You may not believe in making New Year’s Resolutions but with all that is going on in the world maybe you thought it would be a good idea to try something different this year, so you set a few goals for yourself.
As the month of January is starting to end, you realize that…
- This is not easy.
- It is time consuming.
- It may not be worth it.
- I am no longer sure what the point is.
- I have other priorities.
- It is boring.
- I don’t have self-confidence.
- Others are questioning my motive.
- I am questioning my motive.
In other words, maybe I am just kidding myself that I can do this so why bother.
The issue is that we set grandiose goals that are really not achievable or at least not achievable in the short-term, so we don’t feel any sense of satisfaction. We have to realize that we are not patient people so when we don’t get instant gratification we bail and/or justify why we can’t do it.
All the articles that come out at the end of the year or at the beginning of the new year try to convince us that we can succeed but they really don’t address when we get stuck. They don’t discuss why some are successful and others are not. In other words, they don’t hold our hand and say “it will be ok” if we have hit a roadblock.
How then do you achieve a goal? How do you stay on track? The first thing to do is actually figure out the worst-case scenario. If I don’t work out, what will happen? If I don’t take that course, what will happen in my career? If I don’t write the great American novel, who will criticize me? From there we need to work backwards. Identify the steps we need to take. Don’t develop big steps but instead baby ones.
If you think you can achieve this goal in a month, stretch it to two months. Many people are gung-ho at the beginning of starting a new goal but very quickly it ends. The motivation is gone so the goal just dies.
Instead, think of being a turtle versus a rabbit. Do one tiny thing a day. How did you feel when you achieved it? Document it. When I started CrossFit, I took it very slow so I would not get injured. I wrote in a notebook the weights I lifted and/or the miles I ran each time I was there. Over time I saw progress. I admit not at first but eventually my body was firmer and I was stronger. I had to remind myself that just by showing up and doing one thing was better than not showing up at all.
It is the same thing when you are doing business development. The first step is to cultivate a relationship with a prospective client but that does not necessarily mean that it will happen immediately. It may take several meetings and/or calls to really gain an understanding of their needs so you can formulate a solution for them. Those who come across desperate or pushy rarely get the sale.
In conclusion – Keep it simple. Keep it judgment free. Take it slow. Be patient and kind to yourself. Good luck!