Success tip # 1 - managing your enthuasiam

How many times have you set out to achieve a goal and not been successful? Your initial burst of enthusiasm quickly dwindled away and it felt like any hope of success got snuffed out too.

Let me put your mind at ease – the initial burst of enthusiasm and a dwindling of energy is normal. Phew! It’s not just you, everyone faces this.

Only 10% of people who set goals actually achieve them. That means 90% don’t. I know you want to be in the 10% club, right.

What sets the 10% people apart is they know they'll go through ups and downs when they’re working towards their goal and have strategies to manage it.

Typically there are 5-stages that you’ll go through when you work towards a goal.  They are…

1.  On a high

When we set goals it’s normal to feel really enthusiastic and energised. It’s the rush of excitement we feel when we think about achieving our goal. We start out feeling fantastic and really motivated.

2.  Energy loss

As time goes on we start to lose our enthusiasm. We begin to tell ourselves we cannot possibly achieve the goal, we're not good enough, smart enough or the sort of person who achieves that sort of goal. It all seems too hard and we feel fearful. Recognise this is as negative self-talk.

3.  Down in the ‘pit’

The pit is a dark place where it doesn't seem like there’s any way you’ll achieve your goals. When you’re working towards a goal it means you’re making changes.  It might be letting go of something or saying goodbye to a way of life, friends, relationships, work or whatever. That can be hard. Combine fear, letting go or saying goodbye with negative self-talk and that's a potent mix that can drag you into the pit. 

4.  A glimmer of hope

Hold on to hope. When you're in the pit, know that you can get through it. As you start to realise change is okay, you're going to be okay, it’s all going to be okay, you’ll start to see a glimmer of hope. As this happens, you’ll begin to reconnect with what it will feel like to achieve the goal and your enthusiasm will slowly start to build.

5.  Joy-o-joy

Happy days! You've achieved your goal. You feel fantastic because you stuck with it! Through the loss of enthusiasm and the pit, you stayed focused on your goal and you achieved it. But it's even more than that, you now know you can achieve whatever you put your mind too!

So knowing there's a pattern of emotions you'll go through, what can you do about that? Now remember EVERYONE goes through this. What sets the 10% group apart is they have strategies for working through the loss of enthusiasm and the pit. Over time you can lessen the impact of, and time spent in, those two stages.

Here are my favourite strategies for dealing with the emotional roller coaster:

• I create a vision board and keep my goals in view. I have the board on a wall, a photo of it on my phone and tablet, and sometimes even a printed copy in my handbag. I think about how it'll feel to achieve the goal and why it's important to me every day, in fact several times a day.
   
• I let people know about my goals. I might even ask someone if I can check-in with them and specifically share how my goal is going.
   
• I manage my self-talk. When a negative thought comes to mind, I thank it for trying to look out for me however I'm okay and looking forward to the changes I'm about to go through. WE create the thoughts in our minds, so we can choose what they are. 

EXERCISE

Now it's your turn. Think about how it's been for you when you've tried to achieve a goal. Maybe you've got an example of a goal where you were successful and one where you weren't. 

What was the difference? Did you use any of three techniques I use - vision board, sharing the goal or managing self-talk? What strategies will you use to manage your enthusiasm? Write them in your journal.

*** Download a printable PDF version of the information and exercise here ***

Believe you can achieve your goals, believe you deserve it and believe you will have it.  Join the 10% club and live a life your love.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me by email.

Live your life as only you can. Your life, your way. – Tracey x