My mentor once asked me, “How does a lion eat an elephant?” I looked at him with a blank stare awaiting his answer to his own question. He answered, “one bite at a time.” With only 5 months left of the year, some of your goals have been met, and you’re working on new ones for the next year, some goals have been started but all you need is a dash of motivation, and some goals have yet to be scratched off since the beginning of the year. Wherever you are, you must be committed to finishing strong. So, if used to fidelity, I’ve constructed 3 gear crankers that will set you back on track ready to accomplish your goal(s) for this year!
Number 1. Reclaim Your Mindset:
One thing I’ve learned is that you have to train your mind how to thrive even during some of the most challenging times of your life. Maybe you’re not where you thought you ought to be by this point. Maybe you’ve only been able to scratch off one accomplishment between January and now. It could be that you’ve lost focus or that other circumstances have prevented you from making gains, which has resulted in negative productivity and performance. Or maybe you’ve drowned in the sea of laziness or comparison. Despite the category you might identify with, something to think about is: what are the things that contribute to the destruction of your positive mindset and how can you bounce back? There are two points to think about:
Point 1 - Eliminate the negativity! For some, it’s easier said than done, but it can be done. You can do this by simply switching your brain "on"- switching your brain on to positive daily affirmations, networking to surround yourself with like-minded individuals who seek to make ambitious gains in their endeavors, working out (improves your mood and your thinking) and finding leisure avenues that will take you to your happy place and cause you to release and relax. Through experience and word of mouth, these are only a few things that help stimulate
one’s mindset.
Point 2 - Stay focused and keep the commitment- I get it, there are numerous distractions and commitment has its lows, but you must be unrelenting in your commitment, whatever it is, don’t give up! Setbacks will be there and believe me when I say that they are not intended to weaken you, but rather purposefully develop and enrich you! Each setback or obstacle is like a mental hurdle, and as you continue to overcome them, you are building strength and resilience. And because of your focus, your commitment, what you overcome can’t hold you back any longer. So, keep treading forward, you got this!
Number 2. Create Compelling Goals:
Visualize the Vision- in order to create compelling goals, you must visualize, and for some, revisit your vision. Why vision? Where there is no vision, you perish. Where there is no vision, there is no direction. Visualization is one of the most powerful and impactful strategies for creating the life you desire. It does 3 things for you:
Sharpens your focus
Maintains your momentum
Brings clarity to what you’re trying to achieve
Not only are these 3 purposeful points conducive to your vision, but visuals help you curate specific and clear strategies that provide a path for you to easily navigate, which will help make your vision more obtainable.
Number 3. Track Your Time Train:
Time can certainly escape us if we allow it, but it is a key component to meeting and executing your desired goals. Even I have allowed time to fly right past me and had to reflect on ways to most effectively utilize my time better. So let’s clear the air! The focus of time management can be positioned into two categories, priorities and systems.
Category 1 - Priorities differentiates what is negotiable (can be done another time) and what is a non-negotiable (what must get done). You prioritize what cannot be negotiated, this means it is a hard “no,” nothing gets in the way of getting that priority completed.
Category 2 - Systems are pivotal, well at least they are for me. Whether you’re organized or not, everyone has a type of system. Some have systems that help them to be extremely organized to meet deadlines while others have systems that cause them to simply go with the flow. You’ve heard the adage, “failure to plan is a plan to fail.” This is quite true when it comes to time and task management. So, why systems? Putting active systems in place will cause you to reap long-term rewards and achieve long-term goals. Finding a system is nothing but a piece of cake, you just have to find the one that works well for you.
These 3 pivotal points are to get your gears cranking again and to help push you to finish the year strong. You still have time to complete your goal. There is still time to create deadlines and work diligently to meet them. Remember, the vision is the grand picture, and that takes time; it’s the small goals to get there that are important. There is still time, seriously, no rush. However, it is what you do with your time that makes all the difference.