Set yourself up for success in 2023 by trying my 4 M’s of Goal Mastery process!
Even though evidence shows that 80% of people give up on their New Year’s Resolutions by mid-Feb, a recent survey showed that one in five of us is still likely to have set resolutions again at the start of 2023!
So, if New Year’s Resolutions don’t work, how can we set ourselves up for success, when it comes to setting our ambitious goals?
Well, one approach which has worked for me and my coaching clients is my “4 M’s of Goal Mastery” process. Here’s what the 4 M’s stand for:
1st M = MOTIVATION or your compelling vision
2nd M = MAP setting your start point, end point and first step
3rd M = MOMENTUM identify potential obstacles + ways to get round them
4th M = positive MINDSET find accountability partner + celebrate success
In fact, the 4 M’s of Goal Mastery process has been so central to my own leadership journey that it’s also included in my Courageous Leadership course as a module in itself.
But for those of you who’d like to give the process a go, here’s how to use it:
First, come up with your AMBITIOUS GOAL.
Then apply the 1st M, MOTIVATION test to it. Ask how COMPELLING it is.
For example, if your ambitious goal is to “get out of this dead-end job”, it doesn’t feel very uplifting or compelling, does it? It will just remind you of what you don’t like and don’t think is good enough.
Whereas, if you ask yourself what you DO WANT i.e. “a great new role”, and how you want to FEEL, e.g “MORE FULFILLED”, “CONFIDENT” and “VALUED”, this becomes a more compelling vision and one which you’ll be prepared to work hard to achieve.
Once you’ve identified your ambitious goal and your compelling vision, we can move onto the 2nd M, MAP. Be honest about where you are at now (point A), and what resources you already have. Then get crystal clear about what the end point looks and feels like (point B).
Now, (unlike most traditional project plans which require you to know all the steps to get you from A to B), in my “4 M’s of Goal Mastery Process”, all you need to know is your next step. You do not need to worry if you can’t quite see quite how you’re going to achieve every step along the way. Because what happens when you take your first inspired action step is that you will be able to see more clearly, what the next best step is.
Now onto the 3rd M, MOMENTUM. I tell you , getting my head around how to establish momentum towards achieving my goal has been a real gamechanger for me, particularly because I’ve often struggled with being consistent.
So, what you need is to focus on small steps rather than big ones and then ask yourself, “What could possibly de-rail me from achieving my ambitious goal?” For example, it might be that slow progress affects your motivation or an initial rejection makes you want to give up. But if you’re able to anticipate these obstacles in advance, then you can work out a plan for how to respond. You won’t be taken by surprise and you’ll be able to forge ahead regardless!
Now onto the 4th M, MINDSET, which really underpins the whole process. I’ve found that nurturing a positive mindset can be the difference between success and failure of any ambitious goal. Because, ambitious goals require us to step outside of our comfort zone and with that comes the need for us to be courageous and confident in our own abilities.
All of us have crises of confidence from time to time but there are plenty of techniques available to help protect and boost your positive mindset. Three I would particularly recommend include:
1) the “friend technique” where you write down encouraging words that you’d say to a friend if they were doubting themselves and then read them back to yourself;
2) finding an accountability partner whether that be a mentor, coach, colleague or friend;
3)celebrating success along the way!
Now it’s over to you and I can’t wait to hear how you get on with setting and achieving your ambitious goals in 2023!
