Action: The Goal Snowball
New Year's Resolutions are a losing proposition. Therefore, I'm not going to talk about that… we're over the hype. I prefer the Goal Snowball. This was inspired by the "Debt Snowball" made famous by Christian Financial advisor, author, radio host and aquaitance, Dave Ramsey. I'll give you a quick overview of Dave's "Debt Snowball". Then, I'll introduce the "Goal Snowball". I would like to point out that much of this is not new information. I want to present in a different way that engages you in the process and builds momentum.
Basically, the Debt Snowball is psychological vehicle that an individual or family can use to reach their goal of being debt free. You put your debt amounts in order from least to greatest. You relentlessly ATTACK the smallest amount first until that debt is gone. Then you move on to the next greater debt amount. Relentlessly attacking that debt until it's gone. You continue up the line attacking bigger and bigger debts. What is pushing you through this? It is the psychological momentum of achievement, compounded payments and measured results (success record). Rather than trying to pay off four credit cards and two cars all at the same time by making minimum payments and getting NOWHERE, you trim that fat and attack the smallest debt first and knock it out. When that first debt is gone, you feel really good. You want to kill the next debt because you have momentum and resources to get the job done. So you attack the next debt with a vengeance and keeping a track record of paid off debts. A small success leads to a bigger one and so on… for more on the Debt Snowball or Financial Peace, go to Dave Ramsey here.
The Goal Snowball works the same way. Sit down and think about one thing you have always wanted to achieve. Maybe you have been trying to achieve this goal for years. Maybe you want to lose 50 pounds, run a marathon, take your family to Disney World, or read the entire Bible. Whatever it is, write that one goal down. Look at it and see yourself having already achieved that specific goal. If you want to run a marathon and can't make it four blocks, write down "Run a marathon". Close your eyes and see yourself crossing the finish line and seeing your family and friends cheering for you. If you want to lose 50 pounds, look at yourself in the mirror, then see yourself 50lbs thinner. See yourself at Disney with your family, everyone happy and enjoying themselves. You MUST be able to see yourself achieving your goal. What will it look like? What will it feel like? What will it sound like?
Next write down a specific date for your goal. Be honest and realistic. If you have not run a mile since high school, you can't be ready for a marathon in two months. Pray about it. Ask for God's help and guidence.
This is where it gets fun! You have set this big gnarly goal. Some family and friends will laugh or tell you that you can't achieve it. The worst thing they will do is discourage you! Do not listen to them. Do you know how many people laughed and discouraged the Wright Brothers? Yet on a wind-swept field in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903 the Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first controlled, powered flight in history. We would not have air travel, space flight, satellites and a host of other technologies had they listened to the naysayers. The reason naysayers behave the way they do is because they envy the fact that you are actually want to achieve something! You are pushing yourself to become a better version of yourself. Funny thing, they will applaud you when you reach your goal. You end up inspiring them.
There are a few things you will need to do to reach your goal. Your process is very important because you want to build momentum. Start out with something you can do today. This is a small goal that you can successfully achieve by 9pm today! This goal must be RESEARCH. Most people bypass this first step. The research step is ESSENTIAL! The interesting thing about this step is how many folks you will come in contact with who may be wanting the same thing or may have achieved the goal you have set for yourself. Not to mention, the amount of knowledge you will gain. You begin to see the big goal you want to achieve for what it REALLY is…a group of smaller goals that lead the way to your ultimate goal. If you want to run a marathon, find out how long a marathon is (26 miles and 385 yds) and use the web to find a training schedule. If you want to read the entire Bible in a year, research the different types of Bibles (King James Version will be more challenging than a New International Version). Use the web to find a reading schedule and plan that suites you. If you want to lose 50lbs, call your Doctor and research diets. Personal Note: When I decided to do my first Triathlon, I made a post on Facebook about it and I was surprised how many people were Triathletes. I received encouragement and tips from these people. Therefore, I started listening to Triathletes rather than naysayers! I noticed shift in my psyche and attitude. Part of this research step is establishing a recording and tracking system/platform. If you have no way to track your success, you won't feel the Goal Snowball's psychological effect. Keeping a record of your progress is essential! There are dozens of tools and platforms to track your success. You may want to start a blog, or join an online community dedicated to your specific goal. Start a record and talk to people. You'll be surprised how many folks are in your camp. Replace the naysayers with these people. It is essential to share these goals with your loved ones. They may try to distract you. But, ask them to help you.
Set another small goal that you must accomplish by 9pm tomorrow. This will be the first step found in your research. If you have chosen to run a marathon, your 1st goal may be to walk eight blocks. Make sure to track your process. Print out your plan and progress report. Tape it to your bathroom mirror and keep a copy at work. Use regular reminders on your calendar. Set up some rewards for each small goal.
When you achieve a goal, announce it to everyone. "Hey, guys I started training for a marathon a month ago and I ran three miles today!" Then say, "Anyone up for a run this weekend?" Or "Hey people, I want to lose 50lbs by Thanksgiving and I've lost 8lbs in three weeks!" and then say "I found an awesome low-calorie recipe for oatmeal-raisin cookies. I'm making some tonight to reward myself!" Then post or email everyone the recipe. Not only are you making your way to your goal, you are inspiring others, growing and tightening your support group. An unintended consequence may be that someone else starts working toward the same goal. You could be improving several lives while working toward that goal you've always wanted to achieve. I can't stress it enough, SHARE your progress! Keep in mind, when things get tough, the time you spent sharing your progress will make you accountable to others. Now that you have built momentum and people are watching you… You don't want to let them down. Use peer pressure to your advantage. After you prove that you are getting results in your quest to achieve your ultimate goal, peer pressure from naysayers has transformed into peer pressure from supporters who want you to win. So, you gut it out when times get tough and you stumble. Personal Note: When I was a very little boy, my father had a ranch outside of town with some horses and cattle. I learned to ride and enjoyed saddling up my horse and spending hours just riding around the property. One day, our trainer had me saddle a mare named Jackie. She was not as friendly as my horse and I was a bit afraid of her. But, I decided to ride anyway. After leaving the barn, something spooked the horse, she took off and I ended up on the ground. Needless to say, I was scared and in tears. Our trainer ran over and helped me up and dusted me off. After letting me calm down a few moment and figuring out I was not hurt, she led Jackie back over to me and told me to get back on. I thought she had lost her mind. I argued for a while. But, eventually gave in to what had gone from a request to an all-out order from the trainer. It may have been the most important thing I learned as a kid. Get back up and get back on with life. The same goes for stumbling on your path to achieving your goals.
Lance Cashion
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Basically, the Debt Snowball is psychological vehicle that an individual or family can use to reach their goal of being debt free. You put your debt amounts in order from least to greatest. You relentlessly ATTACK the smallest amount first until that debt is gone. Then you move on to the next greater debt amount. Relentlessly attacking that debt until it's gone. You continue up the line attacking bigger and bigger debts. What is pushing you through this? It is the psychological momentum of achievement, compounded payments and measured results (success record). Rather than trying to pay off four credit cards and two cars all at the same time by making minimum payments and getting NOWHERE, you trim that fat and attack the smallest debt first and knock it out. When that first debt is gone, you feel really good. You want to kill the next debt because you have momentum and resources to get the job done. So you attack the next debt with a vengeance and keeping a track record of paid off debts. A small success leads to a bigger one and so on… for more on the Debt Snowball or Financial Peace, go to Dave Ramsey here.
The Goal Snowball works the same way. Sit down and think about one thing you have always wanted to achieve. Maybe you have been trying to achieve this goal for years. Maybe you want to lose 50 pounds, run a marathon, take your family to Disney World, or read the entire Bible. Whatever it is, write that one goal down. Look at it and see yourself having already achieved that specific goal. If you want to run a marathon and can't make it four blocks, write down "Run a marathon". Close your eyes and see yourself crossing the finish line and seeing your family and friends cheering for you. If you want to lose 50 pounds, look at yourself in the mirror, then see yourself 50lbs thinner. See yourself at Disney with your family, everyone happy and enjoying themselves. You MUST be able to see yourself achieving your goal. What will it look like? What will it feel like? What will it sound like?
Next write down a specific date for your goal. Be honest and realistic. If you have not run a mile since high school, you can't be ready for a marathon in two months. Pray about it. Ask for God's help and guidence.
This is where it gets fun! You have set this big gnarly goal. Some family and friends will laugh or tell you that you can't achieve it. The worst thing they will do is discourage you! Do not listen to them. Do you know how many people laughed and discouraged the Wright Brothers? Yet on a wind-swept field in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903 the Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first controlled, powered flight in history. We would not have air travel, space flight, satellites and a host of other technologies had they listened to the naysayers. The reason naysayers behave the way they do is because they envy the fact that you are actually want to achieve something! You are pushing yourself to become a better version of yourself. Funny thing, they will applaud you when you reach your goal. You end up inspiring them.
There are a few things you will need to do to reach your goal. Your process is very important because you want to build momentum. Start out with something you can do today. This is a small goal that you can successfully achieve by 9pm today! This goal must be RESEARCH. Most people bypass this first step. The research step is ESSENTIAL! The interesting thing about this step is how many folks you will come in contact with who may be wanting the same thing or may have achieved the goal you have set for yourself. Not to mention, the amount of knowledge you will gain. You begin to see the big goal you want to achieve for what it REALLY is…a group of smaller goals that lead the way to your ultimate goal. If you want to run a marathon, find out how long a marathon is (26 miles and 385 yds) and use the web to find a training schedule. If you want to read the entire Bible in a year, research the different types of Bibles (King James Version will be more challenging than a New International Version). Use the web to find a reading schedule and plan that suites you. If you want to lose 50lbs, call your Doctor and research diets. Personal Note: When I decided to do my first Triathlon, I made a post on Facebook about it and I was surprised how many people were Triathletes. I received encouragement and tips from these people. Therefore, I started listening to Triathletes rather than naysayers! I noticed shift in my psyche and attitude. Part of this research step is establishing a recording and tracking system/platform. If you have no way to track your success, you won't feel the Goal Snowball's psychological effect. Keeping a record of your progress is essential! There are dozens of tools and platforms to track your success. You may want to start a blog, or join an online community dedicated to your specific goal. Start a record and talk to people. You'll be surprised how many folks are in your camp. Replace the naysayers with these people. It is essential to share these goals with your loved ones. They may try to distract you. But, ask them to help you.
Set another small goal that you must accomplish by 9pm tomorrow. This will be the first step found in your research. If you have chosen to run a marathon, your 1st goal may be to walk eight blocks. Make sure to track your process. Print out your plan and progress report. Tape it to your bathroom mirror and keep a copy at work. Use regular reminders on your calendar. Set up some rewards for each small goal.
When you achieve a goal, announce it to everyone. "Hey, guys I started training for a marathon a month ago and I ran three miles today!" Then say, "Anyone up for a run this weekend?" Or "Hey people, I want to lose 50lbs by Thanksgiving and I've lost 8lbs in three weeks!" and then say "I found an awesome low-calorie recipe for oatmeal-raisin cookies. I'm making some tonight to reward myself!" Then post or email everyone the recipe. Not only are you making your way to your goal, you are inspiring others, growing and tightening your support group. An unintended consequence may be that someone else starts working toward the same goal. You could be improving several lives while working toward that goal you've always wanted to achieve. I can't stress it enough, SHARE your progress! Keep in mind, when things get tough, the time you spent sharing your progress will make you accountable to others. Now that you have built momentum and people are watching you… You don't want to let them down. Use peer pressure to your advantage. After you prove that you are getting results in your quest to achieve your ultimate goal, peer pressure from naysayers has transformed into peer pressure from supporters who want you to win. So, you gut it out when times get tough and you stumble. Personal Note: When I was a very little boy, my father had a ranch outside of town with some horses and cattle. I learned to ride and enjoyed saddling up my horse and spending hours just riding around the property. One day, our trainer had me saddle a mare named Jackie. She was not as friendly as my horse and I was a bit afraid of her. But, I decided to ride anyway. After leaving the barn, something spooked the horse, she took off and I ended up on the ground. Needless to say, I was scared and in tears. Our trainer ran over and helped me up and dusted me off. After letting me calm down a few moment and figuring out I was not hurt, she led Jackie back over to me and told me to get back on. I thought she had lost her mind. I argued for a while. But, eventually gave in to what had gone from a request to an all-out order from the trainer. It may have been the most important thing I learned as a kid. Get back up and get back on with life. The same goes for stumbling on your path to achieving your goals.
Finally, as you progress toward your goal by building up momentum using smaller goals that make up your ultimate goal, you will feel different. Half-way through the process you realize that what was once unachievable a year ago is within sight. This is the best part. Not only do you have momentum, but you ultimate goal starts to pull you closer. The attraction caused by your realization that your goal is attainable becomes stronger the closer you get. Then, on the day you have marked, you cross the finish line, you look in the mirror, you close the Bible and smile because you have arrived, you have won, you have inspired, and you have overcome. Take a mental picture of that moment and remember what it felt like. What was once a non-realistic dream has become a reality and a part of your personal history.
Aspirando et Perseverando!
Lance Cashion
Click Here to Receive My Newsletter
posted by lance at
1/07/2010 03:12:00 PM
3 Comments:
To the contrary, I know for a fact that Christianity is vibrant, growing and more essential now than ever. I can appreciate your opinions, but I disagree with your position.
Jesus Christ came to earth to die for you. Is what you are doing today worth him dying for? The Bible provides the answer.
I also suggest picking up CS Lewis "Mere Christianity"
Lance,
Great post. I just used part of this method, before reading it, the other day. I have fallen behind on numerous projects and goals and was getting down about it. I started listing them out and then listing smaller things that go with them below it. Just that much inspired me to do several hours of work on a project I haven't touched in months. It felt great and my wife noticed and was pleased as well.
Reading this puts it in perspective and makes it more clear. I will continue to push ahead and finish up some of those projects. Looking forward to a great year.
I also agree that Christianity is making a resurgence and is needed more now then ever!
Keep up the great work!
Jason
Jason, that is great to hear! Always a work in progress. Making small course corrections and setting small goals to get traction to knock out the big ones!
I hope you acheieve whatever it is you are shooting for.
Lance
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