Article Summary
In this article, Amanda McKinney discusses the importance of following through with goals and provides a framework for achieving success. She emphasizes the need for clarity in setting goals and visualizing what success looks and feels like. Amanda also highlights the role of willpower and the power of tracking progress and celebrating small wins. She emphasizes the importance of accountability and offers different levels of accountability, including self-accountability, accountability through connection, and accountability through payment. Amanda encourages readers to take action and make 2024 the year they follow through with their goals.
Takeaways
Set clear and meaningful goals that you truly want to achieve.
Visualize what success looks and feels like to stay motivated.
Develop willpower and exercise it like a muscle.
Track your progress and celebrate small wins along the way.
Find accountability through tools, connection, or payment to ensure follow-through.
**This was also a podcast episode (episode #223). If you'd like to listen to this conversation, use the link below.
Just Do It...Whatever "It" Is For You & Your Business In 2024
I realize that's easier said than done but I want you to keep this phrase in your mind any time you're feeling hesitant to follow your dreams and goals this year.
This doesn't mean you have to throw caution to the wind and go rouge in your life & business. This message is coming to you from the person who is likely the least spontaneous person you know so I'm certainly not going to the be the one who says "just do it" and mean to do things recklessly or without any plan.
But I will say just do it when it comes to taking small steps towards the life & business you want.
File for that LLC even though you don't know all the details about the business you want to start
Tell someone you want to create an app even though you have no clue how to make it happen
Save $100 a month until you have enough to take that trip you're dreaming of
Just Do It!
And yes, I'm using Nike's famous slogan to really hit this home today and it was actually a recent episode on the Mel Robbin's podcast that made me think of this. The ad campaign encouraged people to push themselves to pursue their dreams, no matter what obstacles they faced. But Mel brought my attention to the most powerful word in that phrase. I assumed it was the action word "Do" but she was right when she said:
"The word 'Just' acknowledges a moment of hesitation" - Mel Robbins
If I told you to "do it" it's more of a command but the simple addition of "just" allows us to acknowledge that it's not so easy all the time but if we can "just do it" we can truly achieve what we want to in life.
As you're stepping into the new year, whenever your mind tells you "but I didn't follow through last year" or "I never follow through with things", I want you to combat those thoughts with this:
I might not have followed through before but that doesn't mean I can't follow through now.
You absolutely, 100% can follow through with a goal or plan you set and I've got some data to prove it.
Research from Roy Baumeister, the Francis Eppes Professor at Florida State University, says that "Many people assume willpower is a character trait that you’re either born with or innately lack. But research suggests that it is more complex: It can be trained... Just like a muscle, the amount of willpower you have at any given time rises and falls, and if you exercise it, it gets stronger."
You simply haven't been exercising your willpower muscle and it's time to get it into shape. The great news is that you don't have to go to the gym to make it happen, I've got 5 questions that will help you uncover your willpower in a unique way.
Are you going to wait another year wishing that you had more confidence to take the next brave step or are you willing to acknowledge this moment of hesitation and "Just do it" so you can be proud of your progress in 2024?
If you're ready, here are the questions to ask yourself to get crystal clear on setting your goal for 2024 so you can tap into your willpower and actually follow through.
You're Invited To A FREE Workshop
Join me live (or catch the replay) when I share my Follow-Thru Framework and you have time to actually answer the questions and...you guessed it: FOLLOW-THRU!
Follow-Thru Framework
Anyone can set goals but not everyone achieves them. This framework ensures that you not only set meaningful goals but that you actually follow through with making progress.
Question #1: What goal do I want to achieve this year in my business?
Chances are you have a list of things you want to do this year but you've probably heard the phrase before: "If everything is important then nothing is". I have no idea who said it first but many have said it and it's absolutely true. We have to narrow our focus in order to actually make significant progress.
Take a moment and ask yourself what you truly want to achieve this year. Not what others say you should or you feel like you have to but what you actually want. If you could fast forward to Dec. 31, 2024 and be SO PROUD of yourself for accomplishing/learning/not doing something in 2024, what would that be?
*If you haven't set your business goal, Episode #219 walks through the step-by-step process of setting a realistic goal.
Example:
I want to master the art of teaching effective accountability
Question #2: What does achieving my business goal look/feel like?
Now that you know WHAT you want to achieve, you have to know WHY you want to achieve this specific thing in your life/business? You need to know the "so that" part of your sentence.
Ex: "I want to make more money in my business SO THAT.........."
This is a great checkpoint for your goal because if your "so that" part of your sentence isn't lighting you up, it's not the right goal for you. This needs to light your heart on fire because if it's not, it's going to be very hard to keep going when things get tough.
Example:
I want to master the art of teaching effective accountability SO THAT those who I have an impact with in life and my business never feel like a failure again when it comes to goal achievement.
To take this another step further, I'd love to invite you to actually visualize what you want it to look and feel like. This might seem "out there" but it's actually proven by science and performance.
"All individuals, regardless of age, gender, or skill level, are capable of using imagery as a means to enhance cognitive, behavioral, and affective outcomes. In the sport domain, athletes use imagery in training, competition, and rehabilitation. Elsewhere, imagery has been widely utilized by other performers including military personnel, surgeons, and musicians." Oxford Research Encyclopedias Psychology Article.
Michael Phelps, a 28-time Olympic Medalist (with 23 being gold), used visualization before every race. "Phelps would rehearse his races hundreds of times before the day of the race so that when he would step up on the blocks, his body goes on autopilot. His body knew what to do from rehearsing so many times, and his races became second nature in a way that his brain already knew how to swim the race." - Swimming World Magazine article
How can you create a clear vision of what you want this year so you can rehearse it every day? Below are questions to help you craft your visualization practice:
What I want to happen?
What I don't want to happen?
What could happen?
"So that whatever happened, I was prepared for it." - Michael Phelps
Learn About Visualization From Micheal Directly:
"It all goes back to preparation." - Michael Phelps
While practicing visualization is helpful anytime, it was stated that "Visualization is a committed practice. It is ideal to do it at the same time every day. The best time to visualize is in the morning as close to waking up as possible. In the morning, the mind is still slightly lucid so that makes it easier to summon crystal clear images like you would encounter in your dreams." - Swimming World Magazine
Question #3: Am I willing to put in the effort to actually achieve my business goal?
The visualization exercise is a great way to step into the answer of this question because if you went through what could happen and realized that you're not up for that effort, you have your answer.
But if that's the case, don't beat yourself up, just go back to question #1 and start again.
According to a research article from Science Direct, when we're making a decision in our life (like asking what we want this year) our brain focuses on what the reward will be. Maybe you said you wanted to make more money in your business or to get healthier but what you were really thinking about was the RESULT (more money or being healthier).
When you made the decision you weren't thinking about the process it will take to achieve the result. In order to make the best decision for yourself, you have to ask yourself if you're willing to put in the effort needed to achieve the desired result.
Recently my 10-year old nephew and the rest of his football team won the National Championship for 2023. It was an incredible accomplishment and this team of boys from a small town in Florida beat teams from all over the US. After winning, I asked my nephew what his favorite part of the entire experience was and he said "the practice".
Shocked, I asked him more about this and he talked about loving practicing and learning new plays and being with his friends. Had they came in second or fourth or any other place he would have had the same answer: "the practice".
He found joy in the effort, not just the reward.
"Are you willing to not just put in the effort but to do it on a really hard day when you don't feel like it?" - Amanda McKinney
I encourage you to make a list of or write out what effort and/or changes you'll have to make in your life in order to actually achieve what you have said you want to do this year.
Question #4: How will I measure progress on my business goal?
Now that you've become clear on what you want and committed to the effort and changes needed in order for it to happen, it's time to think about how you will measure your progress.
Monitoring progress is key because it helps you stay focused and to actually notice the progress you're actually making. Sounds silly but most of us will give up on something if we don't see enough progress but even a small amount will help you feel better overall.
An article by the Harvard Business Review: The Power Of Small Wins, recaps research done on the Progress Principle that states that, "When we compared our research participants’ best and worst days (based on their overall mood, specific emotions, and motivation levels), we found that the most common event triggering a “best day” was any progress in the work by the individual or the team."
Plus, I can verify that tracking progress helps you become more likely to not just achieve your goal but actually exceed it. I've worked with clients for 6 years and time and time again this has been proven. It helps you stay focused and celebrate progress all along the way which helps on those tough days.
Most goals can be tracked by:
A currency amount (ex: dollars, etc.)
A frequency of an action taken (ex: daily, 1 time a month)
A percentage (ex: increase email list by 25%, decrease expenses by 10%)
A time spent on an activity (ex: dedicate 5 hours a week to research and application)
Based on your goal, identify the specific metric you'll track. It's great if you only have one but you can have a couple if needed. Just make sure it's not more than 3 or it can get overwhelming.
Question #5: How will I ensure I follow through with my business goal-achieving plan?
Research (by the University of Bristol) shows that only 8% of people who set a new years resolution/set a goal, actually achieve that goal. But what if I told you I can increase that for you to 95%?!
Research from the American Society of Training & Development proved that you're "95% more likely to succeed by simply directing accountability to a third party".
They broke it down even further to identify:
Having a goal: 10% more likely to complete
Consciously deciding to do it: 25%
Assigning a timeline: 40%
Making the plan: 50%
Committing to someone else: 65%
Weekly, consistent check-ins with that someone: 95%
So you have to ask yourself what you can put into place to ensure that you're not making a promise today and forgetting it tomorrow.
Weekly check ins are critical and I've identified 3 ways you can do this:
Tools - create a form and a calendar reminder to fill out the form on a weekly basis (this is a good option if you're not pushing outside your comfort zone)
Connection - find an accountability buddy or group that you can report your progress to on a weekly basis (this is a good option if you know you need another person helping you and bonus if you're working on something similar)
Payment - find a coach who will hold you accountable and help you track your progress (this is a good option if you've tried to accomplish this goal before and didn't make progress or if you're pushing yourself out of your comfort zone)
Take Away Message / Action
Ask yourself these 5 questions from my Follow-Thru Framework and be brutally honest with yourself about what you want this year, what it will take to get there and the support you need to make it happen. The more honest you are, the better results you're get.
And while you're being honest, if you don't think you'll actually do this on your own, be sure to register for the live (or replay) of the workshop where I'll walk you through this step by step with time to actually do the work.
Make 2024 the year that you actually follow through and celebrate your progress all along the way. We know the path won't be perfect but it doesn't mean you have to give up.
I'll leave you with wise words from Michael Phelps on how he approaches setbacks along the way:
"If I didn't get the results I wanted, I would just go back to the drawing board." - Michael Phelps
Until next time give yourself permission to dream, plan and follow through and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon.
Resources Mentioned:
Free Workshop: https://amandamckinney.com/workshop
All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874
Amanda's Website: https://www.amandamckinney.com/
Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching
Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book
University of Bristol Research (8% stat): https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/heres-why-only-8-people-achieve-new-years-resolutions-wallwork#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20a%20study%20by,set%20unrealistic%20goals%20for%20themselves.
Mel Robbins Podcast Episode: https://www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-126
Florida State University Research (willpower): https://raywilliams.ca/why-new-years-resolutions-fail-and-what-to-do-about-it/
Oxford Research Encyclopedias Psychology Article (visualization): https://oxfordre.com/psychology/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.001.0001/acrefore-9780190236557-e-228
Michael Phelps (visualization article): https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/the-power-of-the-mind-through-visualization/
Michael Phelps (visualization video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-mm90LFPqU
Science Direct Research (decision making): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432819313889?via%3Dihub#
10-Year Old National Champions: https://www.chronicleonline.com/weeklies/riverland_news/local_news/tiger-youths-win-pop-warner-national-championship/article_d27c80f6-e207-5707-a41e-6dc9024df516.html#:~:text=The%2010U%20Pop%20Warner%20Dunnellon,York%2021%2D6%20on%20Dec.
Harvard Business Review (Progress Principle): https://hbr.org/2011/05/the-power-of-small-wins
American Society of Training & Development Research: https://stellapop.com/youll-be-95-more-successful-with-this-one-simple-leadership-trick/#:~:text=Accountability%20is%20a%20well%2Dknown,accountability%20to%20a%20third%20party.
"Are you willing to find joy in the effort and not just the reward?"
- Amanda McKinney
Let's Work Together!
I'm on a mission to help eradicate the feeling of failure when it comes to goal achievement.
If you'd like support as you pursue your business goals, let's work together. Use the link below to see my current options.