Do you ever feel like you have too many goals you want to focus on that you feel overwhelmed? Perhaps you made too many New Years’ resolutions, or you want to live a healthier lifestyle but are overwhelmed by all of the changes you want to make. The truth is, focusing on too many goals or trying to make multiple changes for improvement at one time IS overwhelming and a setup for failure. Your chances of success in achieving your goals are much higher if you focus on one goal at a time. Allow yourself to achieve one goal and reward yourself for a job well done. Then you will have the motivation to work on the next goal, and then the next, and so on.
If you read the first paragraph and feel overwhelmed because you don’t know which goal to focus on first, this blog post is for you. First, I encourage you to read about the 3 Steps To Achieving Your Goals Without Feeling Overwhelmed. Then, read on below to learn how to define and implement your one big goal to focus on first. You will need to do some analyzing. Using a journal to jot down your thoughts is helpful so you can look back at them later when goal-setting. Ask yourself the following questions below to help determine your one big goal to focus on first.
What Is Your WHY?
One of the biggest ways to find the motivation to keep going is to remember your WHY. Why are you doing what you are doing? Knowing your “why” will help clarify your goal. When discouragement rears its ugly head, think back to your “why.” Some examples are:
- My goal is to live a healthier lifestyle (exercise more, eat healthy, cut back on alcohol, quit smoking, etc.). What is my WHY? I want to live longer for my children and grandchildren, feel my best, and have good mobility and energy to enjoy the activities that I love.
- My goal is to increase the revenue in my business and double my income. What is my WHY? It can be anything, such as saving for early retirement, children’s college fund, more money to travel, etc.
What Will Have The Most Significant Impact On Your Life?
Try thinking ahead to the future with me for a moment. What achievement from this year will have the most significant impact on your life and get you closer to your goals? Thin will help you to break down your big goal into smaller steps. What you do this year will move you forward to achieving your big goal. Using the examples above, let’s break it down this way:
- Healthier lifestyle – If your ultimate goal is to live a healthier lifestyle, think about what achievement you can do this year that will have the most impact. What is your most considerable health risk? If you are a smoker, it may mean focusing on quitting smoking. If it’s your weight, you will need to focus on eating healthy and exercising more. It can be too overwhelming to do both at once, so start by changing your diet. When you get into the groove and start feeling more energy, add exercise (start slowly if needed).
- Double my income – Think about what you need to do in order to double your income. Do you need to hire a business coach? How about more consistent marketing? Whatever steps you think will help you double your income, start with the one you think will have the most significant impact. As you feel more confident and start seeing results, add on the next step.
What Are You Passionate About?
What are you passionate about? Can you find a way to tie it in with your goals? Perhaps you have a hobby that you love and wish you had more time to do it. If you love going to the beach and wish you had more time (and money) to travel to the beach more often, this can be your WHY to double your income. Let’s say you double your income. Can you afford to travel more, or can you buy a beach house that you can spend several weeks and weekends at?
Or how about this example: You are obsessed with cars, love to tinker in your garage, and attend car shows. People always tell you that you should be a mechanic. You’re tired of your job and have been dreaming of a career change. It doesn’t feel so much like “work” when we do what we love. You will feel more fulfilled and satisfied with your life. Perhaps being a mechanic or opening your own car repair shop is a dream you should look into.
Translate Your Goal Into A Number
Now that you’ve asked yourself those questions to help you define your one big goal, it’s time to do some math homework. If your goal is to increase your revenue and double your income, talking with your accountant may help you understand your earnings and statistics. There are other steps you can take, such as finding ways to cut costs in your business that can help you to increase your bottom line. You may need to raise your rates or add so many clients to meet your goal. Working with a business coach may help you learn what works for growing your clientele. Think about how many new clients you will need in order to double your income, and then focus on the goal of adding that many new clients.
Here’s an example of how numbers work for your health goals: If you are a smoker with a goal to quit smoking, try doing the math. If you smoke one pack per day and the average cost of cigarettes is $8 per pack, you spend $56 per week. Your yearly cost is $2,920.00! And you can add on even more cost for the gas you use with all those trips to buy your cigarettes. Sometimes seeing the cost makes your goal more real.
Keep your eyes on the prize. Make a sign in big bold writing with a reminder such as your yearly cost for cigarettes. Put it where you will see it every day. When you learn to prioritize your goals, it will be easier to pick the one that means the most to you right now. Focus on that one particular goal until you get to the place you want to be.