To reach your goals, first, let go of these bad habits

I was watching a video the other day that had a message in it I haven’t been able to stop thinking about, and thought you might find value in it, too.

The message was about analyzing exactly who you need to become in order to reach your goals, though not just what traits you need to develop or embrace, but what aspects or hang-ups you need to LET GO of too.

For example, if you want to hit a certain money milestone in your business, who do you need to become in order to hit that goal?

When you think about a person who is easily hitting that money milestone, not just once but consistently, how does that person behave? What do they think, what do they say, what decisions do they make, and how do they spend their days?

Likewise, what DON’T they do? What don’t they care about? What don’t they think, tolerate, or decide?

I liked this message because we’re often told to envision the skills we need to acquire to meet our goals, but it’s not often that we focus on the things we need to let go of.

The thing is it’s often the things we need to let go of that can make the biggest difference in whether we achieve our goals or not.

The importance of letting go

As Joe Dispenza so eloquently said in a recent interview, you get to a point where “you’re no longer showing up equal to “their” memory of you.”

Let’s say you want to double your client load in 2021….

The person you’d need to become to achieve that might include being someone who sets clear boundaries around their work hours and doesn’t let distractions or non-work things interfere.

You might also need to become someone who creates designated space in the day to market and prospect for your business, as well as someone who has excellent time management so you can get your prospecting in amid your current client work.

But it might also require that you LET GO of certain things, such as your worry about how others might perceive your increased marketing efforts, especially if you’re conducting them on social media or somewhere else that’s visible.

It might mean you have to let go of your desire to watch that one extra episode of your favorite Netflix series that always sends you to bed too late and then hit snooze three times the next morning.

And it might require you to let go of your tendency to say yes to too many things, leaving you with too little time to take on more clients.

Consider who you need to become to reach your goals, but don’t neglect to analyze what you need to let go of, too.

When you do, you’ll most likely find that with these things removed, the path to goal-achieving success becomes so much clearer.

4 things to let go of this year to achieve your goals:

It’s common that when we set new goals for ourselves, we think that we need to become more and do more to achieve more…

…when instead we might simply need to shift our focus, making certain things or aspects of ourselves higher priorities while letting other things or aspects fall away.

Here are 4 areas you may need to let go of this year to reach your goals.

Let go of unhealthy mindsets

We all tell ourselves narratives about ourselves based on past work experiences, our relationships, and our experiences. But sometimes those narratives shape us in unhealthy ways that limit our success.

If you’ve got some ‘head junk’ to let go of, try putting together a cheat sheet of success to remind you of your accomplishments when mindest starts interfering with your work.

Start with these prompts:

• Write down something you’ve done in your career that you’re really proud of
• List 3-5 of your top super strengths, the things you know you do better than most (both professionally and personally)
• Start a document of positive feedback, warm testimonials, and other kind words you’ve received as a business owner. Keep that list at your desk so you can refer to it when you need it

Let go of wasted time

As an entrepreneur, your time is the most valuable asset you’ve got, so it’s important to make the most of it.

Are you using your time as best as you can? Jot down the things you do each day that may be detracting from your productivity. Can you outsource some of those tasks to free your calendar? Try using a productivity tracker like RescueTime to help you spot those gaps in your productivity so you can address them.

Let go of imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome can make even top achievers feel like a failure or a fraud. Even the smartest, most highly capable, and successful entrepreneurs out there have struggled with imposter syndrome at some point in their careers.

When you start to feel like you’re comparing yourself to others, feeling overwhelmed by launching or trying something new, or feeling stuck, it’s worth asking yourself if imposter syndrome is a factor and combating it head-on:

• Let go of trying to be perfect
• Ask for help from a friend, accountability partner, or trusted business mentor
• Confront your fear. Don’t let it get the best of you.
• Silence negative self talk

Let go of control

Reaching goals takes time and sometimes the goals we set out to accomplish aren’t the right ones at all. Sometimes it’s those goals that hold you back, especially if you believe that failure isn’t an option.

So instead of focusing on goals that aren’t working for your business, be willing to let them go and focus on small milestones and consistent habits that will have a real and immediate impact on your business.

About The Author

Rachel Gogos is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for people, the web, and creating strong personal brands. She started her career at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, where she helped create the look and feel for the organization’s first website. Today, in her current role running brandiD, Rachel channels over 15 years of marketing and communications experience into each and every website for brandiD’s clients. Find out more!