Reach your goals with ease
We set goals because we want to reach them–they represent something important to us. And, whether we articulate a timeframe or not, we usually have one in mind. That goes for anything ranging from securing a more senior position at work to taking up yoga!
I don’t want to suggest that faster is better but, if you’re a perfectionists who has struggled with overthinking and tends to spend too much time on things, you probably dream of being more efficient and know there is satisfaction in working towards your goals swiftly, with minimal resistance.
Flow and ease are the feelings I like to go for.
I have good news: we can get there via our habits.
Good habits help you reach your goals
Goals and habits go hand in hand. I can’t think of a single goal that could be met without practicing solid habits, those small decisions you make and actions you perform every day.
For example, one of my goals has been to create and publish a career tip video every week on YouTube. As a perfectionist, this has been a super challenging endeavour because, when reviewing the recording, I tend to be critical of myself, the content, and the quality. Basically, everything! If I didn’t have solid habits in place, I wouldn’t have published a single video. The habits that have supported me in going through with this project are:
- I write down my goal of publishing 1 video per week in my weekly goal list
- I create the script/talking points ahead on a Google doc
- I make note of ideas as they come to me on same Google doc
- I publicly declare that my intention is to post 1x/week (in a few groups I belong to)
- I enlist my daughter’s help in editing
- I set low standards and stick to these
- I observe my negative self-talk and don’t give it much weight
According to research, habits account for about 40% of our behaviours on any given day (Clear, nd). This is not negligible!
If habits help us achieve our goals, then we want to make sure that our supportive habits are well instilled.
Celebrate your good habits
We can expedite the formation of good habits easily by celebrating them.
That’s because emotions are what cause habits to form. Not repetition or frequency.
When you celebrate a habit, your brain takes notice of the positive emotion and thinks “Woa, that felt good! I’m going to do that again.” It’s this good feeling that wires the new habit into your brain and helps it stick.
So, if want to solidify a habit, celebrate it.
I want to reach my goals, but celebrating feels goofy
Whenever I introduce the idea of celebration to my perfectionist coaching clients or at workshops, most people groan or I see their faces sag. I get it because that’s how I reacted initially, and for quite some time. It felt goofy, contrived, fake.
But I decided to give it a try after reading Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg. His research convinced me to no longer ignore this method.
Ways to celebrate
Initially, I celebrated simply by acknowledging myself for practicing my good habits. For example, once I had completed an activity (such as writing for 30 minutes, or going to spin [indoor cycling] class), I took a moment to say to myself “yay me!”. It felt forced and weird at first and then got a lot easier.
Now, I celebrate at various stages: before, during, after. For example: “good for me, I said I was going to go to spin and I am booking the class”; “here I am at spin class, working it!” and ” well done, I followed through”. I also sometimes add a shoulder shake (think Latin dance move) or waist wiggle.
Your celebration does not have to be something you say out loud or be a gesture that anyone can see. The only rule is that it has to be something you say or do that makes you feel good and creates a feeling of success.
Try it out! It could be:
- a smile
- a fist pump
- (imaginary) roar of a crowd
- a dance move (a jig, hip hop, ballroom, disco – whatever your style!)
- a skip or hop
Try it out!
Try this out — you’ve got nothing to lose! I absolutely promise you it will (1) help good habits stick which will (2) allow you to meet your goals faster and with more ease.
Doesn’t that sound delicious?
Want to solidify your habits to reach your goals?
I can help! Celebrating your good habits is one sure way to instill them. But we know that forming and sustaining habits it not easy and that’s where coaching support can make a difference. Book your complimentary consultation here to find out how I can help you practice good habits that will enable you to reach your goals.
Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels