3 Steps to Hitting Your Goals Every Time

By now, I suspect my readers know I subscribe to a lot of different newsletters -- from my favorite game of hockey to scientific studies to motivational stuff to Internet marketing.  I think such variety keeps me going and growing, and it might even prevent me from being tooooo boring.

With that, a newsletter came in the other day that I just knew I had to share with you.  It was from one of my earliest Internet marketing gurus, a guy name Jim Edwards, from Port Haywood, Virginia.  Besides the fact that he's a sharp cookie, I think I also like Jim because of his down to earth ways, maybe owing to his deep-south background.

Anyway, Jim's newsletter outlined "3 simple steps to almost effortlessly reach your big, fat, juicy goal..."  He then added, "You may be shocked just how simple it really is!"

Like a lot of business and motivational gurus (plus yours truly), he seems to not put much stock in New Year's resolutions.  (Hey, have you ever kept even one since you hit adulthood?  Me neither.)  Or, as Jim suggests, by now -- just days after December 31st, "Life is, plus or minus, pretty much back to the way it was..."

Assuming this, we've likely reverted back to the same-old, same old, which brings him to suggesting that the first thing we should do is stick with doing "the important things even after they stop being new, or fun, or different."  Ya, that sounds right, owing to the fact that, "If they are important, then doing them after the newness wears off is what shows commitment."

Jim continues, "By the way, commitment is where the real results come from. Anyone can do it when it's new and fresh. It takes a special someone to do the important when it's boring, tedious, and there are "other things" that would be nicer (or even more urgent) to do."

This aside...  Sounding much like this old hockey coach, Jim says, "If something seems too hard, break it down into smaller pieces.  If it's still too hard, break it down even more."  (I'd said as much in a recent podcast entitled, "Episode 18 - The Best Advice I Could Ever Share".)  As he says, "Get that goal down into bite-sized pieces that can go on your daily to-do list and will actually get done..."

Here's where Jim really gets going, suggesting we attack these parts, deciding:

- Which ones should I do?
- Which ones can I outsource to a site like Fiverr.com?
- Which ones do I hand off to someone else?

For, you see, what stops the majority of people isn't their lack of willpower, their lack of ability or skills, or even their desire.  No, here's what Jim says stops many of us...

1. Lack of CONSISTENT focus on a specific goal
2. Not dividing the action steps up into bite-sized pieces
3. Not understanding how this goal fits with your purpose in life and business

Can you buy all that?  I can.  And, I can especially buy into it because of Jim Edwards' common sense approach -- to this, and to most everything else. 

Then, Jim winds things down with, "If you get the big picture down, get your action steps right, and keep focused long enough, that seemingly insurmountable goal you set at the beginning of the year will become your day-to-day reality FASTER than you ever dreamed possible (and faster than by any other method)."

I guess being a lifelong athlete and then coach, I'm a competitive sort.  And, I kinda gritted my teeth as he mentioned, "That's the secret.  While your competitors have lost their focus and are back to business as usual, this is your chance to LEAD the field just by following these three simple steps:

1. Stay focused
2. Take bite-sized steps every day
3. Understand WHY you're doing it"

Grrrrrrrrr...  I'm still gritting my teeth, thinking that I shall continue to leave my competitors (or at least some of them) in the dust.

As another aside here...  I've actually been using those three tips for several months now.  The thing is, each of us will probably use them in our own way, or in a way that suits what we do.  I don't think anyone would argue with the need to stay focused, and I've done that.  I've already intimated that breaking challenges down into bite-sized steps has been a long time undertaking in my hockey work (here's an article on that topic: "The Best Advice I Could Ever Share").  Those out of the way, maybe the greatest obstacle is in understanding WHY were doing what we're doing.  I know I'm not talking about money or fame being my goal here, but instead I'm asking myself, "If I complete this small challenge, what will I gain?"  Again, that small victory will likely be different for each of us.  But, for me, it's usually something that turns that, "Grrrrrrrrr..." into a triumphant, "Yes!!!"

By the way, I've begun using a very simple (and free) scheduler to give me a visual picture of things I need to get done each day.  So, if you don't have one already, take a look:   Any.do

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Want to know more about Jim Edwards?  Check out his blog at The Jim Edwards Method.