Wow, I have gotten so many interesting submissions to the “What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to achieve a goal?” contest. It’s really amazing what people will do to achieve a goal; it’s also interesting how much resistance people have to setting or achieving goals. I also noticed a pattern where people who had achieved the goal were analyzing what they had done and whether it was the right or wrong way to approach meeting the goal.

As a “recovering” perfectionist (I say recovering because it’s a hard habit to break), I think it’s important to allow yourself to make mistakes. Goals are never perfect, they are flexible structures that need to be molded and shaped for the constant challenges that arise when attaining a goal. If you made your goal extremely rigid and don’t adjust and fine-tune it along the way, you will likely find yourself struggling to meet that goal. This could be because you are not making the goal reasonable to your particular situation. And if you are a fellow perfectionist, try this mantra: “perfectionists are losers.” This notion was emphasized heavily when I went through my coach training because in order to learn to do something well, you have to allow yourself to make mistakes. The greatest learning and personal growth often comes from our mistakes. If you refuse to accept a challenge because you may not perform perfectly, then you are missing out on a ton of possibilities.

Onto the goal setting process. Do you find yourself making one larger goal and then getting stuck on all the small parts that will make it happen? Here are some suggestions:

•    Think of your goals as SMART (source unknown)
1.    S=Specific
2.    M=Measurable
3.    A=Achievable
4.    R=Realistic (what result do you want to achieve)
5.    T=Time bound

•    Does this goal fit into your overall master plan? How?

•    To make the your goals attainable, look at each goal carefully. Set a specific goal (e.g., amount of sales in first six months of business), then review goal on a daily/weekly basis. Modify the time frame as needed. If you are finding due to other variables in your business you may need 9 months to reach that goal, change the goal accordingly. If you meet your goal in 3 months rather than six, increase the goal for the next six months. Being able to modify the goal takes the pressure off and gives you the control of pacing your progress.

These smaller goals are what will help you achieve your master plan. So if you want to create a multimillion-dollar company start with the month-to-month goals. This goal framework will get you to start looking at your goals to determine if they are reasonable and realistic within a certain time period. Breaking down goals into specific small pieces will help you to achieve them at a steady rate and help you meet success. That doesn’t mean you have to sit around waiting for the larger goal to finally happen. The larger goal is a culmination of the success of the smaller goals; we will look at how to create goals towards your Master plan in upcoming blogs.

It is not too late to participate in the “What is the craziest thing you’ve done to achieve a goal?” contest. The winner will be selected at the end of the month. Look for the submission information at the end of this blog.

Do you have a question for Laura? Email her at:Laura@corelifedesign.com

Laura Tirello is a Life and Career Coach.  Her company, Core Life Design, works with people who are looking to find their highest potential both in their careers and personal lives. She helps her clients develop a life plan for success and create a balanced life. For more information about Laura and her life coaching business, visit corelifedesign.com or email Laura at Laura@corelifedesign.com.

Enter the Young Money/Core Life Design CONTEST! WIN A FREE SESSION WITH LAURA!

Life & Career Coach Laura Tirello has generously offered Young Money readers the chance to win a free life coaching session. All you have to do is answer this question: What is the craziest thing you’ve done to reach a goal?* Email your answer to Laura@corelifedesign.comand she will choose one random winner at the end of the month.

The winner will receive a 60 minute coaching session from Life and Career Coach, Laura Tirello of Core Life Design. The session will be conducted by telephone at a time agreed upon by the winner. The session will focus on an area in the client’s personal or professional life in which they are seeking improvement. The client will be coached through their particular issue and given tools that may help them continue to create successful outcomes in their personal and/or professional life. The winner will also receive an email summary of the session from Laura Tirello.

You have until June 1 to enter. Winners will be notified by email by June 5. Include a working email address with your answer.

*YoungMoney.com reserves the right to publish your answer. You may request to be kept anonymous.