As a go-getter entrepreneur, I’m sure you’re great at setting goals. You set your sights on what you want and plug away until you get there.
However, there is one major mistake that many people make when they set goals, and it can actually keep you from getting what you really want.
In today’s video, I’m going to tell you about this deadly mistake and how to steer clear of it so you can go after what you really want.
Hang on tight, as I may be challenging some of your deepest beliefs about achieving big things!
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I want to hear from you! Tell me…
1. What goal have you set that’s keeping you from what you really want?
2. How are you going to get what you really want right now?
Thanks for watching, and please share this video with your friends.
Jenny,
Great video. Goals are very important but should never get in the way of happiness. It is the path to achieving a task, not the path to happiness. Big difference!
I used to use goals as excuses, becoming roadblocks of my own personal happiness. I remember looking back at summer 2008 and wondering where it went because I sure did not do anything but work work work. Happiness was on the side or maybe a weekend I was free.
Since then I have my happiness my #1 priority. Since last year I have working my little bootie off to launch myself as an Author. I know I still have a lot of work to do and thats fine by me. I keep working hard but only after making sure I am happy 🙂 This gratitude and self attention has made any hardship easier to handle…and better; it has made all the steps to a successful career that much more rewarding.
Sandy
Thanks Jenny, this was such great advice.
It opened my eyes to something I’ve been doing. There is a project that I’m dying to do, because it’s super creative and comes straight from my heart. Ultimately, it could make me some money too, but my reason for wanting to do it is sheer joy. I want it to become the flagship product of my business.
BUT I keep putting it off because I need to do things now that ‘make money’ – so I tackle all my freelance writing projects first (my goal with which is to eventually do less of this and more of my real heart business stuff) and set goals of pitching to mags and getting articles published…and tell myself that my reward will be time and money to do this heart project of mine…. When I don’t have to feel guilty about doing what I love instead of doing what I have to.
I have, in essence, created a J-O-B for myself. I’m working from home but I’m still doing freelance stuff for other people and not working on my real business. Just because I know it pays the bills…but how will my heart biz ever grow if I never work on it?
Such good advice – you rock girl!
What a beautiful insight, Michelle! Thanks so much for sharing it here.
Yes, you certainly have created a JOB for yourself. Though that’s not always bad, it does seem it’s keeping you from working on your heart project.
Maybe your freelance writing project helps pay the bills, and that’s okay, but you can also sneak in time to work on your heart project. And it sounds like it would be so much fun!!
Thanks for being here!
My goal is (sort of) the opposite of Michelle’s. I’m a copywriter “on the side” but really want to be writing for clients all the time. I love that I’m giving myself a j-o-b! For now, however, I have a 9-5 which is cinderella’s mean ugly stepsister of all types of j-o-b-s. I gave myself a goal of quitting after I grew my business to a certain monthly revenue goal over a few months.
Jenny, is there a difference between putting off what you want until you reach one goal versis being goal-oriented about putting off what you really want? Or am I missing the point? 😉
And before I lose every client ever, let me edit my comment to say, “Cinderella”and “versus.” Also, I’m writing from an iPhone 🙂
There are some goals out there that are great for setting our sights to where we want to go. For example, if you wanted to buy a house and needed $25k for a downpayment, you could set the goal of saving $1k/month and in 2 years you’d have the downpayment and could buy your house.
On the other hand, you could have set the goal for buying a house, but what you really want to is to feel independent and free and live in a place where you can garden and decorate freely. Yes, that can be achieved by buying a house, and it could possibly be achieved by renting a new place. In this case, if you set the goal of “buying a house” but what you really wanted was “freedom to decorate and garden,” then your goal is actually getting in your way.
I’m not sure if that answers your question. If not, re-ask it here and I will answer again!
Enjoyed this distinction Jenny!
Thanks, Ali!
Fantastic story, Sandy! I love how you illustrate that happiness is #1.
Reminds me of when I was in college. Like most students, I didn’t sleep much and often pulled all nighters. I was also miserable, depressed, and a lot of other bad things. I met a fellow student who told me she slept 8 hours every night. I was baffled and asked how she did it. She said she made it a priority and just did. I asked how she got her homework done and she said it just got done. I decided the next year to try it out. I got 8 hours of sleep, my grades went way up, I exercised, was happier and, all of my homework always got done. It’s so funny to me how when we take care of ourselves, life takes care of us. 🙂
Thanks for sharing here!
Hi Jenny – this is a great topic because I find myself “sliding” into this pattern of thinking quite a bit… the thinking that I need to accomplish “this goal” before I can have that “happy thing”, etc.
For example, I keep thinking that once I reach a certain revenue goal I will treat myself to a spa day, but the reality is, I think I would reach that goal much faster if I actually gave myself the spa day NOW! 🙂
I think giving yourself permission to have whatever it is you want before you reach that goal will make you happier and more productive. Now if I could just put it into practice!
Definitely something I need to work on. Thanks for the reminder!
Susan
I love that you recognize that you see the predicament you’ve put yourself in! Now you can change it.
I have a friend who love to get massages. She was trying to save her money and wait to grow her biz a bit before splurging on a massage, but one day she just gave in. She immediately felt flooded with ideas and creativity and swears new business came her way, too. Now she makes sure to get a massage every month–for the sake of her business!
Thanks for being here!
Ooh, good to know Jenny. Good reason to make that spa appointment now.
Thank you!