I’ve been wanting to lose about 10 pounds so that I can fit comfortably into my wardrobe for quite some time. Many of my clothes over the last year had become a bit too tight. In general I wasn’t unhappy or lethargic… or even embarrassed. It was just annoying.
But somehow the goal of losing 10 lbs was completely not motivating. I didn’t consider myself really overweight, per se, but losing 10 lbs would not have made me thin, or strong, or excited in any way. Just fitting in my clothes didn’t seem to change my action. I work from home most of the time, and I can wear stretchy yoga pants anyway.
So while I was interested in losing 10 pounds, I wasn’t committed. It wasn’t going to markedly change my life enough to get wildly excited about what I’d need to do to make it happen.
I see the same thing with people in business. They are interested in making more money in their business, but not committed. Their “more money” goal maybe is undefined and therefore not exciting, or it is so small that it wouldn’t markedly change anything in their life. So they pretend as if they are trying to change their business results, but in reality they keep doing basically the same thing.
I was pretending to eat better – adding in a few more vegetables – but, in reality, I was basically doing the same thing, thinking I might magically lose 10 lbs.
Then I created a bold goal.
Some secret part of me had a thought, “what if I could get back to _______?” (My lowest post-college weight that I could remember… which would be a 30-lb weight loss).
I had been telling myself, “Well, I don’t really NEED to get to that weight. I am happy with where I am and I don’t need THAT MUCH.” This was somewhat true, but it was also settling. It was coming from a thought that it would be too hard to get where I’d really like to be.
But losing 10 pounds was just boring… couldn’t hold my attention. I had bigger fish to fry, so to speak. So I decided… “Go big or go home.” And set a bold 30-lb weight loss goal.
As of writing this, I am half way to my “bold goal.” I have more than lost the original 10 pounds, and my clothes fit again. There are lots of specific actions I have taken, an explanation of which is beyond the scope of my blog as I am not an expert in weight loss. I am also not staking any claim about what lies ahead of me (still playing full out toward 30). What I can say is that a bold goal had me literally spring into action.
Where are you settling for ‘good enough’ goals in your business? Where are you saying to yourself, “well, I don’t really NEED THAT MUCH?” Maybe you don’t, but maybe your reasonable, good enough goal, that doesn’t represent a marked change in your life, just isn’t holding your attention. Are you ready to go bold?