Are you falling short in meeting your goals? Or maybe you feel like something is just missing. If so, no worries! Most people struggle with setting and achieving their goals. I recently spoke with Chicago resident Roman Marinov about goal setting. Roman is a relationship coach with a lot of experience specifically in helping others achieve their goals. Here are some highlights of our conversation.
Why Is Goal Setting So Important?
A great example is to think of a plane. A plane needs to know where it’s going. It needs to know his destination. Otherwise the plane will waste time, and fuel. It might get lost or even be going in the wrong direction. And that’s what goals are for us. Goals are our destinations. That’s why goals are so important.
How To Approach Goal Setting In A Fun Way
Roman says that he uses a straightforward framework that consists of a quick meditation. Then he asks individuals to share their goals in four specific categories which include personal, financial, adventure and contribution. This entire process comes from the book Awaken The Giant Within.
And so they give Roman those goals, he writes them down. And then the next step is he asks why these goals are important to them. And the next step is getting very, very specific, creating specific action items for each goal and the deadlines. That’s the process.
Best Advice For Someone Not Working With A Coach
Roman recommends reading the book Awaken The Giant Within and following the framework described in the book. The very first step is taking five minutes to write a goal in each category without filtering yourself. For example, if you’re working in the financial category of goal, so someone may write “I want to make this specific amount of income.” Following the framework is key, and sticking to it by showing up everyday.
When Goal Setting Isn’t Working
If you’re struggling with achieving goals, Roman recommends focusing is on the future. Believing something will happen and what it will feel like when it happens. This provides a form of motivation. Roman uses visualization in the morning and evening to stay on track.
Accomplishing Goals With Loved Ones
Roman recommends reading the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. The reason for this is that Covey goes into depth about achieviing goals with loved ones in the book.
In some cases, putting some of your money at stake can help too. You could tell a friend, “If I don’t complete complete this goal by the specific deadline, use this money however you want.” And if you accomplish the goal, you get the money back. That’s a pretty easy way to hold yourself accountable. I don't know if you've ever tried it, but this approach absolutely works for most people. It creates an urgency and focus like nothing else.
Your Next Steps
We will all fail at meeting our goals sometimes. We all have to readjust our goals too. This is all just part of the process. The thing to do nexts is to set new goals, and then you create a plan. Whether you are starting a new goal or just need some help with a current goal, I recommend going through this process. Reach out to a friend for some help or even consider hiring a coach. It's a great investment because coaching offers in-depth analysis and insights just for you. When you work with someone individually, you can get some perspective. When you read a book, it's just the same advice for everyone. That's why I can't recommend working with a professional highly enough.
Special thanks to Roman for our conversation. What is a goal that you would like to accomplish?