Trying Harder Only Leads to Failure

What are some things you have been trying to achieve?

Here are some examples I have heard from my coaching clients.

• I will try to eat better.
• I will try to exercise more.
• I will try to focus more.
• I will try to be more organized.
• I will try to build a diverse work team.
• I will try to communicate better at work and home.
• I want to try golfing.
• I am going to try and find a new job.
• I will try not to work as much.
• I will try to be a better mom.
• I will try to be a better husband.

Trying is tiring. Trying doesn’t work. Trying will wear you down until you give up.

The truth is: Trying, is an excuse not to take action on your goals.

Here are four action steps you can take that work!

1. Set a specific goal. I want to try and exercise more, is not a specific goal. I will walk 30 minutes a day/3 days a week, is a specific goal.
2. Create (or barrow) an action plan. Last summer, I had the specific goal to climb Mt. Adams in July. I researched the best training programs and followed the Fit Climb training program for four months prior to the climb. It became of the keys to a successful summit. Make sure your plan is tangible and trackable. Tracking your process will make the journey one of the most rewarding parts of your trip! (If you need help finding action plan resources, don’t hesitate to share your goal with us in the comments at the end of this blog. There are others in our community who have the knowledge you need and are ready to help you achieve your goal!)
3. Be accountable. Who do you know that wants to achieve the same goal? Ask them to if you can join forces. Last year when I decided to climb Mt. Adams, one of my barriers was hiking alone. Thanks to Facebook, I saw that a group of women were training for the Susan B. Komen 3-Day Walk. Even though we were only acquaintances at the time, I reached out and asked if I can join them. They said yes. Not only were they instrumental in helping me reach my goal, I made new friends who I hike with weekly to this very day. I also recommend coaching accountability. Personally, coaching has worked wonders in the area of accountability for me. In each session, my coach and I discuss my goal and an action plan I will work on. I am accountable to her to get it done by our next meeting. Making an investment in myself and my future has been worth it. If you need more information about coaching, visit my coaching page.
4. Be in community. In today’s society of technological advances, people are meeting less and less in person. It is true that with these advances, we get more done. Unfortunately, it can also create personal voids and isolation that go increasingly undetected, until we reach a roadblock or worse, a crisis in our personal lives, health, family, faith or workplaces. When trying to live life on your own stops working, being connected in community will be essential. Community is a place for dialogue, reflection and accountable forward action to take place. Community is a place where you can tell your story and find out that half the room has been trying to find answers to the same question. When you find an authentic community, no longer do you hide behind the surface posts on social media. Your true dreams are revealed and progress is made.

Community can be found or developed around common interests or cause, church, neighborhoods, families or best friends.

In life and leadership,

Angela