What To Do When You Have Achieved “Your Big Goal” & How To Go About Achieving

Something I have been thinking about over the last few weeks as I again help people transition from achieving their big goals and moving on to the next one……..

The problem faced when you set a big goal, is a slight sense of the “blues”…..but acceptance is needed to acknowledge that its only human to lose motivation once the target has been hit.

BUT…..that is your perfect opportunity to look at the points below and start making plans, ones that get you excited! Now, don’t get this twisted it doesn’t mean you book a race/event/ set a goal for next September and immediately go FLAT OUT at it…..this is the time to step back and plan.

That is EXACTLY what I have been doing recently with a number of people who have set goals that will be achieved around 8 months to a year or so from now. I don’t just talk about this, in fact I am always open minded to ideas on how I can expand what I do and offer as a professional and as a person.

This is why I believe that really the whole goal achievement process is an endless process, it never stops really, it ebs and flows for sure, that is life, but its always evolving and this is 100% how we should all be approaching our goals…..there is no BEFORE & AFTER…….it is BEFORE, NOW & IN THE FUTURE.

The one issue (well there are many) I see happening, particularly on social media as people seek approval in relation to goal achievement, is that rather than achieving more in what we already do, it seems that next time, it must be longer, harder, bigger…….but let me play devils advocate here…..in the context of a running race, what about getting a faster time at that distance before necessarily going longer; or in triathlon what about getting a better Ironman time before doing an ultramarathon….I am not saying its wrong to change the goal, in fact that is absolutely part of it, but just consider the reasons you are doing it……is making it harder, longer and more brutal necessarily helping you achieve fulfilment. If it does, then it is ok for you, but maybe not healthy for everyone.

WHAT TO DO THEN >>

What I would suggest you do after achieving a goal….or perhaps before setting out on your next goal…..because we need one, otherwise we just meander through life….

In no particular order because it depends where you are on your journey >>>

Firstly….. and maybe surprisingly

QUIT-

yep…..if the process you are going through to get where you think you want to be is causing you to get ill, relationships to break down, making you feel rubbish…..then STOP! The amount of times I have seen/read about people doing crash diets to lose weight for weddings or big occasions and feel absolutely miserable doing so is astounding…… you haven’t got to be a rocket scientist to fathom that if the journey isn’t in some part rewarding and fun……the result will only be temporary at BEST! This said, just because you feel like that doesn’t mean the GOAL is wrong, it is the process…..so step back….and see if there is a better way! After all each goal we set, is in some way attached to growth as a person, if it is making you shrink then rethink! (a poet…..no definitely not that clever)!

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REFLECT–

So when I have clients who achieve goals I like to get them to do a little review, a blog or a video…..I think this helps them remember how far they have come and when things are tough they can draw on these experiences. That is why I like to do little reviews of the things I do to share those learning’s with others and hopefully somewhere someone will be inspired. You should do the same, just really simply share what you do, why it made you feel the way it did, what you enjoyed, what you learnt and any advice you could give someone in the same shoes as you were.

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CHILL –

Mentally and physically to achieve the goal you invested heavily (metaphorically speaking)…..a lot of emotional energy and no doubt some sacrifices.
It may have been time with friends and family, it might have been work related….. our physical capacity needs addressing and this is why a good programme for example will allow for these peaks and troughs in intensity and they will be in many ways planned but when its client centred in our world, it is flexible. It meets you where you are currently at….

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MOVE AWAY FROM THE CURRENT GOAL……..

I helped coached a gentleman who broke a world record, who since then has focussed his energy and his ability to focus on the task in hand to expand his current business and bring a dream of his into a reality. For you this could be thinking about something you dreamed of doing as a child, maybe holidaying to a particular area of the world, then you could go back to your day-to-day feeling more fulfilled. This can also be temporary… reduce the intensity and then build again….mentally refreshed!

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PLAN-

This is the EXCITING bit…..this is the bit where you get to look at what you fancy doing…..doing a bit of research on the old internet for races, challenges and examples of goals that other people who you find inspiring have done. If you have ever been on a family holiday or a trip with friends you will have done the same…..It could be a place to visit it could even be place to visit that your family would like to see and an event….. (win/win)…… again remember look at the journey you need to go on, maybe speak with your coach or other successful people who have done what you want to do and then see what worked and didn’t work for them. I call this STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS…..you haven’t got to figure it all out yourself!

And lastly —–

Q.U.E.S.T THE GOAL

I use the QUEST accroynm with clients when having conversations with them. I didn’t come up with this, I learnt from one of my mentors (Dax Moy) . Ultimately it has to excite you and these help us to establish this…..

Qualify – what is it you want to do? EXACTLY…..

Understand– what is required, what is involved

Educate– research, speaking with people

Stimulate– watch videos, read articles, listen to experiences, samples

Test – does it still excite you?

I hope this helps you, gets you thinking and inspires you to do what you want and get people around you who support you.

Before you go…..please remember that do what you do for you and set goals that make you a better person and feel good because you cannot enrich the lives of others by becoming a poorer version of yourself…..decide what you want to achieve and be the person you want to be not what everyone else thinks you should be……. If you get your aim right you will attract the type of people into your life just by being you…..that’s just the law of attraction.

Cheers

Matt

Owner of MattLuxtonHealthandFitness

http://www.mattluxtonhealthandfitness.com

Voted Cornwall’s Best Fitness Instructor 2016

Voted The UK’s Most Innovative Fitness Entrepreneur 2012

International Best Selling Author of The Fad Free Fitness Formula

Author of The Hot to Trot Cook Book and The Equestrian Athlete Plan

Email: Info@fa-fitness.co.uk / Phone: 07841 136302