All It Takes is a Goal
Do you want to fulfil your innate potential but don’t know where to start? In a recent “It’s a Good Life” podcast, bestselling author and speaker Jon Acuff outlined a fresh new approach to goals that will help you get on track to phenomenal success in 2024. Here are some of the top takeaways:
Use your past to set future goals
Sometimes when you try to set future goals you can hit a ‘vision wall.’ You feel paralyzed because you don’t have a 10-year plan or know what the perfect ending is supposed to look like. If you struggle to ‘dream forward,’ try looking to your past for inspiration instead. Make a list of the best moments you’ve already had in life. When have you experienced success? Where have you found fulfilment, personally and professionally? An audit like this reminds you to be grateful, helps you to become self-aware and inspires you to take more intentional action to achieve your goals. In essence, a review of your past becomes a plan for your future.
Climb the goals ladder rung by rung
When you start on your goals journey, you’re on the bottom rung of a ladder. It’s not realistic to think that you’re going to get to the top in one move – trying to change everything all at once isn’t sustainable and will burn you out. Instead, begin by testing your desire for some easy goals over a week or two. When you observe and pay attention, a front runner will emerge and you’ll start to gain momentum. Over time, an easy goal will progress to a middle goal and, eventually, a guaranteed goal.
Turn your goals into a game
Even the most exciting goal can get boring when you’re only halfway to where you want to be. A great technique to keep on track is to think of your goal as a game. Inject some fun and energy into the process. Who is your opponent? Where is the finish line? You also need to build a portfolio of 20 to 30 things that will motivate you when the going gets tough because some days it will feel like nothing is moving the needle. Remember to bring your own hype – motivation isn’t a checkbox, it’s a practice.
The definition of potential is the gap between your vision and your reality. If there’s a massive gap between the vision of how you thought your life would be and the reality of how it is right now, that just means you have massive potential! There’s no need to feel stuck or be ashamed. Instead, ditch regret, tap into your full potential and achieve in every area of your life. To learn more, listen to the latest episode of “It’s a Good Life”.
