THE THREE SECRETS TO GOAL-GETTING

ever SINCE I was in elementary school, I'VE HAD A DAY PLANNER....

I remember using my Pentel marker set to embellish my TO-DO list which I rewrote half a dozen times until it was “perfect”. I know not every other sixth grader practiced their penmanship for fun, begged for a Franklin weekly planner or got the same sense of pride I got when I added a little sticker next to something on the list (my kid version of crossing off).

Even if you’re not a planner nerd like me, if you’re reading this, chances are you’re a goal-setter. Whether they are daily goals that you jot down on a sticky note or type up in Google Calendar, or big goals that you chronicle in your journal or marinate on in your daydreams.

As someone who goes after those nagging little should’s like drinking more water or those annoying tasks like getting your inbox to zero or those bold leaps like starting your own business, let me tell you that there’s no magic potion or nose wiggle to make it all happen. But, it’s 100% possible to change your habits (anyone else have daily meditation or exercise on that list of to-dos in the back of your mind?), tackle the daily tasks that you keep putting off (what’s that thing that keeps getting pushed to tomorrow?) and start pursuing the bold scary thing that you know you want to go after but just haven’t been able to start (or maybe you start and then your momentum fades).

Over the years, I’ve changed my life in big and small (not just surprisingly meaningful) ways through getting in touch with what I really want, devising an action plan to get it and then bringing it all to fruition.

I can’t wait to spend the summer with you at Camp DHL! Between now and when we officially kick-off on June 7, if you want to get a head start on goal-getting, here are three tips to prep you for success.

I TURNED EVERYTHING THAT I KNOW ABOUT GOAL-GETTING INTO A SIX-WEEK PROGRAM, THEN ADDED...

the support of a small group for accountability and guidance,
craft classes to help you tap into that right-brain flow,
business classes to give you the skills you need to level up and
wellness activities to help you take care of yourself during the process.

In just a few hours a week, you can start working towards your next bold, beautiful transformation at Camp Dear Handmade Life.

1. Explore and set goals often

Goal setting is not a set it and forget thing. Goals are living breathing things that evolve with us as we grow and change. Anyone remember their big life dream in middle school? I wanted a red Mazda Miata and to be a college professor. At that time, driving that tiny red convertible to an ivy-covered brick campus to teach was my end all be all.

If I would have kept pursuing that life instead of examining how what I had wanted changed, I would be stuck with a job that didn’t let me tap into my zone of genius and driving a car that I could barely fit into.

Holding onto old goals is often what makes people unhappy. People get “stuck” in the job that was perfect for them five years ago but aren’t sure what to do next, so they stay. They keep running their business the way they did when they started it when they should be focusing on delegating and adding systems and then they wonder why they’re overworked and battling burnout.

Make a commitment to yourself to assess and reassess your goals often. I like to check in with small goals weekly or monthly and big goals monthly, quarterly and yearly. Set a reminder in your calendar or on your phone and set a date with yourself to explore, adjust and prioritize your goals.

In the second week of the Camp DHL Virtual Cabin Experience you’ll work through my system for getting your goals out of your head, examining, prioritizing and adjusting them and starting work to strengthen your risk-taking muscle so you can take action towards your goals with confidence.

2. DON'T DO IT ALONE

Like the great Brené Brown says, “We don’t have to do all of it alone. We were never meant to.” Checking in with someone to get support and feedback doesn’t just make the journey more fun but it seriously increases your chances of getting to the finish line. The American Society of Training and Development did a study on accountability and found that you have a 65% of completing a goal if you commit to someone. And if you have a specific accountability appointment with a person you’ve committed, you will increase your chance of success by up to 95%.

Having an accountability partner or group is key to turning your ambitions into your achievements. This is why we created the Camp DHL Virtual Cabins. We’ve taken the expert guidance of a mastermind group, the creative collaboration of a craft club, the support of an accountability partnership program and zipped them all together to make our Camp DHL Cabins. When you register for Camp DHL, you’ll answer a few questions so we can custom match you with the perfect cabin mates to inspire and support you through the six weeks of Camp DHL and beyond.

3. MIX THE WOO-WOO WITH THE PRACTICAL

I like a little woo-woo in my life. I mean, I’m not heading off into the backyard to charge my Amethyst crystal in the moonlight (although if that’s your thing, go for it!) but I have been known to use mantras and visualizations. Whereas many woo-woo things don’t have scientific data to back up their promises, visualization does. Athletes have been using visualization techniques to increase their performance for a long time. One of my favorite studies about this is one where student athletes positively visualized themselves performing lifts in their training regimen. The results… compared to athletes who did not, participants who positively visualized had a significant increase in weight moved during a lift. The positively visualizing group demonstrated a 10-15 lb. increase in weight moved, while the control group only demonstrated a 5 lb. increase.

But, the important thing to remember is that the athletes didn’t lay in bed eating fried chicken and mint chip ice cream while doing their visualization exercises. They added visualization to their regular training regimen. Visualization doesn’t do the work for you. You do the work. Visualization helps increase the ROI of the work you do. This is why at Camp DHL, we pair proven techniques like visualization with practical tools like setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. It’s all about the harmony of the pragmatic with the woo-woo.