Why is goal setting important? And how can planning out your goals help you achieve them? There is a science behind success, and it all starts with goal setting. To overcome freeze mode and turn dreams into a reality you have to set your plan properly.
When it comes to our dreams, there is this old-fashioned, positive-thinking mentality that we believe in: Find your dream, wish for it, and success will be yours. When we dream about our futures and what we envision them as or the goals we want to achieve, we tend to stop at the rosy picture we’ve painted. That can only take you so far, but inevitably something will trip you up along the way, and you freeze or hesitate, not knowing what your next step will be.
How to achieve your goals: overcoming freeze mode.
The good news is there is a way to overcome this freeze mode: mental contrasting. This technique involves not only dreaming about your goals and where you want to be in life but also confronting the realities and obstacles that could (and will) come up along the way. By mentally contrasting the positive aspects of your dream with the potential challenges and setbacks, you can build a more realistic and achievable plan for reaching your goals.
The WOOP Strategy:
Without a plan, you set yourself up for failure, so ask yourself, why is goal setting important? Because without your plan, you will inevitably fail. So, help plan out how to achieve your goals with this strategy.
Wish: What is your wish (or goal/dream)? What’s the one thing you are shooting for?
Outcome: Why do you want this?
Obstacle: What is the obstacle that could come up? Both the obstacles within and outside of you that could come up as you go after those goals.
Plan: Make a plan for those obstacles. When you mentally rehearse the obstacles that could come up, you address them ahead of time so that when they do, you can be mentally prepared.
Use the evidence to build your plan.
Evidence is one of the most powerful tools that we have at our disposal. By looking at the evidence of what works and what does not, we can make better-informed decisions about how to move forward. And when it comes to anticipating and planning for obstacles, the evidence is clear. If you haven’t done it in your mind, you are much more likely to freeze or crack when the obstacle actually happens.
The next time you have a dream or goal that you are passionate about, think about the obstacles that could come up and how you might overcome them. By planning for these challenges in advance, you’ll be better equipped to handle them when they arise and stay on track toward reaching your goals. Dreaming is essential, but the doers make their dreams a reality.
Why is goal setting important? You can only achieve what you have envisioned.
Why is goal setting important: Dreamers are not always doers. To be a doer, you have to have a plan. With a plan, you will know how to achieve your goals and find yourself stuck in freeze mode. You need to have strategic action steps to go into the new year. When you attempt to plan in the moment of the obstacles, it will not create your best plan.