Do you know that only 8% of people reach the goals they set? 8%!!! That’s all!

And knowing the seasonal time for setting goals is closer every day. 2022, I see you over my shoulder... I wanted to take a moment to explore why 92% of us stay stuck or can’t seem to get started at all. After all, you want to be in the extraordinary 8% who reach their goals, right?

What do you think are two of the most common reasons people don’t reach their goals?

#1 They’re pretty clear about what the end result is, like letting go of 30 pounds, yet they feel overwhelmed by the “how do I get there?”, so they don’t get started.

#2 They got off to a good start, maybe lost a few or 5 pounds, then stall a bit and don’t know how to get back on track. The initial motivation wears off and they don’t know how to get it back.

If you find yourself in either of these situations right now, I bet you aren’t connected to your vision. If the word vision is throwing you off, bring to mind a goal you have. Something you really want. Ask yourself what your why is. What will become possible for you once you’ve made this happen? So if your goal is to let go of X number of pounds, your vision may be that you want to be able to play comfortably with your kids, or your grandkids in 20 years. Or enjoy activities like walking or playing a sport pain-free, breathing easily.

If you’re looking to change what you do for work, what will life be like for you once you’ve gotten a new job? Maybe it’s that you’ll feel fulfilled knowing you’re using your skills and talents, or earning what you believe you’re worth.

I don’t want you to just read my wisdom, think to yourself “that makes sense” and do nothing with it. I want you to apply it so that you begin achieving that goal now. So I’m going to talk you through it as I would do with a client in a meeting.

What’s the experience you want to create?

Take a few minutes. See yourself in your life as it will be once you’ve achieved this goal. What are you doing now that you have achieved this? If you have a physical health goal, imagine yourself in that healthy state. Connect with the sensations of how your body moves, how you breathe.

If you’ve been wanting a relationship with someone to be different, and now it is, what will that feel like? Who is around you? What have you made possible with them as a result of achieving this goal?

How do you feel in this moment? Are you proud? Calm? Relieved? Take some more time. What do you see? Let yourself really feel the results of your achievement.

I want to tell you about a breakthrough I had recently that proves the value of focussing on your vision. Because I wasn’t making progress and now I am, and the shift was pretty easy. My shoulder and hand have had limited range of motion and some pain for a while. The treatment is home physical therapy exercises. And I wasn’t doing them. Doing them effectively hurts, and I wasn’t seeing improvement. At times, I didn’t see the point. I got comfortable with figuring out other ways to get stuff done.

Then, as happens to a lot of us when we really want something, I asked myself why I wasn’t just doing the work. Like I do with so many goals, like I help my clients do every day. I realized that I had been focussing on the pain during the stretching, and on the lack of big improvements. Definitely not motivating, right?

The solution? All I did was get very clear about my why. Now as I anticipate and do the exercises, I envision my life as it will be in the near future. Making fewer trips from the car as I carry full loads in both hands, playing tennis again. And -- the icing on the cake -- flying the two-handled kite I bought for the beach!
Sure, the pain is still there, yet now it’s a sensation that motivates. That tells me I’m on the right track. And I tell myself that I may not see daily changes, yet the improvements are there.

The connection to my vision, to the experience I will create by the action I choose in a given moment, was a game-changer. I want you to have that, too.

If you’re pretty clear about your vision around a goal in your life, yet you’re still not sure about exactly what to do tomorrow when you get up, to be working on this -- not just wishing for it anymore -- get in touch with me for a complimentary call. You can reach me at info@coachingwithlee.com.

Because sometimes all you need is a second set of eyes to help you out.