06 Sep Ready, set, grow
Are you becoming a better version of yourself? Do you want to be a better version of yourself? Do you have goals? I really believe that each one of us should continuously be learning and growing, working towards something that takes us out of our comfort zones, something gets you out of bed in the mornings. If you’re not, you’re falling behind. You’re missing out! To move forward, to grow as a mother, a wife, a leader, in your career, whatever it is you do, you need to first take a step back and do some evaluation. You see, we can only get better when we know what we need to get better at. We can only move forward when we know which direction we need to go in and where we want to end up, when you set out the areas where learning, improvement and investment are needed. Where do you want be? Where are you now? How are you going to get from here to there? This is not automatic folks, this is not going to happen by accident. It’s a journey and it requires a map. It requires intention and action.
Where do you start, you ask? It starts with this – where is it that you want to be? What is it that you want to be doing? What kind of person do you want to be? What is your goal? What is your desired destination? This looks and feels very different for each of us. It may be to run a half marathon, it may be to cook a new healthy recipe each week, it may be to spend quality one on one time with each of your children each week, it may be to get a qualification through an online course, it may be to start a new business, it may be to save up for a really extravagant overseas holiday. Whatever it is, write it down, draw it, find pictures that remind you of it and stick them on the inside of your cupboard.
Next, you need to consider where you are right now, what is your starting point? What is your reality? This requires some honest review of yourself and your current circumstances. What are the facts of now. What are your current fitness levels (do you even own a pair of running shoes?)? Do you know how to turn on your stove? What is your current skill set? How much have you already saved for your holiday? This step is really important because it determines what comes next, it determines the steps required to get from here to your destination.
What comes next is to realistically consider the obstacles that have been in your way. What has kept you from running a half marathon before? Maybe you’ve got small kids and it’s hard to find time to fit in long training runs. Maybe your health hasn’t been a priority for you. Why have you not started your online business already? What are the things that have stopped you from already getting to where you want to be? The thing here is that there must be something, otherwise you’ll already have achieved your goal. Note down all the things that have got in the way of this goal before.
Once you’ve got a clear idea of exactly what the obstacles are, you can consider your options. If you really want this thing you’re aiming for, if your desire to get it, to get there, is greater than your desire to stay where you are now, then you will find a way to make it happen! But this can only happen if you honestly consider the options to overcome the obstacles identified in the previous step. You don’t know how to write a business plan? You don’t know how to set up a website for an online store? Then your options need to include finding someone who does. Google, chat to friends, chat to people who have done this before to ask for their advice. Carefully consider these options to overcome whatever challenges you’ve identified.
Then, convert these options into action steps to create your way forward. Set out specific and clear steps that will move you from your reality to your goal. These steps need to be practical and they need to make sense for YOU. Just because getting up at 5am for a training run works for your sister, doesn’t mean it necessarily works for you. Write these down, set them in your calendar, plan for them. They won’t happen on their own. Remind yourself everyday of what you’re working towards! Write down your goal every day. Work on your action steps with purpose and with intention.
The only thing holding you back from your dream, your goal, is you! These simple steps help you break down what’s needed to get you from here to there. Take time to think through and plan out the map to get you to your destination and then remind yourself over and over again of where that destination is, what it looks like and why it’s so important to you. Ready, set, grow!
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