7 Days to Becoming a More Confident Leader
Day 4 – Stay Motivated
Wow, it’s already half way through our 7 days together! Take a moment to look back at where you were on Day 1. Since then you have documented 9 successes in just 3 days. How awesome is that? Here are some things to think through as you reflect:
- Have you made progress towards your goal?
- Does your goal feel more achievable now that you have an action plan on how to get there?
- Is it getting easier to spot the successes that you have on a daily basis?
- Are you finding yourself feeling more confident?
What if You Haven’t Made Any Progress?
Let me speak directly to anyone that is finding they have not made any progress so far. Do not give up! People have a tendency to quit if something is hard, especially if they aren’t seeing immediate progress. Be honest for a minute – have you been doing the activities set in the “Putting it into Action” section each day? If not, it isn’t too late to get started.
If you have been working through the activities but have not made any progress towards your goal, there are a few things you need to ask yourself:
- Is it a priority? Sometimes we set a goal because we “think” we should, but in reality it isn’t important to us. If you haven’t made any progress towards your goal stop and ask yourself if you care. Does your goal matter to your life? Is it relevant (back to the SMART goal setting)? If the answer is a ‘no’, then it might be time to choose a new goal. But, if the goal is something that is important and you do either need or want to accomplish, keep going.
- Is it too big? If you haven’t made any progress towards your goal it might be TOO big of a goal. Much of society tries to tell you that “no goal is too big” and “you can accomplish anything you put your mind too”. While those are nice ideas, and there is some truth to them, it isn’t that simple. If a goal is TOO big, the following things happen: you begin to think that the goal is impossible because it is too big. Then if you think it is impossible, rational thinking tells you not to start working towards it because you can’t achieve the goals anyway.
If your goal has been feeling too big go back and look at your steps from yesterday. The chance is good that you have not broken down each step far enough. Take the time to really break your goal down into smaller achievable steps. Then, instead of focusing on the big goal, you can focus on the smaller steps.
Change Your Focus
Have you tried in the past without finding success? You are not alone. The truth is there are not many people that are naturally motivated. If you haven’t been able to do it on your own in the past, why would you think it would be different this time? You are moving in the right direction by following along these 7 days to develop the processes needed to get you on your way, but what else can you do?
Find an accountability buddy. Find someone that will be your cheerleader and encourage you along the way. Look for a person that is invested in your life, or is willing to invest in you. Preferably this person is someone that is further along in the journey than you are. This will allow them to help you along the way and offer you valuable advice from their own personal experience.
Once this person is in place you can begin sending your 3 successes to this person each day. Talk to them about the goals that you have set and your breakdown of actionable items to get you there. Then, they can help you track how you are doing and celebrate with you about your progress and success
Put It into Action
If you have hit the goal that you set on Day 2 – GREAT JOB! Take a minute to celebrate your success. Then choose a new goal that you can accomplish in the next couple of days. Repeating a process that works helps turn it into a habit. Good habits and processes are what will propel you forward into confidence and success.
If you haven’t reached your goal what needs to change so you can reach it in the next couple of days?
- Break down your actionable steps further
- Choose an accountability buddy to help you stay the course and act as your cheerleader
You know what’s coming next… document your 3 successes for the day.
TODO: Break down your actionable steps and choose and accountability buddy.