I don’t set new year’s resolutions, but if I did, I’m pretty sure they’d be a distant memory by now. How about you? Did you set some goals for yourself that haven’t quite happened?

Sometimes setting a goal can be like climbing a mountain.

Step 1: You decide where you want to go.
Step 2: Get the right equipment; and
Step 3: Hire a guide to get you there.

For example, if you want to get fit, you might:

Step 1: Decide to lose weight, get toned, and have more energy.
Step 2: Buy new sneakers/workout clothes, join a gym, drink more water, and eat healthy food.
Step 3: Hire a personal trainer, read up on nutrition, and find an accountability partner to keep you motivated.

When you start out, there’s a mixture of fear and excitement. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is meant to be uncomfortable ? Until you do it so often that eventually it’s not uncomfortable anymore.

And when it comes to setting goals, just like climbing a mountain, slow and steady gets you there. No one runs to the top of Kilimanjaro. For most of us who do everything fast, this can be a challenge. As one of my favorite authors, Bob Goff says about going slow:

“It’s hard advice to receive and harder advice to follow.”

It’s also hard to complete a goal if you keep trying to go ahead of the guide. This might look like exercising beyond your current capability, thinking you’ll get there faster. Or going cold turkey, changing your diet. Or not listening to your guide’s suggestions, thinking you know better. It’s why many of us fail and end up frustrated. We think we have the gist of it and skip ahead instead of following the steps mapped out on the plan.

It’s important to be patient. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I confuse patience with a lack of determination and commitment, and I view activity as having purpose. It’s easy to mistake busyness with progress. I’m learning you can either go fast or you can get to the top of the mountain. But you can’t do both.

The biggest lesson of all is to look how far you’ve come as you go along.

Make sure to celebrate along the way.

We often miss the celebration because we wait until the end, and then we’re off and running to the next best thing. It’s why we feel dissatisfied, and a bit let down once the goal is achieved. If you want to feel really great, celebrate your accomplishments every step of the way. Buy yourself a tube of your favorite mascara, go to the movies, get a manicure or a massage, go for a walk in the park, or whatever else sparks you. It’s less about the gift and more about acknowledging your progress.

Here’s a bit of unsolicited advice: Try not to focus on the end result. Because there isn’t one. There will always be a new mountain to ascend. So why not enjoy the climb?

Sometimes the hardest part of starting something new is just getting started. If you need some help planning your trip up the mountain, let me know. I’d be happy to be your guide. Schedule a Discovery Call today, and let’s map out the steps to your next adventure!