Creative goal setting for success

You’re way more likely to achieve your goals if you set them up in a way that gets your brain on board. So how can you tap into creativity to do just that? 

Here are my top tips for making sure your goals don’t just look good on paper but get your neurons firing up for action too.

1. Make them mean more

Paint a picture of what it would really mean for you if you hit your goals. 

Want to earn a certain amount? Why?

Want to advance your career? Why?

Want to set up your own business? Why?

And, most importantly, when you hit this goal – how will you feel? Imagine it in as much detail as you can.

By understanding and articulating the feeling you want, you will feel more inspired and motivated about achieving it. This is because your brain is driven by a desire to feel a certain way. When you imagine how you want to feel, your brain is more motivated to close the gap between your imagined version of reality, and where you are now.

2. Create a circle of support

When did you last ask yourself what support you need? This simple question packs a punch – and can help to uncover what will help us make the progress we want. 

Friends, family, and professional support all play an important part in meeting our needs. So why not grab a pen and paper and map out who’s on your team today? Here’s how…

• Put yourself in a circle in a middle.
• Then add a circle around it. This is your inner circle (the people you can call at 3am to be there for you).
• Then add another circle - the people who you know and are friendly but are not your ‘3am’ people.
• Then finally add your outer circle eg. dentist, postman.

Consider your gaps and your reality. What do you want to shift? What support can you tap into right away?

3. Create space, tolerate less

If you feel stressed or overwhelmed, you’re likely to keep yourself small. So, this tip is about tapping into the power of no and giving your mind a good clear down. 

Write down everything you are tolerating in a list. For example, incomplete projects, work you don’t love, feeling unconfident, ‘shoulds’, bad eating and so on.

When you’ve got a list, pick one to tackle. Go with your gut on which is bothering you most. Choose what you’re going to say no to. Enjoy the feeling of space or achievement it creates. Then go again for your next win. The more space you create, the more you’ll feel able to achieve.

4. Reap the reward 

Rewarding yourself gives you a hit of the hormone dopamine which helps to build new neural pathways and makes you feel positive. This strengthens new habits and will help you to stay on track – so it’s important when you’re looking to create new, sustainable ways of being or behaving.

As an example, I always have 'treat day' on Friday with my daughter as a way to acknowledge what we've done well in the week. For her, it's usually spellings! For me, it might be signing a new client or finishing part of a project. Want to try it for yourself?

Simply pick your task and pick your associated reward. Then the next time you achieve that task, savour your success by rewarding yourself – no matter if it's big or small it still works. 

Learning how to think and feel differently about your goals is so often the key to setting yourself up well and keeping going even if things don’t pan out as you imagine. 

So why not try some of the above and give yourself a way to feel good about your goals from the get-go?