Last year at this time I wrote about my 30 day challenges and how they have impacted my life. I got the idea while reading of the Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. Since its writing, the 30 Day Challenge post has been one of my most frequently visited posts. People really resonate with the idea of short 30 day goals. You can read that original post here. With so much popularity and interest, I thought I would look back on topic and see what I have learned – The 30 Day Challenge Revisited.

The biggest lesson learned is that personal confidence, built through the challenges, is the most important reason to do them. It is also true that we control our own destinies and have a lot more power over those negative little voices in our heads than we may realize. In the past 3 years I have participated in many…many 30 day challenges. And each challenge positively impacts my life.

I find that my commitment to my 30 day challenge is stronger than my commitment to my other goals and objectives. Here are 5 reasons why that is the case:

1. Short term goals focus your mind- when your mind understands that there is a time limit it concentrates and keeps the thought (challenge) at the forefront. It doesn’t allow the idea to slip into the subconscious or be forgotten.
2. Clarity- 30 day challenges are clearly determined goals over a short period of time. The clearly defined nature makes them simple for your mind to understand. You know exactly what you need to do and how you need to do it to be successful. There is no confusion about what to do next.
3. Simple- while not always easy, my 30 day challenges are simple. They do not require a lot of strategic planning and brainstorming. I simply agree to do (or not to do) something every day for 30 days. It is clear if I did (or did not) do what I agreed that day.
4. The power of the chain- 30 day challenges invoke the mental power of the chain. Once you get a couple of days under your belt, a few checkmarks on the calendar, you do not want to break the chain and have to start all the way over. This is one of the strongest features of the challenge. By day 20, the chain of days is so long you couldn’t imagine breaking it which creates momentum that will carry you through the remaining time.
5. A definite stopping date- When you have an end date in sight you can find that extra willpower to fight to the end. Having a defined objective gives you confidence that you can be successful.

It only takes 3 weeks to form a habit, and by the end of your 30 days challenge you will have intentionally built a habit that will propel you to success. I cannot overstate the value I have found in the 30 Day Challenge.

Question: Let’s take on a challenge together- what are you working on? Leave your comment below and then commit to making it 30 days. How would it change your life? Leave your comments below or by clicking here

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How are you doing? Have you had a great week? Are you today where you wanted to be as you planned out your last year? Did you take any detours?

Why does most goal setting fail?

1. It’s not a goal it’s a wish. I’d love to take a trip to mainland China but without a plan to earn the money, schedule the flights and hotels and brush up on lonely planet- I’m never going to get there. Can you imagine sitting down with Bill Gates or Warren Buffet or Elon Musk and asking them how they got to the top of their game and their response is “well….I just showed up to work every day and eventually I was a success”? No way! Like the cliché- a goal is a dream with a deadline
2. Lack of Clarity. Most people only have a general idea of the direction they are going and because of that they will never get there. They don’t know the markers to determine if they are on the right path. When they drift, and we all do, they have no reference point to come back to.
3. No accountability- When you struggle and don’t feel like working today what keeps you performing? Most goal setting fails because there is no process or plan to keep us on track.
4. Insufficient encouragement and support. Most people keep their goals and plans a secret, never allowing loved ones and trusted colleagues to support and encouragement.

Goal setting makes all the difference- to reach your potential, you need to be committed to your goals. While most goal setting fails, it doesn’t need to. You have the ability to make transformational steps this year and conquer all your goals. Here are the 5 ways that I keep myself committed and accountable.

1- Tracking- Once I have set my major goals and direction for the year I break larger objectives down into bite size amounts by first looking at what I need to accomplish each month. Then, I break those monthly objectives down further into weekly accomplishments and finally I break those weekly objectives down further into daily tasks and routines.

This will be my 3^rd year using Darren Hardy’s Living Your Best Year Ever Workbook for goal tracking and I love it. The workbook is a template for setting banner goals, monthly goals, weekly goals and daily routines (which he calls the rhythm register, a 10 point daily checklist of the most impactful habits needed to accomplish your goals)

For example, if your goal is to write a book, set that as a “banner goal” for the year. Then work backwards, in Dec you will publish and market, in November edit, in October write the final 100 pages, in September write the middle 100 pages and so on. At some point you’ll have to do some outlining and research- that can be January and February. I think you get the point. Then break the month down further, what will you do this week to make sure you are on track for the month? Finally, and here is the key, what will you do today? It all starts with today. Tracking is such an important part to staying committed to your goals. (Note:  make sure your goals are SMART. Find out more about making goals specific, measurable attainable, realistic and timely here)

2- Nightly review- What gets measured gets done, and improved. Each night, (7 days a week) I sit down before bed and read through my yearly goals, my monthly goals, my weekly goals and I check through my daily checklist. I put checkmarks for completions and circles if I missed. I tally them up for the day and for the week and discuss with my accountability partner (I will talk about next).

Along with that nightly review, I also write down the name of the most influential person I met with/talked to during the day, the thing I am most grateful for that day and my biggest “ah-ha” or learning experience. I do this because it forces me to evaluate my day and recall what is working and what I missed.

Nightly I also plan out my next morning routine. 6 days a week I get up at 5am and sometimes it is tough to get going. I find it much easier if I plan out what project I will tackle first and then lay out the materials I need to accomplish it- a laptop for writing, a book for reading or workout clothes for exercise.

3- Accountability partner – This single step has created the most significant impact in my goal achievement and focus. Every Monday morning at 8:30 I have a 30 minute call with my accountability partner. We review goals from the previous week and how we did and we commit to our goals for the upcoming week. I have often stayed up an extra 30 minutes at night to complete a task so I wouldn’t have to admit to my accountability partner that I failed. An accountability partner is a must if you want to be successful.

4- Encouragement and support from loved ones and friends – Carefully share your goals with those who will help you along the path. I say “carefully” because not all friends can and will help. Identify those that support your dreams. If you have discouraging friends… spend less time with them. Try to spend more time with those who care about your success. You become part of what you are around, so surround yourself with powerful motivating friends.

5- Motivation – A few weeks ago I wrote about determining if you are a “carrot” or a “stick” person. You’ve heard the analogy of the donkey pulling the cart? The farmer can either encourage the donkey with a carrot (reward) or punish him (stick). Are you motivated by rewards or punishments? (Read more at either familybeforefortune.com.carrot or www.familybeforefortune.com/stick). Personally, I am a reward person and my reward for getting this blogpost finalized is that I can spend the rest of the day kicking back enjoying the day with my kids and wife.

Setting goals is easy but real progress and growth comes from implementing and accomplishing your goals. These are the 5 steps that I go through to hold myself accountable and keep my momentum going forward. This year is going to be huge for me as I have set my goals and put into place the accountability to make sure I stay on task and focused.

Question: Do you have an accountability process? How do you stay committed to your goals throughout the year? Leave your comments below or by clicking here.

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