Leveraging Energy Through Goals

Anyone watching this summer's Olympic games can see the power of reaching big goals. We are practically unlimited in our ability to create and accomplish. One thing I've noticed in working with clients and in my own experience is that sometimes we use goals to keep ourselves on track, and sometimes we use them to beat up on ourselves. 

Take a look at the following two lists and see if you are primarily focused on the positive aspects of goal setting:

Positive Use of Goals

• Help us remember the course we have chosen
• Remind us what we will have achieved when the goal is complete
• Energize us with the mental picture of our realized objective
• Assist us in keeping track of baby steps along the way
• Show us how far we have come

Negative Use of Goals

• Make us feel bad for not measuring up
• Create self talk that is critical in nature "You are such a loser!"
• Drain our energy
• Reinforce our low self esteem
• Create feelings of disempowerment (i.e. I am not able to complete things)

Remember that goal setting is a tool to support you in living the life you want to live. What other people are doing and what they think about what you are doing is irrelevant. If you have a goal on your list that has been there for awhile, ask yourself if it is something that is important to you or a "should" that you really don't intend to follow up on. Remove those goals that have no or little meaning for you and only put down those that you have enthusiasm for.

Question: Is an athlete that landed in fourth place by 100th of a second any less accomplished than if they'd won a medal?