your chances of success? Read on…
Listen to your inner voice
It’s easy to get swept along by other people’s values and expectations of you. If this is you – stop and ask yourself “what do I really want?” Your chances of success immediately increase if your goals fit with your values and desires, rather than other peoples.
If your goals genuinely resonate with you your chances of success immediately increase. Be very clear about what ‘you’ want from life. If you’ve spent your entire life putting others first this may be a challenge in itself. Don’t just give up – you’re worth it!
If you don’t already have a personal life plan or bucket list, start to think about your life currently. What do you want to achieve in this lifetime? If you have a life plan then now’s a good time to do an audit:
Step 1 – Create two lists. List one is all the things you like about your life currently or you’re at least satisfied with. List two is all the things you want to achieve or alter before you die. Don’t analyse or justify what you put on your lists; just trust your intuition
Step 2 – Choose up to three things from the list of things you ‘want to achieve or alter’. These are going to be your goals for 2016. For example, one of your goals may be to start your own business or address your lack of self-confidence etc. Give each goal a target date and commit to it
Step 3 – Set mini goals that will move your closer to your big goal. These mini goals can be daily, weekly or monthly; the choice is yours
Step 4 – Decide what your reward will be for achieving each goal. Note: rewards are as important as the goal itself
Step 5 – Assess your achievements daily, weekly or monthly (according to what you chose in step 3). This step is designed to keep you motivated and on-track. When you achieve your big goal – celebrate!
Praise and recognition are great motivators for future success. No one can motivate you unless your brain is programmed to achieve and recognise successful outcomes.
Change your mindset
If you set new goals but maintain your old mindset you won’t achieve anything. You need to become a new and updated version of you. This may involve having to change your habits and routines, behaviours, strategies, environment or even productivity.
Surround yourself with people who have a ‘can do’ attitude. Their positivity will rub off on you. Change can be scary, but if you want new or better results then change is necessary.
You need to step outside your comfort zone if you want to make changes in your life. This may involve changing the way you do things or changing some of the people in your life. A good starting point is to believe in yourself and your ability. Tell yourself “I can do it!”
Allow your self-confidence to blossom
Most of us take self-confidence for granted, but it actually takes time and effort to develop real self-confidence. The more confident you are the greater your chances of success in all areas of your life. Confident people radiate something beautiful that makes them a natural people magnet, which leads to greater self-confidence
Lack of self-confidence is partly due to negative thinking. This may be your own lack of belief in yourself or listening to those who don’t believe in you.
If you currently lack self-confidence create a list of all or some of your key achievements in life. This goes right back to learning to walk and talk. For every achievement in your life you will have overcome setbacks. Spend a little time reflecting on your journey so far, and then allow yourself to feel very proud of all our achievements.
Moving on… It really doesn’t matter whether your goals are personal or professional; the important thing is to have goals to work towards. A life without goals is like getting on a bus or a train and having no destination in mind. Without goals you aren’t working towards anything specific and so it stands to reason your achievements will be limited.
If you want to make your dreams a reality in 2016, try the following:
Whatever your goals for 2016 I hope you will look back and feel proud of what you’ve achieved. Whether your achievements are large or small, know that your self-confidence will increase with each one.
Lots of luck – may 2016 be your most rewarding year yet!
If I can help improve your self-confidence please do get in touch or sign up for my self-confidence blog (www.shepherdcreativelearning.co.uk). I publish a self-confidence blog three times a week, and it’s free! so please help yourself if you need a little help with self-confidence.
If you would like a no-obligation chat please just give me a call, email me or connect on LinkedIn or Twitter (liztucker03)
Contact details:
Name – Liz Tucker
Landline – 01789 748261
Mobile – 07879 434056
Email – liz@shepherdcreativelearning.co.uk
