How to Reach Every Goal in 4 Steps

Are you a goal setter or a goal reacher? While some of us can do both, it’s often easier said than done. There’s always an EXCUSE, a reason to lose FOCUS, or an OBSTACLE on the path to  FOLLOWING THROUGH on your commitments.

But I’m here to say there is a way to REACH EVERY GOAL.

My dear friend Kim Bruce is an INSPIRATION to me. Together, we co-founded Everloop, a cyber security company for kids. Kim has continued in that industry and is truly a hi-tech phenom. But she’s more than that. Earlier in life, Kim embarked on an incredible journey to health.

This journey led her to help other women RESET their lifestyles by learning to LOVE working out and eating right. Her PASSION is to work with younger girls and truly teach them to be accountable for what they eat. With her, girls find more than a diet and exercise routine, they find a whole new LIFESTYLE.

I now think of Kim as the WORKOUT QUEEN. But she didn’t start out that way. And I believe her journey holds the key to reaching our goals.

MORE THAN A MEANS TO AN END

Kim grew up swimming and playing competitive soccer, a path she was following to college. But then she tore her ACL. And for the first time in her life, she had a real break from sports. Through this SETBACK, she lost her love for exercise. She came to dread the regimen, the routines, and the demanding schedule.

She began to see working out as a PUNISHMENT. It was simply a MEANS TO AN END. She didn’t want to gain weight, so she forced herself to exercise.  This continued through marriage and two pregnancies. Suddenly, she found herself as a stay-at-home mom with two kids under 3 – one who cried when they were apart and one with reflux. She needed a BREAK. She needed more than a MEANS TO AN END.

Sound familiar? Maybe it’s a career that’s going nowhere. Maybe it’s a relationship you don’t know how to fix. Whatever it is, it’s time to BREAK FREE of the things that hold you back and go for your goals!

1. FIND THE JOY

The first step to keeping – and reaching – your goals is to find the JOY in the journey.

Kim had a friend who convinced her to join a gym. The hook? She’d get 2 hours of daycare a day! Her workouts gave her the break she needed. There, she met a friend who asked her if she would swim laps – something she hadn’t done since she was 12. Suddenly, she was swimming in the pool, running on the treadmill, and taking spin classes.

From there, that friend convinced her to try a mini triathlon. She wound up coming in 2^nd or 3^rd in her age group and she didn’t even know what she was doing! But more importantly, she found JOY. Her training – and her race – weren’t about losing weight or what she looked like as a result. It was something that was HERS ALONE, and it made her happy.

2. GO ALL IN

Once you find your joy, it’s time to COMMIT to FOLLOWING THROUGH. It’s time to GO ALL IN!

Over time, Kim’s hobby turned into a PASSION, and Kim qualified for THE most famous triathlon in the world – the Kona Ironman in Hawaii. This is where I come in. I volunteered to travel with her to be her Sherpa. And let me just say – it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life! From 4am to 6 or 7 at night, I was on my feet, ready to cheer her on or come to her aid. Although I didn’t participate in the race, witnessing an Ironman event was beyond inspiring. Kim went ALL IN.

3. DON’T BE AFRAID TO RESET

Even when you go ALL IN, chances are you’ll encounter bumps along the way. That’s okay! When that happens, don’t be afraid to RESET, to READJUST your goal.

By midrace, Kim was ROCKING it – coming in 2^nd in her age group at the end of the bike. But she hadn’t taken in enough fluids and got sick on the run. I was there when it happened and as I watched her slow to a walk and stop on the side of the road. I figured she was done. But NO! She got sick and KEPT GOING! And you know what? She FINISHED! 16^th place in her age group!

But here’s the thing. She had a goal of finishing in the top 10 for her age group. So how did she PIVOT in that moment on the run, when she knew her goal was no longer attainable? She simply hit RESET and READJUSTED her goal.

4. THERE ARE NO FAILURES

Even if you RESET and READJUST, it’s important that you tell yourself: THERE ARE NO FAILURES.

When Kim hit RESET she decided that missing her original goal wasn’t a FAILURE. If she had crossed the finish line and been disappointed, she would have defeated the PURPOSE of why she was there.

Sometimes in your journey a SETBACK is NOT a FAILURE, it’s just time for a RESET.

In Kona, Kim had to be her own cheerleader. You, too, can BUILD YOURSELF UP when you’re STRUGGLING to meet your goals. When things get rough, it’s time to figure out other options – perhaps that even means taking a DIFFERENT PATH. But that path may lead you to FIND VICTORY in a new way!

Use the steps above and get ready to REACH YOUR GOALS. When you do, you’ll have the RESILIENCE and TENACITY to find VICTORY