Time for Change (and how to make sure your goals are right for you)

Over the past several years, I have often talked about setting goals and pursuing your dreams. However, deep down, I hate change.

This is a lifelong thing for me, with really bad side effects. Most notably, that I often get stuck in a rut instead of making much needed changes. Especially when it comes to pursuing my goals and living life to its fullest. I tend to stick with what was easy, instead of what would be best. But no more.

Earlier this year, I met with Shelley and officially resigned my position at TrainingAuthors.com. You will probably still see me around from time to time as Shelley and I continue to co-author books, however I am stepping down from full-time involvement.

Why?

No matter how hard I fought it, it was time for a change.

I am passionate about helping other authors make their dreams come true, but I am also passionate about my faith, family and writing, and I have been fighting to find a balance for some time now. Which led me to re-evaluate my goals. And today, I would like to encourage you to do the same.

How to Make Sure Your Goals Are Right For You

It is easy to get caught up in goals that we feel like we should set. We will call them “common goals”, but the problem is, none of really want to set a goal to be “common”. If we stop to think about it, we want to stand out. However, when we start setting “common goals” our ability to reach our full potential and shine gets greatly diminished and we suffer.

In my life, I was suffering because as much as I loved the goals I was working towards, they weren’t really right for me. I felt weighted down and unsatisfied– even when I surpassed the goals I had set. Which is what finally led me to rethink my goals. What I found, is that there are three steps to setting goals that will make your dreams come true.

Step #1: Identify Your Passion

If you really want motivation to reach your goals, they have to be something that you are passionate about. If you set goals that don’t motivate you, if your goals don’t stir you to reach for success, then they aren’t very good goals.

The best goals are the ones that motivate you to work harder. 

So it only makes sense that the first step towards setting goals that are right for you, is to identify your passions. This only works if you are honest. So many times when goal setting in the past, I would identify passions in a specific area. I would isolate part of my life and think about goals I was passionate about in that area.

That is not the right way to do it.

When identifying your passions, you have to look at your life as a whole. What are the top three to five things you are the most passionate about? Don’t think about how they relate to your goals, just think about the things you love the most — the things that inspire you.

Step #2: Know Your Personality

If the very thought of working towards a goal makes you dread it, you aren’t going to want to put in the work to reach it. No matter how honorable the goal is or how successful it would make you. If it’s not who you are, it’s not a good goal.

The most successful goals work with your personality, not against it.

There are some great tools out there that can help you learn more about your personality, but knowing your strengths can help you set goals that are better for you. You can take a free personality test here.

Step #3: Define Your Purpose

Once you have identified your passions and your personality, it is time to define your purpose. Those two things together should give you a huge insight to what is important to you, and who you are at your core. Setting goals that counteract either, is essentially self-sabotage.

The most fulfilling goals combine your passions and personality to define your purpose.

There is no point in setting a goal that serves no purpose. If you are only setting goals for the sake of setting goals, you are wasting your time. Which is why it is essential to know what your purpose is. A lot of authors and marketers will call this your mission statement. However, I mean your overall purpose. You can’t be satisfied as an author, if being an author doesn’t further the purpose of your life. And if that’s the case, you might as well get a day job. You have to know why you do what you do if you really want to be successful.

What made you start writing in the first place?

Don’t get so caught up in being successful, that you lose sight of your original purpose.

Take it from someone who knows, it is extremely easy to get so caught up in living your dream, that you lose your passion. Don’t let that happen to you. The best way to stay on top of your dream is to define your purpose. Know why you do what you do and remind yourself of it regularly and make sure all of your goals are moving you in the right direction.

Two Things to Avoid When Goal Setting

The last tip I have for goal setting is to avoid setting “common goals” and/or “copycat goals.”

I already defined “common goals” as goals that everyone sets. These are space fillers that most marketing mentors will use as examples. To make X amount of money by such and such date. To have x number of books published by such and such time. You’ve seen them. Setting monetary and publishing goals aren’t bad, but if you are just setting them because someone told you to, they won’t help you.

“Copycat goals,” on the other hand, are setting goal based on the success of someone else. Maybe it’s your marketing mentor or a successful author in your niche. You see them soaring above the rest and you set goals that will make them more like them. The problem with setting a “copycat goal” is that you aren’t them. And chances are they are doing so well because they set goals that are suited to their passion, personality and purpose. If you truly want to mimic their success, you have to set goals that are suited to you.

And that’s where I am. I have been immersed in my own passions, owning my personality, and working hard at identifying my purpose and setting goals that are suited to me. If you would like to stay connected with me, you can find me at BooksFaithandCoffee.com.

It has been my honor to help so many of you over the past several years, and I am looking forward to an amazing future as we all reach for success.

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