A friend of mine recently wrote an article about a simple interview question to help identify if someone is a dreamer or a doer. It’s a pretty straightforward approach to ascertain: Ask about what the person feels passionately about accomplishing during his or her lifetime … and then follow up by asking about what actions he or she is taking to actually achieve it.
It’s easy to determine if someone is goal-driven by asking a few simple questions. Turning those questions on yourself isn’t always as straightforward. When was the last time you looked in the mirror and asked yourself how you’re turning your passions into reality? Personally, I don’t believe in fairy tales. I believe in writing our own happy endings, and then working backward to determine how to make them happen.
I’m one of those odd people who puts my goals in front of my face every single day so I can’t ignore them. One of the walls of my bedroom is covered with whiteboard paint (stop laughing, I know it’s weird) and I have my 2016 goals mapped out in a graphic visual. As a result, I’m forced to look at them every morning when I wake-up. Somehow, with these goals all mapped out in bright colors, they seem far less intimidating. I’ll admit, some days I’d just like to erase the whole thing and select far simpler items to tackle. And yet, really, what fun would that be?
Just as our parents taught us when we were children, we are all capable of accomplishing just about anything we set our minds to. Unfortunately, we often get trapped in our own ways of achieving these things. Whether it’s hoping the perfect partner will just walk into our lives, or that we’ll get the job of our dreams just because we think we deserve it, life is just not that easy. At the end of the day, almost everything incredible that happens in our lives isn’t just the result of “good luck.” We need to work hard for it.
So how do you make your dreams and goals become reality? Let’s assume you’ve allowed yourself to think big and you’ve selected goals that are realistic and true to you. It’s easy to write them down or make the audacious declaration, “I am going to accomplish X.” Even then, however, it’s possible to find yourself throwing up your hands in frustration before you even make a dent. To set yourself up for success, here are a few things to consider to help you get back on track:
1. BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT
It’s easy to say, “I’m going to lose 20 pounds” or “I am going to get that promotion.” If you don’t emphatically believe you can actually do it, you will self-sabotage before you ever get started—consciously or not. Set goals you truly believe you are capable of achieving.
2. PICTURE SUCCESS & MAP THE PATH
A written goal is one thing. Being able to visualize what success looks like gives you a powerful mental roadmap to help support those efforts. Pre-determining a successful end point will allow you to then work backward to plan the steps you need to achieve to truly meet that happy ending. Be realistic. Create a series of smaller steps: Go from A to B, B to C, etc. It’s far easier and less intimidating than attempting to jump from A to L to Z.
3. GATHER SUPPORT
You can’t do it alone. Share your plan and goals to build a support system that can help you along your journey—and shun the naysayers. Once I set a big goal, I share it. Why? Because I never want to be one of those big talkers who says I’m going to do something and fails to act on it. By sharing what it is I’m trying to achieve with a trusted group of supporters, I can better hold myself accountable to not merely make progress updates to myself, but to let them know as well.
4. MAKE PROGRESS… EVERY SINGLE DAY
Sometimes it’s hard to get started, but if you build in time to work on your goal every single day, you form a habit. It’s nearly impossible to not make progress when something becomes a routine daily priority. Create checkpoints weekly, monthly, etc. to assess how much progress you’re making, whether or not you need to rethink your strategy, and dial up the effort if or when it’s necessary. Don’t forget to weave in a little fun to the mix to keep yourself motivated along the way. If it becomes a drag, you’ll be far less inclined to stick with it through the rough patches.
5. CELEBRATE
Hooray! You’ve done it! Pause and celebrate all the hard work and energy you’ve put into accomplishing your goals. Once you’re in the groove of making progress, stepping closer and closer to achieving your goals and dreams, it becomes far easier to take on the new challenges. Just don’t forget to reflect on what got you there.
Life isn’t about fairy tales, but we all are capable of living the life of our dreams. Think big, plot your approach, and work toward achieving your goals every single day. I’m not your mom, but I will echo that you can do anything you set your mind to.
Now go write your own happy ending.
Christina Luconi is Chief People Officer for Rapid7, where she leads strategic people initiatives, focusing on the entire employee lifecycle. Follow her on Twitter: @peopleinnovator.
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