“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” — Tony Robbins

 

So you’ve done the New Year’s resolution thing and set goals for yourself before. And maybe you’ve even achieved some of them. But often, you find that you lose motivation early in the year, and your goals just don’t turn out the way you hoped.

Thankfully, there is a better way to set goals that excite and inspire you!

Why don’t people get what they want?

“Momentum that has resistance in it causes you to try too hard.” – Abraham Hicks

 

After over a decade of coaching, I’ve discovered 3 main reasons why people don’t get what they want:

1. 1. They aren’t clear about what they want.
   2. They don’t believe they can have it.
   3. They don’t consistently take action to achieve it.

If you could have anything you wanted in your life, what would that look like? What would it feel like? If you can answer these questions with clarity, you’re a good chunk of the way towards getting what you want. If can’t, circumstances or other people will decide the course of your life for you.

Meanwhile, do you trust and believe you can have what you want? If you do and you maintain your focus and positivity consistently, what you want will come to you, when it is meant to. If you don’t, you must change your beliefs to support the goals you’re trying to achieve.

Lastly, are you taking regular, consistent action to make your dreams come true? Are you acting on the opportunities the Universe is sending your way? If you are, your dreams will manifest in due time. If you aren’t, what’s getting in your way?

Sticking to your goals

“Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.” — Les Brown

 

Creating a life you love really starts with a decision – a decision to believe that more is possible for you. A decision to experience more love, joy, and abundance this year.

But it also requires clear goals, positive expectation, and regular, consistent action.

Many people create goals but don’t stick to them. Why is that?

It’s because we try to force ourselves to do something that doesn’t feel good, that feels like work. And if it doesn’t feel good, the motivation to continue just isn’t there.

Why doesn’t it feel good? Because we:

• • Do what we think we should do, instead of what we really want to do
  • Focus on the “when and how,” instead of the “what and why”
  • Have a limiting belief that we can’t have what we really want
  • Haven’t lined up our energy with the vibration of what we want
  • Aren’t stopping to appreciate how much we have already accomplished
  • Aren’t rewarding ourselves for progress made

So let’s talk about how to create goals that feel good, that you’ll want to follow through on.

G.R.E.A.T. goals

“The world makes way for those who know where they are going.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Setting goals helps you focus your energy and resources on what you want, so that you live your life by choice, not by chance. But a lot of traditional goal setting gets people to focus on the wrong things.

I have been setting goals for myself for many years. And I have had reasonable success setting what you may know as “S.M.A.R.T.” goals (specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and time-bound).

But I found that by being so precise in my goal setting (and arbitrary in my deadlines), I got discouraged whenever I missed meeting a goal in the exact timeframe or way I thought I should, and I discounted any progress I had made. I missed opportunities that weren’t part of my rigid plan, and stressed too much about how to make things happen instead of enjoying the process.

Then several years ago, I created a new “energetic” way of setting goals (or goal setting on steroids, as I like to call it). And my life moved forward at a dizzying pace as I attracted what I wanted much faster (with more enjoyment).

The key thing I discovered is that it’s the feeling you have when you create a goal that really counts. So I created an acronym to represent this new method of goal setting, called “G.R.E.A.T.” goals:

• • G – Give thanks for what you already have
  • R – Review your challenges
  • E – E-magine what you really want
  • A – Act on your goals
  • T – Trust you will succeed!

G – Give thanks for what you already have

It’s important to reflect on all the good we have in our lives, as the energy of appreciation is one of the highest vibrational energies you can be in for manifesting new things.

Some things to consider when thinking of what to be grateful for:

• • Your favourite people
  • Favourite memories with family & friends
  • Fun events or trips
  • Relaxing time spent at home or in nature
  • Improvements you made to your physical, mental or spiritual wellbeing
  • Career or academic successes
  • People you’ve helped or supported
  • Ways that you’ve contributed to your community
  • Abundance that flowed into your life
  • Things you bought that you now enjoy
  • Things people in non-developed countries don’t have
  • Goals you accomplished

Pause and really feel appreciation for all the wonderful blessings in your life. And give yourself credit for what you’ve accomplished and how far you’ve come!

R – Review your challenges

It is also helpful to reflect on what didn’t go so well, to adjust your goals going forward.

Some questions to ponder:

• • What challenges did I face this year?
  • What did I learn from them / how did I grow?
  • What could I do differently to overcome these obstacles?
  • Do I need to change my goals or adjust the timelines?
  • Is there anything I need to stop doing or let go of?

E – E-magine what you really want

Now it’s time to imagine—with energy & excitement (“e-magine”)—what you really want in 2025.

If you could do, be and have whatever you want, what would that be? Assume no limits.

Don’t try to figure out the “how” and “when.” Just focus on “what” you want and “why” you want it. How will it feel to get what you most want? Picture succeeding to connect with that feeling now.

Some categories to consider:

• • Health and wellness
  • Personal development & spirituality
  • Career & contribution (includes volunteering)
  • Financial abundance
  • Home & family
  • Leisure & fun
  • Relationships (includes partner, friends, family)

Choose your top 3 goals. If you’re focusing on what you want & why, you should feel excited. (If you don’t, you’re probably either dreaming too small, focusing on things you “should” do, or getting stuck in the details of the “how.”)

A – Act on your goals

Once you know what you want and feel excited about it, it’s time to map out the steps you need to take.

Start by making a list of the biggest steps, put them in order of priority, and schedule the first step or two. Determine if you need help, and if so, ask for it. Add rewards for progress, to make the steps more fun!

Once you’ve completed a step, cross it off your list and tackle the next one. Before you know it, you’ll be well on your way!

T – Trust you will succeed!

This is sometimes the trickiest part: trusting that you’ll succeed…that you can have what you want and that the Universe will support you.

Think of all the times you’ve succeeded before. What qualities / skills did you use? Who helped you? What serendipitous events seemed to “magically” line up for you? Writing these things down will help you build your belief that you can be, do and have whatever you want…as long as you don’t give up!

One last tip: saying thank you in advance for your goal / dream coming true is a powerful way of declaring to the Universe that you will succeed this time.

Wishing you success and happiness this coming year!

xo Karen

Resources

If you’d like more support in making this year your best yet, I invite you to join me for my free masterclass, where I will show you how to create Your Most Awesome Year Ever!

See also:

• • Winter wellness: Finding joy in colder months
  • 5 steps to jump-start your year

Share your ideas

What are your goals for the coming year? Please share…