Do you have plans or goals you want to achieve but you can’t seem to get started? Or did you give up after a disappointment? It’s time to start again and take small actions toward achieving your goals.
Action is defined as the fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve a goal. Action requires movement. How do you say yes to yourself and reach your goals? How do you move past fear to be or do what you want to do? I remember when I first wanted to start this blog, I bought a domain and webhosting, but I didn’t take action. I knew my target audience was working women with families; women with busy lives who needed to organize their lives better and find time for themselves like me, but I didn’t take action. I had article ideas, but I didn’t take action. I was stuck for so long; it took be 3 years to act. You don’t have to wait that long to act on your goals and dreams. It’s Time to Start!
The fourth step to becoming an Unaverage Woman is to Act on your Goals. If you have identified a goal or dream you want to reach, now is time to start. You will be in the same place next week, next month, and next year if you don’t act on your goals. Toni Morrison said, “What’s the world for if you can’t make it up the way you want it?”
Before we get started on how to take action, I need to help you stop doubting yourself. I know as you are reading this you are coming up with reasons why you can’t or should not act on your goals and dreams right now. You are telling yourself – You don’t have enough time between working, having a family, etc. Things are not great, but they are okay. Do not downplay your goals. Your dreams matter. Your goals matter.
Fear of failure is one of the biggest reasons why people don’t reach their goals. I was so afraid of failing, that I found reasons to put my goal of having a blog to empower working women like me on the back burner of my life for 3 years. Serena Williams says, “I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.” Is your desire to win strong? If not, it is time to strengthen it. You deserve to live an Unaverage life.
So how do you start? It will take consistency on your part as well as being able to grant yourself some grace when you make mistakes. However, I believe the number one thing you can do to start reaching your goals is to Create an Action Plan. An Action Plan will help you map out the steps in detail for reaching your goal. There are 4 steps to a good action plan:
1) Make an Action List. This is a list of all the tasks that need to happen to accomplish the goal. For example, if the goal is to lose 15 pounds, what actions would need to happen? Here are some things you could write on your action list: Get a gym membership (in person or online), set a time to work out every day, create a work out and diet plan, meal prep for all meals, get a good night’s rest every night, cut out sugary snacks, drink 8 glasses of water a day, and drink green tea 3 times a day.
2) Break the Goal into Smaller Goals. If you want to lose 15 pounds and you weigh yourself every day, you will be discouraged. It is best to set weekly or biweekly goals for the larger goal. A smaller goal would be to lose 1.5 pounds a week. Other examples could be to create a goal for the glasses of water to drink in a week, setting a goal of walking 2 miles in the morning every day, or completing a few planks each day.
3) Create a Timetable to Reach the Goal. Any good goal must have a time to reach it. If not, you can and will put it off repeatedly. Using our above example, you could set a timetable of 3 months to lose 15 pounds. This is realistic and attainable. If the timetable is unrealistic, you are just setting yourself up for failure and disappointment.
4) Track your Progress. It is so important to track your progress and check things off as you complete them. As you reach one small goal, it boosts your confidence to move on to the next small goal and helps you know you can reach your larger goal. I like to track my progress in my calendar as tasks completed.
If you really want to reach your dreams and goals, it is time to create an action plan and move forward. Having a goal and a plan mean nothing, if you don’t act. Martin Luther King, Jr said, “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Aren’t you tired of sitting on the sidelines in your life as it just passes you by? Get in the game! Create an action plan today for your goals or dreams! You can say yes to yourself. You should say yes to yourself today! Just Start!
You give such inspirational advice. It’s as if when I’m reading it and immediately come up with an excuse or fear you’re right here with yet another jewel to dismiss the fears and motivate me to get started now. Thank You!