Written by: Keisha Leah Rock, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
What Comes After the Goals?
In the twinkling of an eye, January is now over. For those of us who have gotten past the resolutions verses goals debate and set some goals for 2022, WHAT NEXT? It’s awesome to have goals for the year. Having goals gives our lives focus. Our lives have a sense of direction when we set goals. “Without goals, and a plan to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” Fitzhugh Dodson
As we navigate through the year, we will need to pay close attention to some important keys that will help us achieve success:
1. The M &M Effect
You’ve got to know yourself and what keeps your fire ablaze, because some days are going to throw cold water and ice your way. This is when the M &M Effect comes into play. What is the M & M Effect you may ask? That’s the Motivation Matters Effect? Every day will not be the same, you will need to be aware of the things that keep you motivated. Moreover, take an audit of the things, people and situations that deflate you and reduce your energy levels causing you to feel demotivated.
I’d suggest doing a personality assessment if you’ve never done one before. If you have done one in the past, it would be beneficial to engage in another as we change over time when we’re on a growth journey. Personally, deadlines motivate me. I don’t like to miss a deadline, consequently if I get a goal and I establish a completion date for achievement of that goal, I will be motivated to get to work. For some persons, it’s a matter of competition. This could mean pursuing your goal in and with a group. This drives the individual while providing a level of accountability. For the M & M Effect to take effect (pun intended) we will need to be honest with ourselves about who we really are and what really matters to us
2. The Fear Factor
Imagine being trapped in an elevator. Your mobile phone has no signal and there is no way to make contact with anyone to alert them that you’re in distress. The phobia of being trapped in an elevator has been one I have had for many years. I’ve had to live life nonetheless and that has definitely seen me getting into an elevator at one time or another. When it comes to pursuing our dreams and goals, fear is a natural and healthy part of the success story. How are you going to make wise use of the fear? “Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it…that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.” Dale Carnegie
To conquer the fear means that you will have to be intentional about acknowledging that the fear does exists. Once you’ve crossed that bridge you will need to examine which is more powerful, the desire to achieve the goal and see the dream come to fruition or the grip of the fear. Over time, you begin to develop a fearless muscle. While the fear will not just dissipate, it’s strength and power will be significantly reduced. Bear Grylls posits that, “being brave isn’t the absence of fear. Being brave is having the fear but finding a way through it.”
3. To Be or Not to Be…Disciplined
Just around the beginning of the pandemic, I started working out indoors. A part of my decision to add this routine to my week at least four days a week, was to ensure that I didn’t just waste time during the day. I wanted to take care of my health and wellness. During that time what I recognised is that it’s never about how I feel or what I feel like doing because chances are we will never feel like working out but it’s good for our mind and body. Darrin Patrick frames it well when he posited that “discipline is rarely enjoyable but almost always profitable.”
With the onset of crises in our lives we have a choice to make. We will either stay focused on executing the action steps and strategies need to achieve success or we can make excuses and become lazy and laidback. Your hard work in the present will usually pay huge dividends in the long run. “Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” Abraham Lincoln. Quite frankly, “without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.” Lou Holtz
It took almost a year before I started to see the result from my consistency and dedication to working out. The changes in my body did not take place overnight. I had to remain committed and keep going. It called for persistence with regards to applying pressure to my muscles so I could become strong and achieve my goal to improve my physical appearance. The same principle applies to our goals. We’ve got to put in the work and not allow our emotions to cause us to lose focus and become undisciplined.
4. Don’t Be Detoured by Distractions
You may disagree with me, but I want to suggest that COVID-19 was a huge distraction for lots of persons. When the world was thrown into disarray in early 2020 so many were tossed off the goal chasing train and they were never able to get back on. I remember in December 2019, I was travelling for the holidays, my plan was to connect with a friend and her family in Atlanta to celebrate the new year. As the evening was setting in, I started to feel this desire to spend time planning and preparing for the year ahead. At the time I blamed my cancellation of the celebrations on my introverted tendencies. In retrospect, having that call to action catapulted me to a year of success in 2020.
Having a plan for the year meant that once the pandemic graced the stage with all its mystery and uncertainty, I was able to avoid being detoured. I focused on my goals, pivoting where necessary. My experience during that year was that having a plan, with an unmatched level of determination, allowed me to achieve success. While some turned COVID-19 into an excuse to slow down or stop, I decided to make the most out of the cards I’d been dealt. The world was now at my fingertips as everything went online. The world was now my stage, and I was ready to play my part.
5. Accountability Partners
I can vividly recall one of the most challenging seasons of my life. Whilst battling depression and thoughts of suicide there was this pull to get into a different environment. Everywhere I turned I kept seeing quotes by John C. Maxwell. I was encouraged to make growth an active part of my life. When I joined my first mastermind group, I remember not necessarily being overjoyed or enthusiastic about it but knowing it was exactly where I needed to be.
Reading and discussing the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John C. Maxwell, totally change my life. My thinking was transformed, and I began to see myself and life through another lens. Being in a group with persons who were tired of their current situation and desirous of change was the catalyst for the creation of the person I am today. This group helped to keep me accountable to my pursuit of growth and challenged me to stretch outside of my comfort zone. Honestly, I really am not sure that I would have written my first book had it not been for this community of likeminded persons and our coach. Our community matters, the tribe we belong to will either make us or break us. “If you hangout with chickens, you’re going to cluck and if you hang out with eagles, you’re going to fly.” Steve Maraboli. Do you want to be accountable to the flyers?
The recipe for success will look different for each of us. As we make note of the ingredients they will most certainly include: motivations, fears, discipline, distractions and accountability partners. Distractions are nothing strange or out of the ordinary. The best of mankind will be impacted by motivations, fears and lack of discipline at one time or another. If you want to remain focused on your goals during this year, you need a group of likeminded persons for accountability. As a Coach, I’ve seen my clients succeed once they were vested and intentional about their growth and the pursuit of their goals. I’d love to connect with you and hear how this article has impacted you and how else I can add value to your life.
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Remaining consistent and disciplined are two essential keys to our ability to achieve success. As we decide on our goals and strategies, accountability will also assist us on our journey. My mastermind, The “GROWTH” Series, is designed to help you not just to set goals but remain consistent and grow in all areas of your life. As you surround yourself with other like-minded individuals or in 1-1 sessions, you will be encouraged to stretch outside of your comfort zone and exceed even your own expectations. As a Mindset Coach I am extremely passionate about seeing you become the best version of yourself. I believe that now is the time to PURSUE your PURPOSE with PASSION!
Keisha Leah Rock, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Keisha Rock, is a Mindset Coach, Empowerment Speaker, Author and Educator. After experiencing some personal struggles, Keisha embarked on a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement where she implemented and revolutionised strategies to sustain personal growth and development. As the Founder and C.E.O of KaiRos Professional Services, Keisha provides services to individuals and businesses around the world, in the Caribbean, United States, South Africa and more. She is the author of Releasing the Past- Building Beauty from Brokenness, in this book Keisha shares her personal story and how she was able to navigate one of the most difficult seasons in her life when she battled depression. She is the Co-owner of the KaiRos TV Channel on the ACEIRT TV Network where she Co-host’s the Transformation Show. Keisha’s mission is to use every platform available to her, to add value to the lives of individuals and encourage them with her mantra “Don’t allow the past to hold the pen that writes your future.
