6 ways to stay focused on your goals when the newness has worn off

Are you losing steam on your New Year's Resolutions yet? Only 19% of people last more than 30 days on their New Year's Resolutions. I'm going to share 6 things with you that help me run full speed ahead all year round. This is something I teach my clients to do and 96% of them are still excited about their goals come February and beyond vs the normal 19%, so we know this works! 

Something I teach is how to turn normal goals into S.M.A.R.T. goals. The idea is that instead of just simply writing down your goals, you get specific with them, gain insight on how to measure them, assess their attainability and how realistic they are for your situation, pair them with an emotional connection, and then set a time limit to each one. Taking these extra steps in addition to writing them down allows you to keep them the forefront of your mind and stay excited about the work involved to actually hit them. Definitely recommend tuning into the full training for this one. 

Setting SMART goals for business

Setting SMART goals for homeschool 

This probably should've been #1, because it's by far the most important. No matter how excited we stay about our goals, it's impossible to hit them without having the habits in place to make up for our character flaws that we ALL have. Staying organized involves three main ideas: Keeping everything together when it comes to your daily and weekly tasks, Learning how to use a planner (yes, there's an art to it, stop rolling your eyes Susan :D), and then Developing a few key habits to actually complete your to do list which is something a lot of people never get to. It's not enough to plan to do the work, execution is what's going to help you check off your goals. For more on staying organized, and a TON of time management freebies, check out the free "Organize My Life" training. 

This one is my favorite because it's so fun! There are also three steps to this one. 

1. What does your perfect day look like in relation to your goals? 

We'll use money as an example for this today since most of you are tuning in from the business world. If money wasn't an objection, what would your perfect day look like. We're going to do this in two parts, a normal day, and a special day. 

Normal Day: This literally means just what it says, normal. Not planning an extra vacation or anything, what would your perfect day look like if money wasn't an objection? When would you wake up? What would you do first? Where/how would you get your meals? Write out every detail. 

What's one or two things you can take from your perfect day and implement in your every day life right now? One of the things I implemented early on was getting myself some nicer clothes. When I envisioned my "perfect day", I noticed how confident I felt. When I first did this exercise, I was brand new into my business and we didn't have much money at all. In addition, I had recently been diagnosed with PCOS and had gained 100 lbs in about 6 months. None of my clothes fit me, and majority of what I could find at the local thrift store definitely didn't give me any extra confidence in my own skin. Now, I didn't just go out and buy a new wardrobe, but I did set income goals for myself, and when I hit those goals I'd go spend $50-$100 on clothes and shoes that made me feel good about myself. Within a about a year I had a new wardrobe I was proud of. What's one thing you can start implementing today from your perfect day?

Special Day: Plan out a dream day. Maybe you go on an elaborate vacation, or maybe you stay local for a day of pampering. There's no rules for this, but again, write out every detail. 

2. Write a letter to yourself from yourself, 10 years in the future. 

Again, be as detailed as possible. What goals have you hit? How's your health? What does your house look like? What kind of car do you drive? How is your marriage? How are your kids? Leave no stone unturned. 

Below is the letter I wrote myself back in 2019 the first time I did this exercise. 

8/27/2029

Holy crap! 

10 years ago if you would’ve told me where I’d be today I’d probably say you were crazy.
Glori is excelling in school so well that we’ve been able to keep her up to date with her peers AND visit every state in the country as well as a few other continents At fifteen, she has a better relationship with God than most adults I know and her communication skills are on point. She’s far from perfect but she comes to Brett and I with tons of questions and thoughts without any fear of judgement. I’m so glad we kept the line of communication open with her even when her ideas differ from ours We do our best to address her concerns with scripture AND logic because we know it’s not enough for her to just know what Gods word says, but also to see real life examples of what happens when we choose NOT to do it God’s way We have had the most amazing time getting to raise her and pray daily that she allows God to use her in a big way. 

Our business is doing better than ever We’ve been consistently bringing in 100k+ a month for the last 5 years. The money has given us so much freedom to serve others and Brett’s passion for the homeless has been funneled into a ministry that started locally and is now helping the homeless on a national level. As for me, I’ve been a best selling author not once, but twice now. I’ve had the opportunity to share the stage with great minds like Tony Robbins, Ray Higdon, and Denise Walsh as well as headlined over a dozen Ted talks myself. I must admit though, being the keynote speaker at national homeschool conventions has been my favorite place to serve Of course, Glori gets to travel to all of our events with us, and it’s amazing to see the leadership skills she’s picking up herself  

If you can dream it, you truly can achieve it  

We’re coming to the close of our parenting chapter with only a few years left. This is both saddening and exciting. After 16 years of marriage, Brett and I still feel like we’re in the honeymoon phase, so we’re looking forward to doing a LOT of traveling when Glori goes off to college

Thank you for always dreaming big

One thing I like about this exercise is it forces me to grasp just how short our time is with our kids. Something I've tried to keep consistent in my business is prioritizing my family first. We're only a mom for 18 or so years (as far as hands on work while they're living at home). That seems like a long time until you look at the big picture. For my family, that means I have a good 30+ years after our daughter starts her own life to focus way more intensely on my business. Does that mean I'm going to sit back and do nothing for these 18 years? Nope! I'm going to be really diligent with my time management and consistently get work done now around raising my daughter, but I won't sacrifice her to chase money. Could we be millionaires by now if we let someone else raise her and put 12-16 hours days in on my business? Probably. We have the pieces in place, but I chose to have a child, so I'm choosing to prioritize my time with her over anything else, including money. 

3. Develop a good relationship to money. 

What does money mean to you? Write down the first thing(s) that comes to your mind. If any of them are negative, you'll want to take a deep dive into your money mindset. Having a negative view of money will block you from making very much of it, let alone keeping it once you make it. 

Money for me means freedom. Getting groceries delivered every week, going shopping without worrying about the price tag, paying rent 2-3 months in advance, renting by choice when we relocated vs feeling like we HAD to buy another home, setting all our bills to autopay and never having to check our balances, I could go on and on. Pure freedom. We're nowhere near millionaires yet, so these items are all low level money freedoms, but to know this level of freedom is one I don't take for granted because I know so many that don't ever experience this. 

I don't say any of that to brag btw. 7 years ago I was sitting in the parking lot of a Salvation Army with my husband and bawling because I needed a new pair of dress shoes and we didn't even have $10 in our bank account for me to go into a thrift store and try to find a pair. I don't look down on anyone in a bad financial spot. I've been there multiple times, but I'm very grateful for all the blessings God has brought since we reprogrammed our financial mindset and starting putting actions to our beliefs.

If you're reading this and not in a good financial spot. Consider making the change today. Click here if you're ready to take your finances into your own hands. 

Don’t get distracted by what other people are doing, follow 1-2 “coaches” or people in the industry you trust and take their advice. There are a ton of experts out there with their own opinions on everything from health to finances and business to homeschooling. Lots of different styles and techniques work. It's not about finding the perfect coach, it's about finding the one that's perfect for your family and/or your business. Pick 1-2 people in the area you're looking to really grow in, and treat their advice like gold. Tune everything else out and just apply massive action until you start making head way on your goals. 

This one is specifically for my mompreneurs. Pick one platform, and focus on mastering that. I've been in social marketing industry for nearly 8 years now, so I have more than one platform I work on. As a newbie; however, pick one and master that before adding anything else. If you're not sure how to choose a platform, or need more direction on how to make money once you choose your platform, click here. In this free training I cover how to choose your platform, what and how often to post, what a good marketing strategy looks like, everything you need to know to build a successful business/brand online. 

Last but not least, prioritize your mental health. Don't burn the candle at both ends. Take plenty of days off and refill your cup whenever necessary. For me this looks like scheduling family game/movie days, going shopping, making sure I keep my journaling/devotions a daily activity etc. 

Setting goals in January is awesome, and turning those goals into S.M.A.R.T goals will propel your business further than you can imagine. None of this matters if you get keep getting distracted though. Which one of the 6 points above will help you the most? Which one have you been practicing for the longest?