Episode 78: Take The First Step
Transcript
00:06
Hi, I'm Thea Charles. And this is the push or pivot podcast. This podcast has interviews, stories and tools to inspire and guide you to put your fears aside and trust yourself through the push and pivots of your life.
00:35
Take the first step towards your goal. How many of you have heard this advice before? It's easy to say, and not as easy to do when you feel stuck. We talked a lot in the last couple of episodes about the pause, the time you take to think and decide which direction to take in your crossroads. And now that you've decided what to do, how do you do it? I'm going to cut to the chase and tell you the not so secret secret to reaching your goal. You don't have to know all the steps. All you initially need is your starting point, and your desired end result. Okay, here's an example. Imagine you want to drive across the country from the east coast to the west coast. And when you already got really specific about where you want to go, we are going to Disneyland in California. Okay, so now we have a destination, and we can look up and measure the distance to get there, and how long it would take to drive. from where I live, it would take two days of straight driving to get to Disneyland. Does that sound attainable? With this information? We can then think of how many hours that we are actually able to drive? Should we go with a friend? Maybe we should find some places to stop and rest. We can also ask ourselves how long this trip should take? What will we do when we get there? Go on all the rides if you ask me. And then we pick a date to start and complete the trip. So what we just did was build a SMART goal. It's a shell of what we will accomplish. The goal is made out of a specific result, driving to Disneyland, measurable and distance and time. We can attain it by taking breaks during the drive. It's irrelevant because for me, I love rides. And maybe you want to see the middle of the country on your trip. And we have a date to accomplish this goal. So now it's time for the first step. And whatever first step we take in implementing the goal help us fill in the blanks for additional steps we may not have initially thought of. What would you do first, when planning a cross country trip? Would you look to see if you can take the time off work? Would you check to see if you had a reliable car to drive. Perhaps see if a friend or family member would join you. Let's say you start by asking for vacation time off at work great. This decision will inform other decisions as you get closer to your travel date, you'll probably be less likely to take a random day off because you're saving your time for vacation, you have a time bound goal ahead of you. You may decide to drive your own car, which could prompt you to get it serviced before the long drive. There may also be some unforeseen circumstances that make you revise your plan. Perhaps after taking the car to the mechanic, you opt to take a rental instead. The key is to break down each milestone in your goal into smaller attainable steps to not be overwhelmed by the trip. And when you feel doubt creeping in. Remind yourself why this goal was relevant to you in the first place. You can apply this type of planning in all parts of your life. Let me break it down again. A SMART goal is specific is measurable, meaning that you can look for evidence that you're getting closer to your goal. And that may be setting milestones for yourself along the way. It's attainable, meaning that the timeframe gave yourself feels reasonable, relevant, meaning the goal aligns with your values, and the most often forgotten step time bound. Having a realistic end date helps you prioritize your tasks and keeps you motivated. As a coach, I help people create and implement SMART goals all the time. Like every time I work with someone. We break down big goals into milestones and milestones into Easy Steps. Most often people know how to reach their goal. It's the breaking down into steps and not getting caught up in their thoughts that gets people stuck. Remember the analysis paralysis episode, overthinking can gum up the gears of progress and forward momentum. As a coach, I listen and help you organize your thoughts into cue balls of yarn, rather than a web of thoughts, so you can reach your SMART goals.
05:33
If you'd like to work with me, send me a DM or visit my website via renown.com. To set up a time to chat, we can see if we work well together and create a partnership to help you implement your smart plan. So what's a SMART goal that you're working toward? What's your next step? Thank you for listening to the push or pivot podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button. And please leave us a review. To learn more about the show and to access the show notes. Visit our website, push or pivot.com I'd also love to hear from you. Share your thoughts and takeaways with me on Instagram at pusher pivot. Thank you for listening, and join me next time on the push or pivot podcast.