We cannot continue our 2021 goal setting to improve our leadership skills without learning how to cultivate and maintain our motivation for our goals.
Let’s start with a serious question. Do you feel that you lack discipline and grit? Well, it’s more likely you’re suffering from a lack of motivation.
As I said in last week’s article (if you missed it, you can read it here), When you don’t have a vision for the future that excites and motivates you, it’s very challenging to keep putting in the time and effort necessary to accomplish a big goal. Without a compelling end, each step forward can feel like torture.
You can fast track your vision by having a clear and compelling outcome in mind. Whenever your motivation is lagging, you can return to that picture.
Use these strategies to maintain a compelling outcome and achieve your goals more consistently:
1. Have a compelling outcome for every goal. When you sit down and make a list of your goals, start by painting the picture of what you want when you complete each one. Make your outcome as appealing as possible while still being realistic. Focus on what you will feel and experience when you accomplish that goal.
I like to use Brené Brown’s “The 5 C’s” to get me started.
Color – Paint the full picture by setting a clear intention, assigning a level of importance, and being clear on what done looks like.
Context – What’s happening in other areas that will impact or be impacted by this goal?
Connective Tissue – How does this goal solve or amplify what is already happening now? Or how does it lay the groundwork for what hasn’t happened yet but is part of the vision for the future?
Cost – What will it cost in terms of money, time, bandwidth, focus, priority shifts, etc.? Is the cost tolerable?
Consequences – What are the consequences of not doing this? What is at stake? Are there any unintended consequences that you can anticipate or problem-solve now?
Then write down what it will feel like once you have reached your goal. For example, maybe you want to learn how to handle difficult conversations because you dread them and have a knot in your stomach when you have to have one. You would picture yourself in the last difficult conversation you had, yet this time you feel confident in finding the right words, calm and empathetic and ready for the other person’s reaction no matter what it is.
Your compelling outcome will improve over time. You are unlikely to get it perfect after the first attempt. Keep adding details and changing things around until you find the ideal version.
2. A compelling outcome should be revisited every time you work on the goal. Be sure to spend a few minutes visualizing this persuasive outcome before you begin. This will help keep you on track and keep procrastination at bay.
3. When you are feeling stuck, relax, and return to your compelling outcome. Your persuasive conclusion is a tool to be used whenever necessary. If you’re having a hard time motivating yourself to do something, use your compelling future to boost motivation.
4. When faced with opportunities that could take you in a different direction, remember your compelling outcomes. It’s much easier to make choices when you remember what you’re trying to accomplish. Other people’s opinions and advice can steer you in different directions than you originally had in mind. So can changes in your position or what is expected of you. When this happens, refer back to the outcome you had envisioned and revisit The 5 C’s to help you pivot or stay the course as needed.
Compelling outcomes are like a compass and a source of motivation that are always available. Our minds work in pictures, so have a clear and exciting vision for your future. Creating a vision of a compelling outcome also forces you to define what you desire for your life clearly. Many people are foggy about their desired outcome.
Without a compelling vision for your future, you’re standing still. Define what you want for your life. Ensure that it’s motivating and use it to your advantage each day.
If you are interested in learning to utilize more of Brené Brown’s tools from her Dare to Lead™ Program, we are holding a Dare to Lead™ Workshop beginning January 12th, 2021. Learn more about it here.
If you want to pinpoint the default tendencies you have that keep you from finding motivation and consistency so you can have a greater success rate with your goals, contact me today!