Goal-setting can be a great motivator, and can set the energy and pace for a person or team. I’m a big personal fan of ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goals’ (or BHAGs), a term coined by James Collins and Jerry Porras in their book “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionaries”. But how do we maintain that momentum and continue reaching our goals as the year goes on, no matter how big or audacious they seem?

Here are some suggestions I hope you find helpful to maintaining your commitment and achievement as you navigate through your new year BHAGs! If you would like any further help or coaching with your own goal setting and goal attainment please contact Hannah@HROptimisation.co.uk for more information on coaching packages available.

  1. Make your commitment public. You’ll instantly become more accountable, have more people checking up on you, and feel more driven to succeed by introducing this little social pressure.
  2. Be Your Own GPS – Make a detailed, concrete plan. Don’t just say you want to lose 15 lb. Research training schedules and eating and sleeping plans, personalise them to suit your routine and budget, write it into your diary, keep your fridge well stocked with healthy options, photos of the outfit you might treat yourself to when you reach your ideal weight, imagine yourself waking up just the weight you want to be, attending a social event with confidence and self admiration. Write your goal down and read it every day (yes, every day).

“You can’t jump in your car and tell your Garmin where you don’t want to be. Enter your destination, pick your route, account for traffic jams and speed bumps, get into gear and drive”! Shelley Lewin

  1. Acknowledge the risk. Most of us are risk-averse but we can use it to your advantage. Be clear with yourself on the consequences of what will happen if you don’tstick to this commitment. Then, place something of value on the line. E.g. every month you don’t lose any weight, donate £100 to a diabetes or heart disease charity. Not getting out of bed on time?  How about trying the iCuckoo app which works quite literally on the premise of you snooze you lose – and someone else gains. For each time snooze is pressed on your alarm clock you automatically donate money to the charity of your choice.
  2. Habit Pairing with Your Temptations. Really love watching football but hate ironing? Watch Man United only whilst you iron. Really should gym but can’t find the drive?  Only let yourself watch your favourite Netflix show whilst you are on the treadmill/bike at the gym. It’ll give you that incentive to get there and by the time you get to the end of episode you might have cycled further than you thought you could. Only have that first glass of wine in the month whilst you write your family newsletter. Etc etc. Who knows. You might even start to crave those chores!
  3. Frame as a Refresh. The fresh start effect can be incredibly beneficial in letting go of any prior lack of accomplishment and dropping that inner narrator reminding you it might not work. Frame it as a fresh start, a chance to begin again. Get out of those ruts and shake off tired habits; the most dangerous phrase in language is “I’ve always done it this way/I’m always like this”. So, when you see a ‘fresh start’ moment approaching, ride that motivational wave, maximise it to its fullest potential. If you can, journal how that moment of commencing made you feel, and reaffirm your commitment to continue on your path to change.
  4. Use Future, Active, Past Tense Statements to ‘Trick’ your Brain.  For example, instead of saying “I will lose weight”, say, “When I have lost weight, I will have exercised at least 4 times a week and changed to a more balanced diet”. This process called “succession visioning” is based on our brain’s inability to distinguish (on many levels) between what is real and what is told. Using future, active, past tense language focuses the brain on your resolution and paints a picture of what it is like when you get there. It encourages the brain to actively look for ways to make it happen, rather than excuses as to why you can’t achieve what you want.
  5. Define Manageable Milestones.  Many of my clients lack the success they need because they forget to break the elephant into manageable bites. If it seems like there’s a mile before the next milestone, create one for yourself. Make tomorrow, your new job, route to work, sandwich filling or clothes choice that reset you’ve been looking for. If you’ve failed already, try again. As Beckett said, “Ever tried, ever failed. No matter! Try again, fail again. Fail better!” Its my view there are no true failures, only more learning moments. It’ll be easier on round two; at least you’ll know what not to do. And if it were too easy it wouldn’t be worth it – it wouldn’t truly be a BHAG!

I look forward to hearing from you to help celebrating your successes and your learning moments. Success starts now – how will you take that first step towards yours??!

Hannah Powell