Now is the Time to Act on Your Goals

For many years I volunteered at the North Texas Rehabilitation Center including being asked to serve as the Chairman of the Board.  One of the Rehab Center’s largest fundraisers is the Texas Ranch Roundup.

It is the original ranch rodeo celebrating 35 years of showcasing historical Texas ranches, the hard work of true cowboys, and every facet of ranch life.  This past year there were ten participating Texas ranches.

At the ranch rodeo, there are several events where a horse, a cow, or a bull comes out of a chute.  The most fun event to watch is the “Wild Cow Milking” event.

Each four-man team has a roper, a “milker”, and two “muggers”.  When the cow is release from the chute, it is “Showtime, Baby!”  And all team members pursue the cow with all of their skills and abilities on horseback because that cow really takes off.

Once the cow is roped, the two “muggers” try to hold the cow (it is fun to watch these cowboys try to hold on to the cow with their bare hands) while the “milker” milks the cow, filling a standard 12-ounce longneck bottle.  Then the “milker” runs to the other end of the arena to give the judge the bottle. This is also fun to watch, as these bowlegged cowboys run in boots and spurs- high-stepping across the arena so fast that their hats fly off onto the dirt. The ranch with the fastest time wins this event.

Over the past several weeks, I have been writing about personal goal setting for 2016. Assuming you have by now written down your personal goals, it is now “Showtime, Baby!”  Much like the events at a Texas rodeo, it is now time for you to come out of the chute to “act” on your goals.

If you have not yet set personal goals for 2016, please download my newly redesigned and popular Goal Setting Workbook FREE by <clicking here>.

Every person can take action and have the best year ever in 2016 by taking the next five steps.

1. Act

The answer to the question “When do I start?” is NOW!

It is time to…

• Take that first baby step toward your goal.

• Get focused on your highest priority/goal – your biggest rock.

• Have everything you think, say, and do move you toward your goal.

• Get on top of your highest priority/goal like a chicken on an egg!

“The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.”

– John Maxwell

Best-selling author John Maxwell went on to say, “Make the decision once…Then manage it daily.”

2. Say “NO”

It is time to establish personal policies that are simple rules which help to define priorities and aid decision-making, especially with in-the-moment requests.

They will stop you from defaulting to that regretful “yes”.  You’re not saying “no” to the person but simply upholding your policy.

It is better to say “I don’t eat cake” rather than “I can’t eat cake.”  “I don’t” connotes a higher degree of conviction and makes it harder for someone to push back against your stated intention. And you'll find that no one wants to argue with you because they'll be afraid of hurting your feelings instead.

Also, it is better telling yourself, “I don't skip the gym.” versus “I can't skip the gym.”  When a refusal and personal policy becomes a personal identity, “I'm someone who doesn't skip the gym”, you improve your self-control, and it encourages you to stick to your goal.

3. Share

As you pursue a goal, knowledge is your greatest ally.  You benefit by involving others in your goals because it gives accessibility to experience, knowledge, and wisdom.

Useful knowledge obtained from people’s experiences allows you to build and maintain momentum.

Then share your goals with a trusted person in your life.  This sharing creates accountability and recruits their support.

4. Evaluate

We get what we inspect, not what we expect.

Inspection tells you…

• Where you are in relation to where you want to be.

• How you are doing in the process of pursuing your goals.

The purpose to inspecting expectations is to improve your performance, and make you aware of performance gaps.

It is a time to calibrate and perhaps adjust and recalibrate.  Remember this is a process not an event.

When you inspect your progress and results, you will know when you deserve a good pat on the back for a job well done!

5. Celebrate

It is time to celebrate when you achieve intermediate goals and victories as well as the big achievements.

Celebrating achievements builds confidence and provides an incentive to further more achievements. So don’t let your achievements and the feeling of victory evaporate without some kind of reward and recognition to yourself.

Time to Circle the Wagons

Congratulations, now it is time to circle back to your next highest priority/goal – your next big rock.  And begin the process over again.

“I know the price of success: Dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.”

– Frank Lloyd Wright

If you have not yet, set aside time to write a goal for each of the seven life areas that I have developed to help you identify and record your personal goals for 2016! I walk you through four simple steps in my Goal Setting Workbook. It’s FREE to download by <clicking here>.

Why don’t you get started? The hardest part of any important task is getting started. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue.

Could you share what have been your experiences when you took action toward your goals? Click <here> to share your thoughts and leave a comment.  Please share this blog post with your family, friends, and co-workers.

Get started now by <clicking here> to download my FREE Goal Setting Workbook!

Have you read my earlier blog posts on goal setting? Here’s a list with a link to each post:

• Pause and reflect by asking, “Where have I been? and “Where am I now?”

• Dream and use six key “principles” to think as you are asking yourself “Where am I going?”

• Get more done by using five tips to guide your thinking about your 2016 goals.

• Follow a simple two-step process to write effective goals for 2016.