One of the reasons why people give up on their goals is because it takes too darn long to reach them! Successful goal completion takes patience. And let’s face it – patience is something that most people have a hard time with.
In today’s world, we rarely need to “wait” for anything. If we want a date, we can easily swipe right. If we want to know who sings “that song” we can find out in 30 seconds. Want movie times? We no longer need to call the movie theater’s mainline and listen to 20 other movie times before we get the one we want to see. We can know in seconds. Thanks, Fandango! However, there are still things in today’s world that technology cannot help us with and still requires real patience. Things like parenting, growing a business, and reaching your goals! And these things are not things we want to, or should, give up on.
Any goal worth achieving is going to take time. Especially since we fail several times before actually achieving most of our goals. Failing – although not ideal – is an important part of the process.
If we are honest with ourselves, what we are generally most impatient about is the celebratory “I DID IT!” moment that accompanies the end of the goal achievement. That moment when all the hard work you put in is rewarded. Who wants to wait a year before we feel proud of ourselves? Not me! And not my clients.
So, I have created this simple Goal Achievement Brain Hack so that you can enjoy the process of acting on your goals just as much as you enjoy achieving them. And by doing this, you will be more likely to keep going and not give up on your goal.
Ready? Here it is:
Celebrate the actions you take that are leading you towards your goals along the way.
Not only will this feel good in the present moment it will also activate the brain’s reward system. The brain will then correlate the activity you did right before the “celebration” as rewarding which will cause your brain to become motivated to do that task in the future.
For example, if you have a fitness goal celebrate every time you finish a workout. No need to bring out the balloons and celebratory cake – a simple “GREAT JOB!” at the end of a workout sends a signal to the brain that working out is a good thing! If even getting the full workout in is a goal, start small. Celebrate getting in the car, walking in the gym, stepping on the treadmill, etc. Celebrate the small things all along the way.
The same goes no matter what the goal is. If your goal is to eat healthy – give yourself a pat on the back every time you eat mindfully, drink more water, trade the chips for the carrot, etc.
My clients know that celebrating the actions they take towards their goals is the easiest part of their goal completion. Not only is it easy – it’s also fun, positive, and motivating.
Don’t give up. And don’t wait to be proud of yourself! Why wait when you can and should feel proud of the actions you take every day!
Your Life Coach – Traci
I love this 100%