11. 5 Steps to Make Your Goals Inevitable
It’s the start of a brand-new year, which for many of us means thinking about what we want to create in 2023. It’s so fun being in the energy of possibility around setting goals, but actually doing the things required to achieve them is a whole other ballgame and is often the hardest part.
That’s why I’m sharing my simple, doable, and actionable five-step process for setting and achieving your goals in 2023. Typical goal-setting approaches often don’t work for a myriad of reasons, and if this has been your reality year after year, this is the perfect time to try out a new way to map out your goals for the New Year.
Join me to hear a simple and repeatable process you can use moving forward to set and achieve your goals. I’m sharing some of the most common reasons actually achieving a goal falls flat, why confused brains don’t take action, and the keys to making the results you want inevitable.
If you missed the enrollment period for my group coaching program Out of Overwhelm, you’re in luck. I am reopening the doors leading up to our virtual kickoff retreat on January 10th, 2023. This opportunity won’t be available again until summer, so click here to learn more and claim your spot.
Sign up to my Monday Mindset email list to get bite-sized insights on topics just like this that you can use to set your week up for success!
To celebrate the launch of the show, I’m giving away gift cards to Jayson Home, one of my favorite home decor sources. All you have to do to become one of the five lucky listeners to win is follow, rate, and review this podcast.
Please leave your honest feedback, and click here to learn how to enter!
What You’ll Discover from this Episode:
Why typical goal-setting approaches often don’t work.
Examples of what common patterns of goal-setting look like.
The key difference between achieving and not achieving your goal.
Why simplicity is key in goal-creation.
My 5-step process for setting and achieving your goals.
Listen to the Full Episode:
Featured on the Show:
Enter the podcast launch giveaway by leaving a rating and review! Click here to learn how to enter.
If you love what you’re learning on the show, I’d love for you to check out my signature group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm
Full Episode Transcript:
Hey designer, you’re listening to episode 11.
This is the one where I’m sharing my five step process for setting and achieving your goals. As always I’ll make it simple, doable, and actionable so you can not only set your New Year’s goals, but actually achieve them.
Welcome to The Interior Design Business CEO, the only show for designers who are ready to confidently run and grow their businesses without the stress and anxiety. If you're ready to develop a bigger vision for your interior design business, free up your time, and streamline your days for productivity and profit, you're in the right place. I'm Desi Creswell, an award-winning interior designer and certified life and business coach. I help interior designers just like you stop feeling overwhelmed so they can build profitable businesses they love to run. Are you ready to confidently lead your business, clients, and projects? Let's go.
Hello designers, welcome back to the podcast. This is kind of a fun morning where I am recording this, I just mapped out a totally new way to work with me. And this is something I've been percolating on for maybe the past six months. And this morning it finally all came together and I felt ready to sit down and document it.
So I decided to wiggle when I would create this podcast for you and reduce the amount of time I was going to spend on something else so I could wrap it up more quickly and then got that entire service mapped out. And I just thought this was an example I wanted to share with you of what intentional planning looks like in action.
I had planned to record this podcast earlier in the day, and I intentionally decided to shift things around and adjust my plan so that I could do the thing that was feeling most aligned in the moment. And also that didn't mean I was giving up on the priorities that I had set for the day.
So just to be clear, I always like to remind people intentional planning or using the skills of time management do not require perfection or rigidity. The intentional piece of it is the key to getting what you want to get done done in a way that feels good and honors your energy rhythms and goals for the week. I'm really excited about what I have created. I'm not sure exactly when I'll launch it, but stay tuned for more details on that.
As you're listening to this it's the start of the new year, we're all thinking about what we want to create in 2023. And I really wanted to do this podcast now because typical goal setting approaches often don't work. And I think that the way that we're taught to set goals is often overly complicated, and when the plan is not simple, your brain creates confusion. And confused brains don't take action. So simplicity is always key in goal creation.
The other reason that I wanted to do this is because typical goal setting does not address the achieving part of goal setting, right? We have to set the goal and then actually take action on the goal in order to achieve it. And that is often the hardest part. It's fun to set the goal and be in that possibility of it. But doing the things required of you to hit the goal, that's where you really need support and so I want to make sure we talk about that.
I also want to make sure we address the mindset of goal setting. Having awareness of your own roadblocks and how you're getting in your own way and then consistently redirecting your thinking in a way that serves you is truly the difference between achieving or not achieving your goal. And so that has to be a part of your goal setting and achievement process.
Today I'm going to be sharing a simple, repeatable process you can use year after year to set and achieve your goals. Before we do that, I have another podcast winner that I want to announce. Amunizaga1 wrote, “Simply terrific. As a business owner and interior designer, this podcast is a breath of fresh air and a guiding light. Desi provides a perfect mix of practical solutions with mindset strategies. Listening to her episodes makes me feel focused, calm and motivated to be the true entrepreneur I was meant to be.” That is so good.
And if you're wondering, hey, I kind of want to win something, let me share how. I am giving away $50 gift cards to Jayson Home, one of my favorite home decor shops. And all you have to do is rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen, and then go to desicreswell.com/podcast launch where there's all the instructions you'll need on how to submit.
Basically you need to give me your name, your email address, and the name of your review, so that way I can enter you in the giveaway and have a way to contact you. I'll be announcing another winner next week and it could be you.
Let's dive into what we're talking about today. Let me just paint the picture of what I typically see happening with designers and goal setting. My guess is you're going to fall into one of these categories.
The first is having a lot of excitement around the start of the year and feeling very energized about the possibilities. But this energy quickly turns to overwhelm because you don't know where to start once you set the goal. You've got the ideas, and then all of a sudden you hit a big stop sign because there are so many possibilities, so many ideas, so many things you could possibly tackle.
One of my clients describes this as throwing glitter in the air. It's shiny, it's pretty, it's sparkly, we’re looking at it, we’re oohing and aahing. And then you have to pick it up. And no one likes to pick up glitter, right?
Did you know, this is a real tangent here, but did you know that there are services where you can actually send glitter to people? I guess you must send them to people you don't like because there is nothing worse than glitter. And I mean, it just never goes away. Anyways, let me get back to these categories.
The other thing that might be happening right now is that you're stressed because you have set a goal, you had the intention of saying this is what I want, it's pretty clear. And you know that these are your next best steps. And you have no idea where you'll find the time to take action on those next best steps between all of your client work and all of your other responsibilities.
So instead of getting started in small bits, you put off the start of working towards your goal until you have a large block of time. Which let's be honest, we all know you'll never have.
The other thing I see is perhaps you're engaging in goal hopping. And this really looks like distracted action because you decide to do one thing and then second guess yourself when you hear another strategy on a podcast or you start to just doubt yourself, if you're able to achieve the goal or not. It's really that pattern of starting, stopping, and then never achieving the goal.
Now, if you're thinking, “It's like she's in my brain,” it's because I am. I relate to all of this and experienced it before I found mindset work and developed this process I use in tandem with managing my thoughts and feelings to help fuel the types of actions and results in my business that I want to create. And I also know it intimately because I see it come up with client after client.
And while the behaviors are very common that I described, I just want to normalize that first of all, what you've done to this point does not need to dictate what you're capable of in the future. This process works and you really can change your relationship to goal setting and the outcomes you produce.
Before we talk about the actual steps, we have to first address this idea of being committed to achieving your goals versus trying to achieve your goals or hoping you hit your goals. There's a huge difference in the energy behind each of these. When you're committed to achieving your goals, it's inevitable. You keep showing up. You hit an obstacle, you navigate around that obstacle and you try something new. You keep going.
When you're in the energy of trying to achieve goals or hoping you achieve your goals, you subtly abdicate responsibility. You start speaking about your goals as if they happen to you, instead of you being the creator of them. And this is key that you notice where you're at with whatever goal you're setting, because being committed is going to keep you in consistent action.
And that's not to say that you're going to take perfect action, but you're going to keep at it versus trying or hoping. It has much more of that flavor of hands in the air, of well I guess that didn't work out.
So before I dive into the actual process, check in on how you're approaching your goals. Have you actually been committed? Or have you been in the train and hoping energy? And then with that awareness, which are you going to choose to fuel your actions going forward? Commitment or trying? Decide that right now and then let's get into the process.
I want to be clear, this process can really be used for any goal you set in your life or business. All you have to do is keep returning to this process. This is going to be an overview because this is a podcast and I can only talk in your ear for so long. But this also is going to be a great place to get started with this work.
Step one is to set a clearly defined goal, crystal clear. We always, of course, want to start with the end in mind when we're looking at our goals for an individual year, to make sure that those goals are supporting where we ultimately want to be. This is a great time to return to your life and business vision that we talked about in episode one.
And then keeping that vision in mind, think about where do I want to be at the end of next year? And does that bring me closer to the vision? This is where likely you're going to have a lot of ideas and it's important to narrow your focus. One of the questions I like to ask is, what is the one goal you could focus on that makes all other things pale in comparison?
For me and for my clients this is often an income goal. It's a great overarching goal to start with. And you'll see as we talk about more of the steps, how individual things that you're going to implement throughout the year are going to support it. But it's really important that you focus on one goal at a time.
And I know it can be hard to do this at first until you get into the practice of it. And if you want to go back to episode five to listen to the power of constraint, you'll hear me discuss why the focus is so important. When you constrain your focus to one goal at a time, this is how you're going to create momentum. It makes it so much easier to become laser focused on what core projects and initiatives are going to get you where you want to go.
It's also a way to create freedom. It's a way to drop the shoulds and could-dos and keep moving forward with clarity. So make your goal crystal clear. I want you to think about walking up to someone on the street, sharing your goal, and whatever you tell them, that other person would understand it.
Once you have a crystal clear goal, you're going to create a specific plan. This is where you're going to decide what you're doing to achieve the goal, how you're going to do it, and when you're going to do the things. And the way that I look at this is breaking your goal down into quarterly action plans.
The reason I love this is that it helps keep your priorities top of mind so that when you do have a moment of overwhelm, or life throws you a curve ball, you have these priorities and a small chunk of time to reference and you can use it to plan for your next best steps.
We overestimate what we can do in a day, and we often underestimate what we can do in a quarter or a year. And so bringing your plans into a quarterly basis is just another way to focus your time, energy and attention. It also keeps the work really manageable so that you're not thinking about this huge undertaking for a whole year where you're not having the opportunity to track your progress or see where you're at. It's giving you the opportunity to have wins and successes along the way.
When you think about it, we spend very little time in the actual achievement of a goal. So we want to create ways to be successful along the way so that we can create that internal motivation of seeing ourselves make progress and start to identify as a person who does what they say they're going to do, who completes what they set out to complete. It's so, so motivating and it will shift your identity and the way that you're showing up in your business.
So within each of these 90 day plans or quarterly plans, what I suggest you do is identify one to three core projects you're going to complete per quarter that move you closer to that one specific goal. A project, how I define it, is really the overarching thing. And each project will be broken down then into bite-sized pieces that can be completed in about 50 to 60 minute increments.
So what this looks like in practice is let's say the project is creating an investment guide to help you filter best fit clients. A task, or what I would call a mini result, could be to complete a rough draft of the outline of your investment guide. Or another mini result might be to select five images to use in this document. Another mini result might be to select a template that you're going to use to complete this document.
The more you break down the overarching project into mini results, the easier it is going to be to implement and integrate these mini results into your schedule and your other commitments. Yes, it's going to take some time to break it down this specifically, but the amount of time you're going to save in the long run is so, so worth it.
It also helps you address steps in the project that you might not have initial awareness around and you can get ahead of whatever might get in the way of you completing the project. And it's also a way to do a reality check.
When you look at a project, sometimes our brains tell us this won't take us that long. But then once we start to break down the project and really see the individual mini results we have to create along the way, it can be very clarifying to help us understand, do I actually have the capacity to complete this in the given timeframe?
I do not want you to skip this step of breaking down the projects. At this point it's easy to get stuck in overwhelm or stressing about what the right decisions are for these projects, or how you're breaking things down, or second guessing your plan. I want you to know that's normal. And you're not supposed to know the exact how of how you're going to achieve your goal. If you did, you would have already achieved your goal.
So it's going to be deciding what is the right decision for right now. You're going to execute on these decisions, on these project plans. And then you can make new decisions based on new information when you have it, and we'll talk about that a bit more.
The last part of creating your specific plan is to create deadlines, milestones, and also consider what type of support you need personally and professionally. I love to think about getting support personally as not only impacting my personal life, but also impacting my professional life. So I love to look at where can I get support in both areas?
You do not have to do this alone. So ask yourself, what type of support do I need in order to help me achieve these goals? The milestones and the deadlines are also important because you have to know if you're on track. You have to know if you're moving in the right direction, if you're making the progress that you want to be making in the timeline that you want to be making the progress.
And so that's why it's really important to create those deadlines and milestones. And if you notice a lot of resistance or any other strong reaction, maybe it is anxiety or dread, when you think about the deadlines and milestones you're setting, that is a great time to ask yourself why.
I would love to get curious with you about why is that reaction happening for you. And that's really one of those places where the mindset piece really comes into play and can help you navigate some of those emotions that are between you and your goal.
Step three is to start executing the plan. What you're going to do is use that 90 day plan and all of the bite-sized mini results you outlined and start to layer in those mini results into your weekly and monthly calendar. This is another key part of the process. When you break the project down, there will be many things that can be done in short bursts of time, those 15 minutes to 60 minute increments.
And even if you're very, very busy, you can find time for these, but you have to be proactive. And also allow for a little bit of progress to be enough, because truly it is those little bits of progress that are going to keep you moving forward and create that big result that you want in the end. I highly suggest you block off time now in your calendar for working on these mini results in the projects.
And of course you can shift these blocks of time around. But what I want you to do is have something on your calendar that is holding space for your goal. This is going to help you plan and create space for the reality of what you're setting out to achieve within the larger context of your business and project commitments. It's going to ensure that this work does not become an afterthought, but it is something you intentionally plan into your schedule.
Something you might notice at the step is that the projects don't fit into your calendar. As in you start to map things out and there's no way with your current commitments, whether that's personally or professionally, that you are going to be able to complete these things in the time framework that you have for yourself, so the hours that you want to work, when you want to work, et cetera.
And so this is a great time to evaluate how much time you're giving yourself for all the different steps, how many projects you've identified total, the steps that you have maybe included that maybe aren't even necessary, where those deadlines fall. If you're finding that the projects and the timelines do not work for your current setup, this is not a time to accept defeat. I want you to get creative, use that creative brain of yours and figure out what needs to happen so that you can still make progress.
As you work through these mini results, this is another place where the mindset piece becomes key. Using mindset is how I help my clients close the gap between knowing what to do and doing it. A couple of common obstacles that I see are lack of follow through. So they create a plan and it looks really great on paper, but then they have trouble getting themselves to take action.
And so the solution to this is building the skill of self-accountability. I've got an entire module on it in my program because it is so key. And when I talk about self-accountability, it's really developing the skill of learning to treat yourself as important as you would a client or someone else that you have an appointment with.
Another obstacle that I see is procrastination. And the solution to this really is understanding what's really going on below the surface. What's the real reason you don't want to do the thing that you put on this plan? And in order to overcome this, you have to learn to recognize the stories your brain is telling you about what you're capable of, how hard something's going to be, how long it's going to take, and decide ahead of time how you want to respond.
Because they're just stories that your brain is offering up. And some of them are probably very well practiced and you've been telling them for a very long time. And so you need to intentionally redirect your thinking. So that's just a couple of examples of how the mindset piece plays with this specific plan that you have created.
Step four is going to be evaluate without judgment. And without judgment is key. Things aren't going to work, they're not going to go as planned, you're going to have a brilliant plan to get these mini results during the week and then something else pops up. So we have to evaluate and not give up. When you look at failure as a part of the process, as opposed to a sign that you're not going to hit your goal, you're able to pivot and course correct.
A lot of times I'll see designers feel afraid to set a goal, not because of the factual nature of did I achieve it or didn't I achieve it, like it's a life or death if they achieve it or not. But it's really rooted in being afraid of how they're going to treat themselves and talk to themselves on the other side of potentially not achieving the goal. It's that negative self-talk that we're really resisting.
And that's where this judgment or curious evaluation, which I speak about in an earlier episode, is so key. Remember, evaluation can be simple. It's just what worked, what didn't work and what you're going to do differently. It's how you learn what to keep doing because it's working, and then also see what isn't going so well so you can create a plan for your next steps. I dive deep into this process of evaluation in episode eight, so check that out if you want to learn more.
The final step, step five is succeed or learn and try again. As you move along in completing your goal project plans and keep moving toward goal achievement, there's really only two things that can happen in step five.
Option one is that it's working, you're making progress, you're getting closer to your goal. And if that's what's happening, I want you to celebrate that success. I also want you to utilize what worked and lean into those strategies, leverage them in the following quarter. You have a roadmap for success.
Option two is that something didn't give you the outcome you wanted or the outcome you predicted. And in that case, you're going to use the lessons learned to move forward with more clarity in your actions.
In goal setting you're either succeeding or you're learning. The only way you won't hit your goal is if you quit on yourself. You might not hit your goal in the timeline you thought you'd hit it or the way you thought you'd hit it. But truly, if you keep going, your results will be inevitable.
And when you're so committed to this process, to return to it, to utilize it, to leverage it, you're going to be so proud of yourself at the end of 2023 instead of feeling defeated by another year gone by. You're also going to feel more confident as you take your goal step by step, knowing you're making consistent progress.
You're going to be feeling motivated along the way. You're also going to be developing that deep self-trust. The trust of knowing you're going to do what you say you're going to do and have your own back through the ups and downs of working toward your goal. This is one of the biggest byproducts of goal creation.
I hear time and time again from my clients, I am so much kinder to myself. And guess what? It helps them, it supports them to go reach bigger and better goals. You're going to have a repeatable process you can return to year after year, and you are going to become unstoppable. You're going to keep getting better at this process, you're going to keep refining it, and your goals are going to happen faster and with more ease.
So just like anything, this is a skill. Goal creation is a skill that you're going to continue to cultivate and see the compounding effect of returning to this process I just taught you. Goal achievement is not going to just happen, you have to commit to it, you have to be specific, you have to be deliberate and be willing to keep showing up for yourself and your business.
Setting and achieving any goal you want in your business is so possible for you. I see my clients going from overwhelmed and stressed about how they're going to hit their goals to consistently hitting their goals and actually enjoying the process. I want that for you too.
If you want support with implementing this process, get on my Monday Mindset email list, the link is going to be in the show notes. That service that I hinted at earlier in the episode is going to be a way to go deep and go far with my support in this process in a really concentrated and impactful way. I'm going to have an opportunity for us to work together on this process in the coming months and I don't want you to miss out.
Being on the Monday Mindset email list is the way that you can ensure you're the first to know what's happening behind the scenes and how you can get support. And also, if you love this podcast, you're going to love hearing from me every Monday because I share on topics just like this in really bite-sized pieces that you can use to set your week up for success.
I hear from so many of you that you look forward to receiving that email and look for it every Monday. And if you're not on the list, get on it. It's www.desiid.com/mondaymindset and you'll be added to that list.
We went over so much today so I want to give you a recap. Remember, we started by talking about are you committed to your goals or are you hoping or trying? Be sure to identify which energy you're in and which energy you want to move forward with. And as far as the steps go, let's go over those real quick.
Step one is to set a clearly defined goal. This is where you're picking one specific goal that aligns with where you want to be personally and professionally a year from now. And make that goal crystal clear and decide to be committed to yourself and your goal.
Step two is to create a specific plan. Decide what you're going to do to achieve the goal, how you're doing it, and when you're going to do it. You're going to do this by identifying one to three core projects quarterly that support your overall goal. And then break those down into doable mini results. Lastly, you're going to decide those milestones, timelines, and what support you need personally and professionally.
Step three is to execute the plan. Begin to build your mini results into your daily and weekly schedule. You're going to layer the goal creation work in and make it a part of your business routine. It's just as important as client work. Block off time now so your calendar reflects the reality of your goal within the larger context of your business and project commitments.
And I highly recommend getting the support of a coach to help you through the obstacles that could arise and help you get out of your own way. This is, of course, the work that I do with my clients and I'd be honored to be the one to support you.
Step four is to evaluate without judgment. This is where you're consistently looking at your progress to get curious about what's working, what's not working, and then deciding your next best steps. Evaluate on a regular basis, decide that now how often you're going to evaluate. I love to do a weekly evaluation and that's what I recommend to my clients.
And lastly, we've got step five, the succeed or learn and try again step. With a clear plan in place, tools to manage your thoughts, feelings and actions, and curious evaluation by your side, your success will be inevitable. Once you complete your projects, and eventually hit your goal, you're going to simply repeat the process and blow your own mind again. Let's see what is possible for you.
Now, that's what I have for you today. I'd love to know what goal you're setting for 2023. Send me a DM on Instagram @DesiCreswell. Share your goal or you can even ask me a question about this episode.
In the next episode I'm going to be diving into one of the obstacles that may get in the way of you implementing this process and how to solve for it. I can't wait to dive into that. And until then, I'm wishing you a beautiful week. I'll talk to you in the next episode.
Hey designer, I have a special announcement for you. I recently wrapped up enrollment for my six month group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm. Since closing the doors I’ve heard from several of you that with the busyness of the end the year you didn’t get around to applying or you let yourself sit in that decision limbo until it was just too late. So I’ve been thinking about you. I’m not planning to open the doors to the program again until summer 2023 and I don’t want anyone, especially you, to miss out on the opportunity to get the support you want as we head into the new year.
Out of Overwhelm is my signature six-month program designed to take you from overwhelmed and stressed to profitable, in control, and fulfilled. I’ve decided to reopen enrollment leading up to our virtual kickoff retreat on January 10th. If you love the topics I’m covering on the podcast, you are going to love out of overwhelm. It is where we take these tool and I give you a consistent structure for applying them and we create the exact results you want personally and professionally, and you get to do it all with my support alongside your peers.
So this is your official invitation to join an intimate community of designers where you’ll get my personalized feedback whenever you need it. During our group calls, our monthly focus sessions, and also with daily coaching from me within our online community platform, you’ll always be moving forward.
Head to desicreswell.com/group-coaching or click the link in the show notes for all of the details and to apply. I review the applications personally to ensure it’s the best fit. You can also request to schedule time for us to connect live so I can answer any questions you have.
With the starts of the new year there has never been better time get back in the driver sear of your business. Join me in Out of Overwhelm. Click the link in the show notes to apply and get started January 10.
To celebrate the launch of the show, I'm going to be giving away gift cards to Jayson Home, one of my favorite home decor sources. I'm going to be giving away $50 gift cards to five lucky listeners who follow, rate, and review the show.
Now, it doesn't have to be a five star review, although I sure hope you love the show. I want your honest feedback so I can create an amazing show that provides tons of value. Visit desicreswell.com/podcastlaunch to learn more about the contest and how to enter. I'll be announcing the winners on the show in an upcoming episode.
Thanks for joining me for this week's episode of The Interior Design Business CEO. If you want more tips, tools and strategies visit www.desicreswell.com. And if you're ready to take what you've learned on the podcast to the next level, I would love for you to check out my signature group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm.
This is the one where I’m sharing my five step process for setting and achieving your goals. As always I’ll make it simple, doable, and actionable so you can not only set your New Year’s goals, but actually achieve them.
Welcome to The Interior Design Business CEO, the only show for designers who are ready to confidently run and grow their businesses without the stress and anxiety. If you're ready to develop a bigger vision for your interior design business, free up your time, and streamline your days for productivity and profit, you're in the right place. I'm Desi Creswell, an award-winning interior designer and certified life and business coach. I help interior designers just like you stop feeling overwhelmed so they can build profitable businesses they love to run. Are you ready to confidently lead your business, clients, and projects? Let's go.
Hello designers, welcome back to the podcast. This is kind of a fun morning where I am recording this, I just mapped out a totally new way to work with me. And this is something I've been percolating on for maybe the past six months. And this morning it finally all came together and I felt ready to sit down and document it.
So I decided to wiggle when I would create this podcast for you and reduce the amount of time I was going to spend on something else so I could wrap it up more quickly and then got that entire service mapped out. And I just thought this was an example I wanted to share with you of what intentional planning looks like in action.
I had planned to record this podcast earlier in the day, and I intentionally decided to shift things around and adjust my plan so that I could do the thing that was feeling most aligned in the moment. And also that didn't mean I was giving up on the priorities that I had set for the day.
So just to be clear, I always like to remind people intentional planning or using the skills of time management do not require perfection or rigidity. The intentional piece of it is the key to getting what you want to get done done in a way that feels good and honors your energy rhythms and goals for the week. I'm really excited about what I have created. I'm not sure exactly when I'll launch it, but stay tuned for more details on that.
As you're listening to this it's the start of the new year, we're all thinking about what we want to create in 2023. And I really wanted to do this podcast now because typical goal setting approaches often don't work. And I think that the way that we're taught to set goals is often overly complicated, and when the plan is not simple, your brain creates confusion. And confused brains don't take action. So simplicity is always key in goal creation.
The other reason that I wanted to do this is because typical goal setting does not address the achieving part of goal setting, right? We have to set the goal and then actually take action on the goal in order to achieve it. And that is often the hardest part. It's fun to set the goal and be in that possibility of it. But doing the things required of you to hit the goal, that's where you really need support and so I want to make sure we talk about that.
I also want to make sure we address the mindset of goal setting. Having awareness of your own roadblocks and how you're getting in your own way and then consistently redirecting your thinking in a way that serves you is truly the difference between achieving or not achieving your goal. And so that has to be a part of your goal setting and achievement process.
Today I'm going to be sharing a simple, repeatable process you can use year after year to set and achieve your goals. Before we do that, I have another podcast winner that I want to announce. Amunizaga1 wrote, “Simply terrific. As a business owner and interior designer, this podcast is a breath of fresh air and a guiding light. Desi provides a perfect mix of practical solutions with mindset strategies. Listening to her episodes makes me feel focused, calm and motivated to be the true entrepreneur I was meant to be.” That is so good.
And if you're wondering, hey, I kind of want to win something, let me share how. I am giving away $50 gift cards to Jayson Home, one of my favorite home decor shops. And all you have to do is rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen, and then go to desicreswell.com/podcast launch where there's all the instructions you'll need on how to submit.
Basically you need to give me your name, your email address, and the name of your review, so that way I can enter you in the giveaway and have a way to contact you. I'll be announcing another winner next week and it could be you.
Let's dive into what we're talking about today. Let me just paint the picture of what I typically see happening with designers and goal setting. My guess is you're going to fall into one of these categories.
The first is having a lot of excitement around the start of the year and feeling very energized about the possibilities. But this energy quickly turns to overwhelm because you don't know where to start once you set the goal. You've got the ideas, and then all of a sudden you hit a big stop sign because there are so many possibilities, so many ideas, so many things you could possibly tackle.
One of my clients describes this as throwing glitter in the air. It's shiny, it's pretty, it's sparkly, we’re looking at it, we’re oohing and aahing. And then you have to pick it up. And no one likes to pick up glitter, right?
Did you know, this is a real tangent here, but did you know that there are services where you can actually send glitter to people? I guess you must send them to people you don't like because there is nothing worse than glitter. And I mean, it just never goes away. Anyways, let me get back to these categories.
The other thing that might be happening right now is that you're stressed because you have set a goal, you had the intention of saying this is what I want, it's pretty clear. And you know that these are your next best steps. And you have no idea where you'll find the time to take action on those next best steps between all of your client work and all of your other responsibilities.
So instead of getting started in small bits, you put off the start of working towards your goal until you have a large block of time. Which let's be honest, we all know you'll never have.
The other thing I see is perhaps you're engaging in goal hopping. And this really looks like distracted action because you decide to do one thing and then second guess yourself when you hear another strategy on a podcast or you start to just doubt yourself, if you're able to achieve the goal or not. It's really that pattern of starting, stopping, and then never achieving the goal.
Now, if you're thinking, “It's like she's in my brain,” it's because I am. I relate to all of this and experienced it before I found mindset work and developed this process I use in tandem with managing my thoughts and feelings to help fuel the types of actions and results in my business that I want to create. And I also know it intimately because I see it come up with client after client.
And while the behaviors are very common that I described, I just want to normalize that first of all, what you've done to this point does not need to dictate what you're capable of in the future. This process works and you really can change your relationship to goal setting and the outcomes you produce.
Before we talk about the actual steps, we have to first address this idea of being committed to achieving your goals versus trying to achieve your goals or hoping you hit your goals. There's a huge difference in the energy behind each of these. When you're committed to achieving your goals, it's inevitable. You keep showing up. You hit an obstacle, you navigate around that obstacle and you try something new. You keep going.
When you're in the energy of trying to achieve goals or hoping you achieve your goals, you subtly abdicate responsibility. You start speaking about your goals as if they happen to you, instead of you being the creator of them. And this is key that you notice where you're at with whatever goal you're setting, because being committed is going to keep you in consistent action.
And that's not to say that you're going to take perfect action, but you're going to keep at it versus trying or hoping. It has much more of that flavor of hands in the air, of well I guess that didn't work out.
So before I dive into the actual process, check in on how you're approaching your goals. Have you actually been committed? Or have you been in the train and hoping energy? And then with that awareness, which are you going to choose to fuel your actions going forward? Commitment or trying? Decide that right now and then let's get into the process.
I want to be clear, this process can really be used for any goal you set in your life or business. All you have to do is keep returning to this process. This is going to be an overview because this is a podcast and I can only talk in your ear for so long. But this also is going to be a great place to get started with this work.
Step one is to set a clearly defined goal, crystal clear. We always, of course, want to start with the end in mind when we're looking at our goals for an individual year, to make sure that those goals are supporting where we ultimately want to be. This is a great time to return to your life and business vision that we talked about in episode one.
And then keeping that vision in mind, think about where do I want to be at the end of next year? And does that bring me closer to the vision? This is where likely you're going to have a lot of ideas and it's important to narrow your focus. One of the questions I like to ask is, what is the one goal you could focus on that makes all other things pale in comparison?
For me and for my clients this is often an income goal. It's a great overarching goal to start with. And you'll see as we talk about more of the steps, how individual things that you're going to implement throughout the year are going to support it. But it's really important that you focus on one goal at a time.
And I know it can be hard to do this at first until you get into the practice of it. And if you want to go back to episode five to listen to the power of constraint, you'll hear me discuss why the focus is so important. When you constrain your focus to one goal at a time, this is how you're going to create momentum. It makes it so much easier to become laser focused on what core projects and initiatives are going to get you where you want to go.
It's also a way to create freedom. It's a way to drop the shoulds and could-dos and keep moving forward with clarity. So make your goal crystal clear. I want you to think about walking up to someone on the street, sharing your goal, and whatever you tell them, that other person would understand it.
Once you have a crystal clear goal, you're going to create a specific plan. This is where you're going to decide what you're doing to achieve the goal, how you're going to do it, and when you're going to do the things. And the way that I look at this is breaking your goal down into quarterly action plans.
The reason I love this is that it helps keep your priorities top of mind so that when you do have a moment of overwhelm, or life throws you a curve ball, you have these priorities and a small chunk of time to reference and you can use it to plan for your next best steps.
We overestimate what we can do in a day, and we often underestimate what we can do in a quarter or a year. And so bringing your plans into a quarterly basis is just another way to focus your time, energy and attention. It also keeps the work really manageable so that you're not thinking about this huge undertaking for a whole year where you're not having the opportunity to track your progress or see where you're at. It's giving you the opportunity to have wins and successes along the way.
When you think about it, we spend very little time in the actual achievement of a goal. So we want to create ways to be successful along the way so that we can create that internal motivation of seeing ourselves make progress and start to identify as a person who does what they say they're going to do, who completes what they set out to complete. It's so, so motivating and it will shift your identity and the way that you're showing up in your business.
So within each of these 90 day plans or quarterly plans, what I suggest you do is identify one to three core projects you're going to complete per quarter that move you closer to that one specific goal. A project, how I define it, is really the overarching thing. And each project will be broken down then into bite-sized pieces that can be completed in about 50 to 60 minute increments.
So what this looks like in practice is let's say the project is creating an investment guide to help you filter best fit clients. A task, or what I would call a mini result, could be to complete a rough draft of the outline of your investment guide. Or another mini result might be to select five images to use in this document. Another mini result might be to select a template that you're going to use to complete this document.
The more you break down the overarching project into mini results, the easier it is going to be to implement and integrate these mini results into your schedule and your other commitments. Yes, it's going to take some time to break it down this specifically, but the amount of time you're going to save in the long run is so, so worth it.
It also helps you address steps in the project that you might not have initial awareness around and you can get ahead of whatever might get in the way of you completing the project. And it's also a way to do a reality check.
When you look at a project, sometimes our brains tell us this won't take us that long. But then once we start to break down the project and really see the individual mini results we have to create along the way, it can be very clarifying to help us understand, do I actually have the capacity to complete this in the given timeframe?
I do not want you to skip this step of breaking down the projects. At this point it's easy to get stuck in overwhelm or stressing about what the right decisions are for these projects, or how you're breaking things down, or second guessing your plan. I want you to know that's normal. And you're not supposed to know the exact how of how you're going to achieve your goal. If you did, you would have already achieved your goal.
So it's going to be deciding what is the right decision for right now. You're going to execute on these decisions, on these project plans. And then you can make new decisions based on new information when you have it, and we'll talk about that a bit more.
The last part of creating your specific plan is to create deadlines, milestones, and also consider what type of support you need personally and professionally. I love to think about getting support personally as not only impacting my personal life, but also impacting my professional life. So I love to look at where can I get support in both areas?
You do not have to do this alone. So ask yourself, what type of support do I need in order to help me achieve these goals? The milestones and the deadlines are also important because you have to know if you're on track. You have to know if you're moving in the right direction, if you're making the progress that you want to be making in the timeline that you want to be making the progress.
And so that's why it's really important to create those deadlines and milestones. And if you notice a lot of resistance or any other strong reaction, maybe it is anxiety or dread, when you think about the deadlines and milestones you're setting, that is a great time to ask yourself why.
I would love to get curious with you about why is that reaction happening for you. And that's really one of those places where the mindset piece really comes into play and can help you navigate some of those emotions that are between you and your goal.
Step three is to start executing the plan. What you're going to do is use that 90 day plan and all of the bite-sized mini results you outlined and start to layer in those mini results into your weekly and monthly calendar. This is another key part of the process. When you break the project down, there will be many things that can be done in short bursts of time, those 15 minutes to 60 minute increments.
And even if you're very, very busy, you can find time for these, but you have to be proactive. And also allow for a little bit of progress to be enough, because truly it is those little bits of progress that are going to keep you moving forward and create that big result that you want in the end. I highly suggest you block off time now in your calendar for working on these mini results in the projects.
And of course you can shift these blocks of time around. But what I want you to do is have something on your calendar that is holding space for your goal. This is going to help you plan and create space for the reality of what you're setting out to achieve within the larger context of your business and project commitments. It's going to ensure that this work does not become an afterthought, but it is something you intentionally plan into your schedule.
Something you might notice at the step is that the projects don't fit into your calendar. As in you start to map things out and there's no way with your current commitments, whether that's personally or professionally, that you are going to be able to complete these things in the time framework that you have for yourself, so the hours that you want to work, when you want to work, et cetera.
And so this is a great time to evaluate how much time you're giving yourself for all the different steps, how many projects you've identified total, the steps that you have maybe included that maybe aren't even necessary, where those deadlines fall. If you're finding that the projects and the timelines do not work for your current setup, this is not a time to accept defeat. I want you to get creative, use that creative brain of yours and figure out what needs to happen so that you can still make progress.
As you work through these mini results, this is another place where the mindset piece becomes key. Using mindset is how I help my clients close the gap between knowing what to do and doing it. A couple of common obstacles that I see are lack of follow through. So they create a plan and it looks really great on paper, but then they have trouble getting themselves to take action.
And so the solution to this is building the skill of self-accountability. I've got an entire module on it in my program because it is so key. And when I talk about self-accountability, it's really developing the skill of learning to treat yourself as important as you would a client or someone else that you have an appointment with.
Another obstacle that I see is procrastination. And the solution to this really is understanding what's really going on below the surface. What's the real reason you don't want to do the thing that you put on this plan? And in order to overcome this, you have to learn to recognize the stories your brain is telling you about what you're capable of, how hard something's going to be, how long it's going to take, and decide ahead of time how you want to respond.
Because they're just stories that your brain is offering up. And some of them are probably very well practiced and you've been telling them for a very long time. And so you need to intentionally redirect your thinking. So that's just a couple of examples of how the mindset piece plays with this specific plan that you have created.
Step four is going to be evaluate without judgment. And without judgment is key. Things aren't going to work, they're not going to go as planned, you're going to have a brilliant plan to get these mini results during the week and then something else pops up. So we have to evaluate and not give up. When you look at failure as a part of the process, as opposed to a sign that you're not going to hit your goal, you're able to pivot and course correct.
A lot of times I'll see designers feel afraid to set a goal, not because of the factual nature of did I achieve it or didn't I achieve it, like it's a life or death if they achieve it or not. But it's really rooted in being afraid of how they're going to treat themselves and talk to themselves on the other side of potentially not achieving the goal. It's that negative self-talk that we're really resisting.
And that's where this judgment or curious evaluation, which I speak about in an earlier episode, is so key. Remember, evaluation can be simple. It's just what worked, what didn't work and what you're going to do differently. It's how you learn what to keep doing because it's working, and then also see what isn't going so well so you can create a plan for your next steps. I dive deep into this process of evaluation in episode eight, so check that out if you want to learn more.
The final step, step five is succeed or learn and try again. As you move along in completing your goal project plans and keep moving toward goal achievement, there's really only two things that can happen in step five.
Option one is that it's working, you're making progress, you're getting closer to your goal. And if that's what's happening, I want you to celebrate that success. I also want you to utilize what worked and lean into those strategies, leverage them in the following quarter. You have a roadmap for success.
Option two is that something didn't give you the outcome you wanted or the outcome you predicted. And in that case, you're going to use the lessons learned to move forward with more clarity in your actions.
In goal setting you're either succeeding or you're learning. The only way you won't hit your goal is if you quit on yourself. You might not hit your goal in the timeline you thought you'd hit it or the way you thought you'd hit it. But truly, if you keep going, your results will be inevitable.
And when you're so committed to this process, to return to it, to utilize it, to leverage it, you're going to be so proud of yourself at the end of 2023 instead of feeling defeated by another year gone by. You're also going to feel more confident as you take your goal step by step, knowing you're making consistent progress.
You're going to be feeling motivated along the way. You're also going to be developing that deep self-trust. The trust of knowing you're going to do what you say you're going to do and have your own back through the ups and downs of working toward your goal. This is one of the biggest byproducts of goal creation.
I hear time and time again from my clients, I am so much kinder to myself. And guess what? It helps them, it supports them to go reach bigger and better goals. You're going to have a repeatable process you can return to year after year, and you are going to become unstoppable. You're going to keep getting better at this process, you're going to keep refining it, and your goals are going to happen faster and with more ease.
So just like anything, this is a skill. Goal creation is a skill that you're going to continue to cultivate and see the compounding effect of returning to this process I just taught you. Goal achievement is not going to just happen, you have to commit to it, you have to be specific, you have to be deliberate and be willing to keep showing up for yourself and your business.
Setting and achieving any goal you want in your business is so possible for you. I see my clients going from overwhelmed and stressed about how they're going to hit their goals to consistently hitting their goals and actually enjoying the process. I want that for you too.
If you want support with implementing this process, get on my Monday Mindset email list, the link is going to be in the show notes. That service that I hinted at earlier in the episode is going to be a way to go deep and go far with my support in this process in a really concentrated and impactful way. I'm going to have an opportunity for us to work together on this process in the coming months and I don't want you to miss out.
Being on the Monday Mindset email list is the way that you can ensure you're the first to know what's happening behind the scenes and how you can get support. And also, if you love this podcast, you're going to love hearing from me every Monday because I share on topics just like this in really bite-sized pieces that you can use to set your week up for success.
I hear from so many of you that you look forward to receiving that email and look for it every Monday. And if you're not on the list, get on it. It's www.desiid.com/mondaymindset and you'll be added to that list.
We went over so much today so I want to give you a recap. Remember, we started by talking about are you committed to your goals or are you hoping or trying? Be sure to identify which energy you're in and which energy you want to move forward with. And as far as the steps go, let's go over those real quick.
Step one is to set a clearly defined goal. This is where you're picking one specific goal that aligns with where you want to be personally and professionally a year from now. And make that goal crystal clear and decide to be committed to yourself and your goal.
Step two is to create a specific plan. Decide what you're going to do to achieve the goal, how you're doing it, and when you're going to do it. You're going to do this by identifying one to three core projects quarterly that support your overall goal. And then break those down into doable mini results. Lastly, you're going to decide those milestones, timelines, and what support you need personally and professionally.
Step three is to execute the plan. Begin to build your mini results into your daily and weekly schedule. You're going to layer the goal creation work in and make it a part of your business routine. It's just as important as client work. Block off time now so your calendar reflects the reality of your goal within the larger context of your business and project commitments.
And I highly recommend getting the support of a coach to help you through the obstacles that could arise and help you get out of your own way. This is, of course, the work that I do with my clients and I'd be honored to be the one to support you.
Step four is to evaluate without judgment. This is where you're consistently looking at your progress to get curious about what's working, what's not working, and then deciding your next best steps. Evaluate on a regular basis, decide that now how often you're going to evaluate. I love to do a weekly evaluation and that's what I recommend to my clients.
And lastly, we've got step five, the succeed or learn and try again step. With a clear plan in place, tools to manage your thoughts, feelings and actions, and curious evaluation by your side, your success will be inevitable. Once you complete your projects, and eventually hit your goal, you're going to simply repeat the process and blow your own mind again. Let's see what is possible for you.
Now, that's what I have for you today. I'd love to know what goal you're setting for 2023. Send me a DM on Instagram @DesiCreswell. Share your goal or you can even ask me a question about this episode.
In the next episode I'm going to be diving into one of the obstacles that may get in the way of you implementing this process and how to solve for it. I can't wait to dive into that. And until then, I'm wishing you a beautiful week. I'll talk to you in the next episode.
Hey designer, I have a special announcement for you. I recently wrapped up enrollment for my six month group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm. Since closing the doors I’ve heard from several of you that with the busyness of the end the year you didn’t get around to applying or you let yourself sit in that decision limbo until it was just too late. So I’ve been thinking about you. I’m not planning to open the doors to the program again until summer 2023 and I don’t want anyone, especially you, to miss out on the opportunity to get the support you want as we head into the new year.
Out of Overwhelm is my signature six-month program designed to take you from overwhelmed and stressed to profitable, in control, and fulfilled. I’ve decided to reopen enrollment leading up to our virtual kickoff retreat on January 10th. If you love the topics I’m covering on the podcast, you are going to love out of overwhelm. It is where we take these tool and I give you a consistent structure for applying them and we create the exact results you want personally and professionally, and you get to do it all with my support alongside your peers.
So this is your official invitation to join an intimate community of designers where you’ll get my personalized feedback whenever you need it. During our group calls, our monthly focus sessions, and also with daily coaching from me within our online community platform, you’ll always be moving forward.
Head to desicreswell.com/group-coaching or click the link in the show notes for all of the details and to apply. I review the applications personally to ensure it’s the best fit. You can also request to schedule time for us to connect live so I can answer any questions you have.
With the starts of the new year there has never been better time get back in the driver sear of your business. Join me in Out of Overwhelm. Click the link in the show notes to apply and get started January 10.
To celebrate the launch of the show, I'm going to be giving away gift cards to Jayson Home, one of my favorite home decor sources. I'm going to be giving away $50 gift cards to five lucky listeners who follow, rate, and review the show.
Now, it doesn't have to be a five star review, although I sure hope you love the show. I want your honest feedback so I can create an amazing show that provides tons of value. Visit desicreswell.com/podcastlaunch to learn more about the contest and how to enter. I'll be announcing the winners on the show in an upcoming episode.
Thanks for joining me for this week's episode of The Interior Design Business CEO. If you want more tips, tools and strategies visit www.desicreswell.com. And if you're ready to take what you've learned on the podcast to the next level, I would love for you to check out my signature group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm.
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