The High-Achiever's 8-Step Guide to Setting Crystal Clear Goals

Did it happen to you yet?  Did the panic-thought jump into your brain confronting you with reality…  that you have not set not one dang goal for 2023?

I’m not here to judge.  But I am here to nudge.  (…see what I did there????  😊 ) 

Let me encourage you to think deeply about what you’d like to do this year. It’s time to leave the pie in the sky goals behind and confidently walk forward into this new year with a crystal clear vision.

Grab a cup of your fav tea, or a glass of vino and find a comfortable sitting position.  Use these eight tips to think through your largest goals.

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Step 1: Know Your Why

Your goals become more powerful the second you attach a significant meaning to them. Your "why" is the reason you want to accomplish a goal.

Anyone can set a goal to lose weight, pay off debt or make more money, but what does that change mean for you in your life? If you can take a step back from the actual goal and think about how your life will be impacted by this action, you'll be able create more powerful goals. 

For example: 

Your Goal: I want to pay off my student loan debt.
Better Goal: I want to pay off my student loan debt because: 

1. I will have more disposable income.

2. I can save more for retirement.

3. I can be a better role model for my child.

4. I can focus on investing and creating a better financial portfolio.

Having a goal is great, but understanding why you want to accomplish that goal is even better. If you can pinpoint a few good reasons or great side effects of accomplishing this goal, then these reasons will help you continue to commit to the goal when times get rough. 

Step 2: Quantify it

Quantifying your goals means to attach a number to them. This means breaking down how much weight you want to lose, how much debt you have to pay off or how many times you want to get deep tissue massages. (Just me?)

For example:

Your Goal: I want to pay off my student loan debt. 
Better Goal: I am going to pay off $32K in student loan debt. 

The benefit of quantifying your goals is that you can clearly and easily articulate exactly how much you have to go on your goals. 

Step 3: Add in a due date

Do you remember being in high school and the teacher tells you you have a paper due at the end of the month, but you'll wait until three days before it's due to start researching and writing it? Due dates add a sense of urgency. It can give you the kick in the pants that you need to get moving on the goal. 

Your Goal: I am going to pay off $32K in student loan debt.
Better Goal: I am going to pay off 32K in student loan debt by December 31st. 

Always set a concrete date for when you want that goal to be completed. Otherwise, you might be reaching towards the same goal every single year because you did not give yourself a definitive date to get it done. Your goal for the year becomes a "someday" goal.

Step 4: Add in the how

Your "how" is your action plan. Breaking your big goals into the simpler goals it'll take to accomplish the goal, you make the goal more tangible. You give yourself an opportunity to mentally break down what it will take to get there. 

Your Goal: I am going to pay off $32K in student loan debt.
Better Goal: I am going to pay off $32K in student loan debt by December 31st by lowering my living expenses by 25%, sticking to a strict "fun money" budget and creating online products.

This step is one of my favorites because it forces you start talking in terms of action. 

 

Step 5: Think about the frequency

Every week on Sunday, I head down to a coffee shop and get to work. I can sit there anywhere from 4-6 hours (like a legit 9-to-5) and that is the day that I'm most productive. When I first started doing this, I would pull myself out of bed, shower and have breakfast then (after a half hour of convincing myself that this was good for me) I'd head to the coffee shop. After weeks of doing this every Sunday, no matter where I am or how I feel that day, my body pulls me into a coffee shop to work. 

Adding in the frequency that you will perform an action that helps you reach your goals (whether it's daily, weekly or monthly) will help you develop a habit over time. 

For example:

Your Goal: I'm going to work out more. 
Better Goal: I'm going to work out three days a week. 
Best Goal: I'm going to work out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

Getting super clear on when you will work on your goals - and sticking to it over time - will increase your ability to accomplish your goals because over time you'll develop habits.

Step 6: Make Your Goal Present On Your Schedule

Chris Hart once said

"Show me your calendar and I'll show you your priorities."

It basically means that we all make time for the things that we want to do and the things that we value in our lives. If you want to be a high achiever, you simply have to make your goal one of these priorities. 

That starts with giving your goals a definitive time on your calendar. 

For example:  

Goal: I'm going to work out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 
Better Goal: I'm going to work out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after work.

When you have time slotted for your goal and nothing else can take that time, you become unstoppable.  

Step 7: Speak as if it's already done

Your brain, while incredibly complex, is also pretty easy to trick. That's why we do vision boards annually and look at them daily - the more your brain sees something, the more it believes it's already done. The same thing goes for what you say. 

Changing your goals from something you will do in the future to something you're currently doing tells your brain that you are committed to doing this NOW - it's not something you're putting off to a later date. 

For example:

Your Goal: I'm going to work out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after work. 
Better goal: I work out every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after work.

Step 8: Don’t give up

Life will sometimes throw us curve balls.  Whatever happens, try not to ever give up on achieving the goals that are most important to you.  It is always better to revise a goal to give yourself more time to finish it, rather than give up on the goal altogether.

Bonus: FOCUS on one goal at a time

My last piece of advice is to focus on one large goal at a time. If you're trying to do five things at once, you're putting 20% of your energy into 5 different things. While you might be incredibly busy, you may have nothing to show for it at the end of the day. Choose one goal that will make a huge difference in your life - and once that goal is completed - move on to the next one. 

Happy Goal-Crushing!

xoxo

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Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

Discover more from Thrive Lounge

Relaxing Weekend Ideas - with or without feeding your brain, as well

With summer almost over you may find yourself wondering how to squeeze out some last bits of summer fun.  There are many things that you can do. These ideas can range from planning a solo staycation to gently feeding your mind.  If you're not sure where to start, read on for a few ideas.

Plan a solo staycation

If you are planning a solo staycation, you can use this as a chance to recharge your batteries.  Your choice: get out of the house, or just kick back at home and reconnect with yourself. You can plan a staycation around classic attractions like the theater or the local museum.  With some planning, you may find free activities or free admissions during the weekdays.  A lot of communities have farmers' markets.  Get down there, browse what’s in season and pick up some delicious food.

There are also outdoor activities such as hiking or cycling. If you want to explore more of your hometown, consider a staycation with a day trip.  Recently I visited a state park in my local area.  It was fantastic.  I got the benefit of fresh air, saw folks leisurely horseback-riding, got to people-watch, and enjoyed not paying attention to how much time had passed by.

Unwind at the salon with a mani-pedi

Another weekend idea is getting a mani-pedi. A mani-pedi is a great way to relax and pamper yourself. Sometimes you can score a deal by bundling different treatments or making an appointment mid-week or during slower times of the day. Depending on your budget and what you want to get done you can go for the simple gratification of getting your nails beautified or you can splurge and spend an entire day getting the works.  Did someone say I deserve a body scrub, massage, facial and nail package today?

Vision board daydreaming – past successes and future plans

Before or after a nice siesta can be the perfect time to assess personal progress.  Take the time to mentally pat yourself on the back for past successes.  What did you achieve that you are most proud of?  Have you kept the momentum going?  Don’t stop there.  Your future awaits.  What are doing to proactively prepare?  What is your next step for future plans?  And if you are not currently happy, what can you do to change that?  One effective idea is to utilize a vision board to capture the essence of your dreams and create a path to achieve them.

Create a spa experience in your own home

Whether you want to spend a few hours pampering yourself or spend the entire day rejuvenating your feet, creating a spa experience at home is a great way to spend the weekend. Find a vessel to catch some warm water, grab your luxurious smelling lotion, cue up a mellow playlist and get your spa experience on.  Carefully start by opening your facial pores with steam or a warm and moist towel (be careful, I said).  If you have a tube of exfoliating scrub, two thumbs up.  Or maybe a gentle brush is at your disposal.  Almost every grocery store and big box store has these conveniently inexpensive pre-moistened face masks.  You don't have to pay high prices.  Gift yourself the time to indulge in some pampering in the comfort of your own home.

Immerse yourself in nature

More people are taking wellness trips, and this trend is growing. In 2019, 830 million people traveled to experience nature, including hiking, tree-hugging, bird-watching, swimming, and snorkeling. If you stay local you can commune with nature without the stress of a longer trip.  Fishing is loved by millions.  You can indulge at a recommended lake location, or fish off of a local pier.  For the more adventurous consider taking your poles onto a rented boat.  Nature affords us so many possibilities whether you want to hike up a mountain and snap a selfie with the most gorgeous view behind you or just want to throw on a pair of shorts and wade into the water up to your ankles and quietly gaze at the water shimmering on the shoreline.

Listen to a guru's advice

You've been hearing about a guru's advice to relax and improve your life. But what if you just cannot bring yourself to pick up a book or read a bunch of chapters on your Kindle?  Your ears are here to give your peepers a break. Listening to a guru's advice can be both enlightening and relaxing. YouTube and Masterclass.com are filled with guru videos - Eckhart Tolle, Julia Cameron, and Deepak Chopra are among the many available.  Or explore the many great podcasts out there.  Pick a topic and there is likely a podcast out there on the subject.  I recently found some interesting ones on Stitcher, but if Apple Music, Amazon, or Pandora is more to your liking, go for it.

Cooking or free nutrition class

I see these promoted all the time at my local food market.  Got an hour or two free?  Why not spend time with a local chef and learn quick ways to spice up your go-to weekly chicken dish for you and your family?  Alternatively, sometimes you can pick up nutrition tips from an expert.  Maybe learn about the benefits of an herb or tincture you’ve been curious about.  Best of all, you may even strike up a conversation with those around you and make a new friend.

Support local artists

Many artists are featured at free exhibits.  For example, a jewelry designer may have a table or booth just a few minutes from your doorstep. There may also be local announcements of art installations or one-of-a-kind handmade craft displays. Along with getting some exercise walking from booth to booth you may discover something new to purchase.

Join so many of us that are figuring out ways to close out the end of summer with a relaxing weekend.  Whether you fancy a staycation, browsing your favorite boutique, listening to the natural melodies of crickets, or want to start or update your vision board (great tools found here) we encourage you…do something wonderful to recharge yourself.  Whether you prefer a solo relaxing weekend or the company of loved ones it is all about creating memories you can reflect on for years to come.

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously receiving back the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder from the TL group. A super win-win!

Please join our Thrive Lounge email list. We'd love to share our newsletter, have you attend occasional workshops and have you as a member of our positive world-wide village of great people.

Discover more from Thrive Lounge

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Feel like it’s time for a career change? It is

In 2021, we began to hear a lot of talk around the great resignation. 

After the coronavirus has kept most people indoors to explore himself and their desires without the impact of the hard traffic to and from the office, pressures to look good for your boss or coworkers and more time… alone, many people had a momen to re-evaluate their life and came to the decision that they were ready for a career shift. 

Maybe they wanted to take out the time to learn a different skill or trade to get a higher pay. 

The slow down helped others realize that they were working towards goals of climbing a ladder that they didn’t want to reach the top of.

Finally, the demand just got higher in certain industries giving some employees leverage to leave their jobs for greater pay and better work life balance opportunities. 

I found myself feeling a little bit of all three of these positions - I was less-than-enamored with my job, realizing that I loved the time spent with family and had enough savings to slow down, and also there was so much demand for my skills that I was confident I could leave anytime and find a new job. 

So, yes, I considered joining the great resignation…

… I didn’t ultimately resign, but I knew many who did. 

In this article, I want to talk about how I came to that choice and a few ways you can identify if you should make a career change for yourself. 

Why Career Change is hard

In my case, I considered my team, my relationship with leadership and the fast growth that I’d seen in my career so far. I built a strong relationship with my boss, who was smart, kind and had become a friend over five years of working closely together. 

I’d gotten to know a few key members of the leadership team that rooted for me and helped me along my journey, making connections to help me grow and navigate my career. And… gosh, I adored my team. 

But I was itching to explore something new. To shake up my life and add some fun to the mix. 

Career change is change… and change itself is difficult to do.

Many people become comfortable where they already are, hiring managers in a new position may not immediately see the value you add to an organization because you’re leaving your track record behind you at the old company, let’s be honest, some of these 10-step interview processes make interviewing for new roles a barrier to making the change.

Is Switching Careers Worth It? 

At the end of the day, we’re all here for a short amount of time, if you’re thinking about making a change (especially if you’ve been thinking about making a change for a long time) then it’ll likely be worth it to try something new. 

How To Know What Career Change to Make

My favorite way to begin any life change is by creating a vision board. This process will help you to clear your mind, take a step back from the day-to-day annoyances of your current workplace to explore the good, the bad and the true desires. 

That’s all we really want at the end of the day, right? 

To feel like we’re putting ourselves first and pursuing what feels right. 

Brainstorm what you want out of your career

The first thing to explore is your desires. What do you want? 

Ask yourself this general question and see what your immediate answers are. The reality is that you know exactly what you want to do with your time and with your life, but we’ve become so accustomed to saying yes to others, climbing the ladder for progress's sake that it can be hard to hear the truth that lives within.

How you want to feel in your career

When considering my career change, I knew there was a challenge, a mountain I was looking for that I just wasn’t getting from my role. I’d been in the same type of role for so long that my job was… too easy. 

I'm driven by difficulty. I find joy in doing hard things. And I wasn’t getting that from my role. 

How do you want to feel at work? 

Answer that question as honestly as possible. 

What do you do well (and want to continue doing)

I’ve always felt confident and comfortable speaking in front of a group. Even when I make a mistake or don’t know an answer, I feel good knowing that I always come from a place of calm, kindness and collaboration that we (as a team) can figure out anything. 

It feels good for me to make both one-on-one connections and speak in front of a large group. That translates well to leading teams and relationship building. 

When you’re thinking about making a career change, answer this question for yourself: What do you do well - and would want to continue doing? 

Sometimes you do something well, but HATE it! 

For example, I’m really good at execution. It’s one of my core strengths. But I’ve always dreamed of helping other people execute as my career grew. So, while I know that I have those strengths, I no longer want to do that - so I focus on my natural relationship strengths as I lean into the next phase of my career.

A good book to read on this is StrengthsFinder. I review my strengths once every few years to make sure I’m living in alignment with what empowers me and allows me to grow quickly.

What you don’t do well (and want to remove)

Be honest with yourself, here. Nobody is good at everything. 

I, personally, could never be a designer because I don’t like to make things pretty. I get excited about the information, the findings, the work… 

… and then when it’s time to make things pretty, I’ll take hours because my eyes glaze over and I want to fall asleep.

When you’re preparing your career vision board, it’s important to think about what you don’t do well. 

While you won’t be designing your vision board around what you don’t do well. You do want to honestly consider what you have no interest in doing so you can focus your time, energy and attention on what matters most. 

When you’re done with the brainstorming and honesty session, here’s a post on how to create your vision board. And if you want some inspiration on your journey, here’s the vision board I created when I was working on my career.

Like I said at the beginning, I didn’t end up leaving my job. 

Actually, many of my team members (including my boss that I adored) left the company and my job became 10 times harder. I had to learn to delegate better, to recruit, train and manage my team, to maintain a solid relationship with our client and to deliver - always deliver - no matter what the internal situation was. 

That difficulty… 

… felt so freakin’ good! 

I was frustrated, but energized, I was learning and was challenged daily to rise to the occasion. It was everything I wanted.

So the great resignation hit home for me… but it didn’t hit me. And I’m ultimately glad I didn’t leave because I wouldn’t have had that experience that prepared me to be a better leader. 

Know that the best thing about creating a vision for your new career is that it will clarify what matters to you for your role and for your life. Making a career change doesn’t always mean leaving your company or finding a whole new career 100% different from the one you had previously. 

Sometimes it means finding the joy in your current role and turning the job you have into the career you always wanted. 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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About the author

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!