Soul Purpose

What are you working for?

By Michele Routh-Combs

When business gets challenging and things feel out of control – whether through a lack of business or an overflow – it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re pursuing. After all, what good is a goal without a reward?  And, what good is the endless pursuit of grand goals without little triumphs and celebrations along the way?  It’s like running in an endless loop like a hamster, instead of enjoying the journey.

I’m one of those people, I’m sorry to say.  Setting lofty goals well beyond my immediate reach, which often stretch over years without clear markers to show my progress.  Unfortunately, with that type of goal setting it’s easy to get discouraged and lose heart – or to procrastinate, thinking I can sprint at the end and achieve the goal, even if it adds extra stress.  But what it creates is this hamster-wheel feeling – constantly running with no end in sight, and no rest.

Are you the same way?  Are you running on that wheel wondering what you’re really working towards?  If so, it’s time for a change.  That kind of living only leads to burn out, frustration, anxiety, constant disappointment, hopelessness and a lot of sleepless nights—not to mention, unachieved goals.

How do you change it?  Oh, I’m so glad you asked.  First let’s break it down into steps:

1.       Recognize areas where you’re on that hamster-wheel and be ready for change

2.       Create milestones and rewards – and really celebrate them!

3.       Reassess your progress regularly to allow for course corrections if needed

Now let’s look at the different types of goals. 

Measureable Goals:

Measureable goals are the easiest to break down into bite sized pieces.  In other words, if your goal is to triple your business in the next 12 months, you can simply break it down into quarterly goals, then into monthly goals, then into weekly goals.  But achievement and satisfaction doesn’t come in the goal itself, it’s in the rewards.  You can add fun rewards for each little achievement along the way with a big reward at the end.  That way, you are celebrating your wins, recognizing your progress and dangling the carrot for the next achievement level too.  To really spark you though, figure out why you want to reach that goal, the core reason ( what will it give you) and focus on that as you work on the goal so you never lose your focus.

One year, Mike and I set a goal to triple our business.  We set a chart up on the wall to measure our progress – a daily reminder of what we were striving to achieve.  At first it was overwhelming and I wondered how we’d make it, but soon as the triumphs started rolling in, it became realistic, and even seemed like it might be too low.  Imagine that! And, the best part is that the journey made it fun. 

It seemed like we were celebrating something every week.  With each milestone (or any major forward step), we would have a little party.  It was so simple but there was something about how we carefully prepared the celebration.  We’d pull out our best party trays and lay out the crackers and cheese as though it were going to be in a “best presentation” competition on television.  Then, using our finest crystal flutes, we poured wine or champagne for everyone.  Then, we would all lift our glasses up and begin the party with a toast – celebrating the achievement of yet another milestone.  It’s funny how much I treasured those times, and looking back I remember those moments more than the day we actually met our big overall goal and went on our two week vacation to the Bahamas. 

Needless to say, I gained 20 pounds that year…so I don’t suggest food as the only reward.  Rewards and celebrations can be as simple as a walk in the moonlight, or getting a photo framed, or playing a game together or sitting on the porch with a glass of lemonade when you should really be answering emails.  Rewards are anything unusual that break the norm and spice things up – they are something you look  forward to.  A celebration of the moment. 

Goals that Can’t be Measured:

If your goal is not concrete and measurable you have to get more creative in your rewards.  Ask yourself how you will know if you are on the path to get that thing you want.  And, when something happens in a forward direction, celebrate it.  We did that with our clientele.  We didn’t want to work weekends anymore, so we turned clients down or referred them if they insisted on meeting us on the weekends.  It was difficult at first (to turn away the business) but ultimately we ended up with incredibly loyal clients who respected us and our time — and we got our life back.  To celebrate, well, honestly, we celebrated the crabby people who were offended that we wouldn’t give in because we knew with each one it was easier to say no, and it brought us closer to working with our perfect clientele. 

Surprisingly, it only took about 6 months to convert our client’s expectation and cross that goal off our list.  All we needed to do was to set that boundary.  Who would have known it was so simple?  The funny thing is that it quickly weeded out the problem clients, and I’m sure we saved our stress meter a couple points by choosing to refer those clients instead of caving to their unreasonable demands.

Private (Personal Development) Goals:

The last type of goal is private.  Something you keep to yourself and track in your journal.  For private goals, like getting closer to your spouse and your kids or getting your angry outbursts under control, you can apply the same principle.  However instead of outward celebrations, take a mental picture in those perfect moments when you made the right choice and hugged your child a little longer than normal or quelled your anger, and thank yourself.   

Acknowledge, in that moment, the progress you’ve just made toward your goal.  Each one of those moments is like a single drop of water into a bucket.  It doesn’t look like much at first, but when you look at it after some time, you’ll see the bucket filling.  And when it overflows?  That just means more goodness spilling into the lives of all those around you.  Private goals are special.  In fact, I would say that “giving” goals, where you are doing something for the benefit of others, are rewarded in greater ways than we know.  But, these are the most rewarding of all.

Do yourself a favor and get off the hamster wheel.  Step right off, right now.  Start by writing your goals down or by reviewing what you’ve got and revising it.  Add in rewards.  Add in celebrations.  Add in people you want to meet and places you want to go and even restaurants you want to go to.  Those rewards bring greater satisfaction and joy than any number on a wall or any amount of public acknowledgement.  Think about it – about what’s meant the most in your life (this may not count if you won the gold medal in the Olympics though) — and I’m willing to bet you look more fondly on the journey than the accomplishment.

You only have today.  Yesterday is already gone and you can’t change it.  You can’t count on tomorrow because it’s beyond your control.  You just have this moment.  Celebrate your achievements every day and you’ll see that your frustrations melt away, your hope is renewed and your creativity and passion return.  Get off that hamster-wheel and insist on a real life!