Don't Let Self-Sabotage Knock You Out!
Is there something in your life you really want to change? Do you get knocked out before you can reach your goals? Do you find yourself starting over again and again?
To bring about change, we need a clear, detailed vision of what we want, practical strategies to get us there, some actionable steps to take each day and consistent encouragement from someone who wants for us what we want for ourselves.
Let’s break these down…
A Clear Detailed Vision – This should be a fun and easy step, the mistake I see most people make here is they impose too many “realistic” restrictions on themselves. Don’t be afraid to dream BIG! Write down a detailed description of what you would like to see happen. For example, one woman I recently coached works full-time outside the home. Her vision is to earn six figures with her network marketing business so she can quit her J O B and achieve financial independence for her family.
Practical Strategies – Start with the first step. With your vision in mind, what is the first step you could take to move you closer to that vision? Continuing with the example above, this client determined that one area where she could carve out some more time for her business was to stop doing all the household chores herself. So her first step is to stop doing all the cooking, cleaning and laundry.
Tactics/Actions – What action are you going to take to make the first step a reality? Using the example above, this client decided that her two sons were mature enough to help with some of the laundry and cleaning responsibilities and her spouse could also help more around the house. The tactic she decided to take was to have a family meeting with her husband and kids to talk about her vision and come up with a more equitable way of dividing the household duties.
Accountability/Encouragement – Enlist the help of a coach, mentor or friend. In the example, this woman’s husband and sons had been “trained” by her to expect her to do everything. The family had been operating this way for a number of years. It’s going to take time for the sharing of responsibilities to become a habit. This is where self-sabotage usually shows up… The wife/mother will be tempted to revert to doing things herself because it feels “easier and faster”. The husband and sons will more than likely, be happy to let her go back to the old way of doing things. If she has an accountability partner that she updates each week with her progress, she is less likely to slip back into her old habits. Without someone to encourage and support her weekly, she will probably find herself beginning the first step all over again when she realizes she still doesn’t have the time she needs to grow her business.
Obviously, getting help around the house from her family is ONLY the first step in achieving her vision. To ultimately reach her vision/goal of quitting her J O B and becoming financially independent she is going to need other strategies, additional daily tactics and at least for awhile, weekly contact with an accountability partner to help keep her focused on the desired outcome.
Apply this formula to YOUR GOALS and knock out self-sabotage once and for all!
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