4 Practices to Achieve Your Goal

January is almost over (impossible). If you set out this year with a goal or a word for the year, chances are that you’ve already slipped up and gone back to your old ways. đŸ˜

It’s normal but still frustrating! You’re certainly not alone.

The research shows that by the end of January, 75% of people have already abandoned their goals.

You know it’s true. Just look at the gyms. They are packed the first two weeks of January and then it’s like the rapture occurs and everyone goes back to sleeping in and Netflix nights. Motivation sputters out. Old habits die hard. And we get busy doing what we’ve always done.

Beyond the January fallout, less than 10% will eventually achieve the goal that mattered to them on January 1st. 

Ugh. That sucks. The data matters but it doesn’t get the final say in whether or not YOU will achieve your goals, Warrior.

To move beyond becoming a statistic, there’s a 95% probability you’ll achieve what matters most to you if you do these 4 things:

  1. Write down your goal.

The higher degree of specificity, the higher degree of probability. Goal gurus say to make it SMART (specific, measurable, attractive/achievable, relatable/realistic, + time-bound), and that’s great if you can do that.

Sometimes, your goal is a direction. You don’t know where you want to end up, but you know you need to shift your focus and attention.

To whatever degree you’re able, write it down. You can tighten it up over time, but literally writing it down gives you a 42% chance of now achieving that goal!

2. Enroll at least 3 supportive friends who will hold you to your goal.

Friend power is your superpower. And it’s exponentially better than willpower.

A few years ago I was trying to lose 10 pounds (freaking story of every woman’s life at some point, right?). I even had three girlfriends who were “in” on it with me. We had Weigh-in Wednesdays, went on walks together, chose a reward for whoever lost the weight first
AND cheated on wine nights together.

Guess how much weight I lost during those 9 months? Zero pounds. One friend actually gained a few pounds! Oops.

The problem wasn’t the friends. It was that we co-signed on each other’s B.S. week after week. Shoot, we even cheated on those wine nights together! We’d weigh in then create reasons of why we weren’t moving closer to our goals:

  • it was my son’s birthday and there was cake

  • my husband forced that fourth piece of pizza in my mouth

  • it’s my period and I’m bloated (ok, that’s legit!)

  • it rained on Tuesday and I couldn’t workout

  • my scale sucks

We had reasons but no excuses for why the scale wasn’t budging.

The key to this step is that your friends need to hold you to your commitment. They won’t co-sign on your B.S. They refuse to validate your excuses. They support your commitment by standing with you—not against you—to achieving what matters most to you.

With a written goal and three supportive friends, you’ve now got a 65% chance to achieve your goal! Alright, Warrior! Let’s go.

3. Send progress reports to those 3 friends.

Checking in with how you’re doing is crucial. But you also need to be super honest about how it’s going.

To get what you’ve never had, you have to do what you’ve never done. When you do things you’ve never done before (or at least aren’t habits), you’re going to bump up against all kinds of barriers:

  • self-limiting beliefs

  • bad habits

  • insecurities + fears

  • inner dialogues that may sabotage your progress

  • difficult emotions

  • negative attitudes


just to name a few!

This is why your friends are your superpower. They can cheer you on, speak the truth in love (without co-signing on your B.S.), remind you of your commitment, and push you to stay the course.

Progress reports are also so valuable because they will show you how far you’ve come.

When you do these first 3 practices, you now have a 76% chance to achieve your goal!

4. Set accountability appointments with a coach.

If you’re looking for a magic bullet, this last practice is the powerful punch—get a coach. It’s a sure-fire way to get where you want to go.

When you do all 4 of these practices, there is a 95% chance you’ll achieve your goal!

WHY??

The MAGIC is the combination of specificity, support, and structure that you get in a coaching relationship.

A certified coach has been trained to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. She knows how to guide you toward transformation. She has the tools and skills to help you move forward.

I tell my clients one of the key reasons that this piece unlocks a new level is because at the end of the day I’M AN OBJECTIVE PERSON IN YOUR LIFE! Your life doesn’t have a direct impact on mine. With other relationships (ie your 3 supportive friendships), there’s a direct behavior consequence and domino effect. Not so with your coach. I can stand with you in your commitment to achieve your goal, but I have a neutral emotional investment.

This is why coaching works.

It takes the 4 practices and streamlines them into your life in ways that help you work smarter, not harder. This is why we focus on coaching groups for women. It embeds these practices into the wholeness pathway and propels you to go further faster than you could on your own.

Check out how our coaching groups work. You won’t regret saying YES to joining the next group.

If you want to take immediate action toward your goals, sign up for our FREE “Activate Your Goals” challenge. It’s a 3-part video series with short training videos, handouts, and customized action steps. We’ll guide you through a simple 1-2-3 coaching process so you can move forward to achieve what matters most to you.



Sign up here

SOURCES: studies by Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University of California and the Association for Talent Development