The Difference Between Goals & Desires - & How To Win Them All

Understanding the Difference

There's no denying the value and power goal setting has on our lives - personally, professionally, as well as intellectually, and emotionally.  It's been proven that when we set goals, we're more likely to achieve them.

There's a significant difference between a goal and a desire.

Understanding that distinction will have an impact on how you set about achieving your goals and designing the life YOU love. 

 

 

A Goal is something you're willing to work to achieve and it's something that you have complete control over.

A Desire, on the other hand, is something you really want to have or do, but you may not have complete control over achieving or obtaining it.

 

 

Some Examples to Illustrate:

Perhaps you decide to avoid white bread and pasta for a month to support your health goals.  Since no one can force you to eat penne on Sunday, you have complete control of this situation and you've set yourself an achievable goal.  

Running 5 kilometers a day, 5 times a week to become more healthy and fit - that's a goal since you're in complete control of the outcome. 

On the other hand, if you're going to the cottage for 2 weeks in August and you'd love to enjoy good weather, you can't set a goal for there to be only good weather for those specific 14 days in August.  

You desire favourable weather and there's a possibility the sun will shine during your vacation, but it's not something you can control, so it's a desire. 

Living Your Life By Design

Goalsetting is a success principle that means the difference between living your life by default, simply moving through it, and reacting to whatever comes your way, as opposed to living your life by design - consciously shaping each day, week, month, and year. 

Want to design the life you love?  

Start by setting some goals for yourself and you'll be amazed at what you achieve. 

How to do it:

Step 1 - Pick Your Target

It starts with figuring out what it is that you want.  Want to achieve something awesome?    What is it for you?

• Become Debt Free
• 
  Start a New Business
• Find Your Soul-Level Love Match
• Lose the baby weight
• Start a family
• Travel
• Become an Author or Artist
• Master an instrument
• Whatever you want

Step 2 - Write It Down 

It's been proven that people who write down their goals are infinitely more likely to achieve them.

Make a list, get a notebook, start a Goalsetting Journal, whatever works for you, but put your goal into words somehow. 

Step 3 - Set Your Sights - Make Your Goals SMART-ER

To ensure your goals are something you'll achieve, put some thought into them.  Work on them a bit.  Make your target SMARTER.

SPECIFIC - Be precise about what you want to achieve

MEASURABLE - This helps you know progress is being made

ACTIONABLE - The actions you can take to take to reach your goal

REALISTIC - Big goals become more achievable broken down into smaller goals

TIMEBOUND - Give it a target, a deadline - something to shoot for 

EVALUATE - Check your Progress along the way.  What's working? What's not?

READJUST - As you move closer to your goal, adjust your approach as necessary.

 

Step 4 - BECOME

Living your life by design, and consciously making progress toward your big life goals, may mean you'll have to stretch a little. 

You may have to learn something new to become the person you'll need to be to achieve your goal.  

So, set about researching, gaining information, and expanding your knowledge. 

Here's an example.  If your goal is to become 100% debt-free, but you have $30,000 in consumer debt, no savings and you're carrying a hefty mortgage, you're going to have to learn a thing or two about creating a prosperity plan for yourself.  

You'll have to

1. Change some spending habits
2. Learn how to support yourself on less of your total income
3. Create a plan that'll work for you to methodically eliminate your debt to reach zero 

You may need to take a course, read some books, and listen to some lectures to become that person who deserves that goal.  

With the power of the internet and all the cumulative knowledge of humanity at your fingertips - you're easily on your way!

There are a LOT of steps to your goal to become debt-free.  BUT I can tell you this much for sure: there's no feeling like the FULL BODY exhilaration you'll experience on the day you make that final payment!! 

Psssttt...and I recommend it!  Get busy!!

Step 5 - Celebrate Your Wins

There is NO substitute for creating the life you absolutely love - YOUR Masterpiece Life and it's important to enjoy the process along the way.

Celebrate those wins - the tiny ones along with the big milestones - as you move closer to achieving your goals and creating the life you love. 

Now it's your turn:

I'd love to know

1. What area of your life would you like to begin improving first?
2. What is the big mountaintop goal - what do you ultimately want to achieve?
3. What smaller, stepper-goals will you need to reach along the way?

Share your comments below or... if you'd like some personalized help setting up a plan to achieve that thing you want, I have this 

Gift for you

If you'd like some help breaking your big life goals down into action steps and creating a plan to achieve them all, I'd love to help.  

Contact me today to schedule your

Zero Cost Rapid Results Strat-Chat.

andrea@coachforlife.ca

About the Author:

Andrea Raco is passionate about helping women design and build the life or business they love.  

She's a Certified Success and Life Enrichment Coach, the Founder of Coach for Life, and the Curator of Gold Key Club - a private online community for women making a difference in the world with their unique talents and gifts.  If you'd like to join her community, let her know - it's entirely free.

For more information about services and programs and how she can help you design your Masterpiece Life or a business you love, visit www.coachforlife.ca, send a private message or e-mail to andrea@coachforlife.ca

 

 

7 Simple Steps to Success - How to Achieve Your Big Mountaintop Goals This Year

The final quarter of the year tends to be our most successful.  

It's when we put a big push to finish out the year on target for those goals we set way back at the beginning of it - and then, the holidays hit and we take our foot off the gas, spend some time with family and friends and rejuvenate our spirit.

And then... the calendar flips to a brand new year!

And it's time to get back in the saddle, set our sights once again, and get moving powerfully and productively toward creating the results we want and achieving our winning outcomes!

But it's been a lonnnnng pause, right?

It can be tough to get moving again and to stay focused - we've lost all that momentum we had going on back at the beginning of December and it seems you're facing a massive mountain.

Staying motivated to summit that peak and see the realization of your big mountaintop goals can take some recommitment after the long holiday season, but - if that mountain has been conquered by others before you - you can do it too. 

Now's the time to set yourself up for success and make this year your best one yet!  

It can also be especially challenging if you're not so excited about doing what it takes to achieve your goals for the year and if you're anything like me, and inclined to procrastinate, some old-fashioned FOCUSing is due.

Here are my Best Success Keys to help you stay on track to achieve your big mountaintop goals and make this year your best year yet.  

1.  VISUALIZE THE END RESULT  

By creating a visual in your mind, on paper, in your journal, on your computer - however you prefer - of exactly what it is that you'd like to achieve this year, you'll have a better understanding of how to motivate yourself - and actually do what it takes to achieve your goal.      

                                                                                                                

Take Action:  

• 
  What exactly do you want?  Write it down.  
• Add pictures if that helps you to visualize the end result.  
• How will you feel once you've accomplished your big goal?  Write that down too.  
• How will you celebrate your achievement?
• What does achieving your goal mean to you?

Be specific about the difference accomplishing your goal will make in your life.  

Check this list regularly, or view our vision board often.  

I recommend multiple times in a day - start the day with it, read it at lunch, finish out the day as you head to bed, and evaluate your progress as you go.    

2.  DETERMINE WHAT DRIVES YOU - Understand your 'Why'

• Are you driven by your own needs or desires?  
• Are you motivated by those of your family or loved ones? 
• Maybe you're driven by a desire to serve your clients, to fit into all those clothes in your closet, to become entirely debt-free.

Understand WHY you want to achieve your big goal and then determine what you're willing to do to achieve it.  

How badly do you want it this year?  Is THIS year THE year you're going to do it?  Finish it? Achieve it?

Take Action:  

• What are you passionate about?  
• How are the values tied to your goal?  

Write down the specific reason you want to achieve your ultimate goal. Post it near your workstation so you can easily see it every day. 

3.  MAKE A PLAN - WORK YOUR PLAN

Once you've decided what is it is that you want to achieve or create for yourself, and you've determined WHY you want it THIS year, the next step is to figure out what you have to do to make it happen and then, allocate the time for it.  

Take Action:  

• Create an action plan to achieve your goal
• Break down your goal into smaller, more manageable goals
• Order the steps to make it happen 
• Create a realistic schedule - put time-bound targets on each step
• Give yourself a set amount of time each day to do something that moves you toward completing your goal
• If you're not finished when the time's up, move the rest of the task to your next available time slot or to the next day

4.  DIVIDE AND CONQUER

If you're like me, you're spinning a whole bunch of plates:  family, the house, your relationships, your boss or business, and client deadlines... all demand your time, energy and attention.  

Toss in what we do to keep fit and healthy, extracurriculars, and there just isn't enough time in a day - especially if we're on a mission to accomplish something.  

Take Action

1. If you have a spouse or kids (or both), hold a family meeting to get your team on board with what you're trying to do.  
2. Divide responsibilities to free up some of your valuable time so you can devote it to achieving your goal.  

Children who grow up with regular responsibilities become more self-sufficient, so you're actually helping them by getting them to pitch in.

Kids can pull weeds, rake leaves, sweep, vacuum, take out the garbage, put away laundry, keep their rooms tidy, set and clear dishes, load and unload laundry machines and the dishwasher, walk the dog, and scoop the litter.

Maybe your partner can pick up the groceries or take a turn with the meal prep and cooking some of the days of the week. 

Time-Saving Tips:

• Plan your grocery shopping so it happens just once a week instead of five times.  
• Batch cook on weekends so you're not having to cook as often during the week.  
• Pay your bills online once a month to avoid trips to the bank and post office
• If picking up kids from school is on your list, see if you can share the responsibility with another mom who lives in your neighbourhood 

5.  REWARD YOURSELF - CELEBRATE ALL PROGRESS

Rewards are the BEST motivators!  Staying motivated is infinitely easier when you have something exciting to strive for:  a cup of specialty coffee or tea, a special treat or a favourite book, a date night with your partner, a meal at your favourite restaurant, or a mini getaway. 

Take Action

Set up small rewards for each stepper goal you achieve along the way that brings you closer to your big mountaintop goal. 

This can be as simple as a date night with your partner where you get a sitter for the kids and celebrate.  

It can be a new accessory for your wardrobe or spend some time planning the exciting trip you'll take when you do reach that big goal.  

Do whatever it takes to keep you motivated to stay on track - add that to your calendar.  Make time to celebrate your progress along the way.  

6.  MOVE MORE

Daily exercise has been proven to boost confidence levels, increase motivation, and even stave off depression.

Take Action 

If moving your body daily is already something you do, congratulations to you.  If not though... it's time to get more active.  

Clear your thoughts by incorporating a brisk walk into your daily routine.  20-30 minutes of movement is all you need to get some fresh air, and sunshine, and to get the blood flowing in your veins - and those endorphins popping.  

Not only will you have a clearer head to focus on what you have to do - your body will thank you.     

Making daily movement a part of your regular routine will have surprising benefits.  

7.  UTILIZE PUSH POWER

It may seem like a dirty little trick, but sometimes we have to do whatever it takes to stay motivated.  

Ultimately, people are motivated by 2 things:  Fear and Desire. 

We desire a particular outcome or we fear one and will avoid it. 

Take Action

Try looking at what you want from a different angle.  What would happen if you didn't reach your goal? How will THAT make you feel?  Analyze what's at stake and let the fear of THAT outcome motivate you into action.

Review your goals, take focused action each day and if you'd like some help with breaking your goals down into action steps and moving from where you are to where you want to be, I'd love to chat.  

TAKE THE NEXT STEP... WITH ME

If you'd like some help working out your goals for the year, and putting together a targeted Action Plan to achieve it - and make this year your Best Year yet - I'd love to chat.

Contact me today for your ZERO Cost Rapid Results Strategy Call.

You'll come away with:  

1. A crystal clear vision for your ultimate success and 
2. A simple step-by-step Action Plan for how to achieve it.  
3. Some free resources to help you get there. 

By the end of our call, you'll be re-energized, renewed, and inspired to achieve your big mountaintop goals for the year.

About the Author

Andrea Raco, is a Certified Success and Life Enrichment Coach, Founder of Coach for Life, and Curator of Gold Key Club ~ a private community for women on a mission to make a difference in the world with their unique talents and gifts.

She's passionate about helping women design and build the life or business they love.  

For more information about her services or programs, visit www.coachforlife.ca or send her an e-mail: andrea@coachforlfe.ca.

How to Embrace Change With An Open Heart

 

It's a new season and a new month, but no matter what day of the week or month of the year it is, it can be a season of growth for you. 

The sun is setting a little earlier each day and the leaves have released their brilliance and blown away on the chilly winter wind. Pretty soon, the holidays will be upon us. 

As the season shifts from the gorgeous autumn colour to the final season of the year, it comes with a quiet invitation for us to transform. 

Change is a challenge for all of us.

Until we settle into new routines, it can feel messy and uncomfortable. 

Change, however, can also bring gifts: A chance to grow. 

We can't grow without change. Take a second to reflect back on a big change that happened in your life.

At the time, you may have felt it was the end of something when really, it turned out to be the beginning of something new and exciting.

Maybe even something better.

We all go through difficult circumstances and overcome challenges large and small, transformations that affect us deeply. 

• We worry (who doesn't have some things to worry about these days?)
• We're disappointed
• We feel hopeless
• We feel inadequate or ill-equipped
• We wish for a different boss, different circumstances, a different body

We may even wish for a different life.

If we want to expand in any way, become stronger, kinder, braver, more fit and healthy, and live more authentically and true to our passions and purpose, we must create space for change to happen, and for growth to occur. 

Here's how to embrace change and start fresh with an open heart so you can BECOME all you're meant to. 

Embrace Painful Past Experiences With Gratitude

You can have a heartwrenching story from your past that caused deep sorrow, anger, frustration, or pain...without letting it affect your present.

The thing about that past experience is exactly that. It's over. It's NOT happening now. 

If it's something that still causes you pain, recognize it for what it is - a painful situation from your past.  

Next, do your best to change your emotional response to it:

• Bring your attention to the present and recognize all the positives around you
• What were the valuable lessons you could take from that experience?
• Write them down
• Reflect on them in your meditations or personal journal. What did you learn?

Shift your thinking about that negative experience to one of gratitude. Without that experience, you wouldn't be the amazing, strong, resilient person you've become. 

Focus On What's Within Your Control

So yes, a global pandemic has thrown us off our game and we're still very much feeling the effects of COVID.

And much has changed because of it.  Many of us are still grieving and recovering since we've suffered losses, sadness, and frustrations about what's completely out of our control.

You may be thinking, “What's happening around us is a horrible nightmare!" 

Despite the global pandemic, outbreak of war in Ukraine, shocking violence - and all that comes with those devastations, not everything is beyond our control. 

In fact, there's plenty we can do something about. 

We can choose to invest our energies in the things that matter most to us. 

• Love, hope, and compassion have not been postponed, closed, or canceled
• We are free to make choices about our family, our health, our self-care
• We can dream, explore, learn and grow

Consider all that you do have within your control - even during these difficult times and then refuse to allow life’s difficulties to cloud your vision or steal away your hope, or your motivation to DO what you need to do. 

Ask Yourself: 

1. What do you have to do to stay healthy? 
2. What do you have to do to help your loved ones stay healthy? 
3. How can you find more balance of mind, body, and soul?

Free your mind by accepting what you can't control. Focus instead on doing the very best you can with what you do have control over. 

When we think better about our circumstances, we live better in spite of them.

Choose A Fresh Response

Regardless of the circumstances, how we respond is entirely our choice. 

Our emotional intelligence is incredibly valuable and how you choose to respond to a situation can affect the overall outcome - and even change a negative situation into a positive one.

Every time you're tempted to react to something: 

1. Pause for a few seconds
2. Take a few cleansing breaths and 
3. Create space for a healthy change of state or for a solution to come forward.

Ask yourself: 

• How can I respond from a place of strength or grace today?
• What would be the very best way to achieve a positive outcome?
• What can I say or do to make the situation improve?

Consciously redirect your focus from something unchangeable or beyond your control to some small and actionable measure you can take or words you can say that will move you forward in a positive way or improve the situation.

The greatest weapon against pain, anger, and frustration is your ability to pause, breathe, and choose your next move - make it a positive one. 

You can train your mind to make the very best of what you have to deal with or manage, even when it’s not what you'd have wished for. 

RIGHT NOW is THE perfect time to make it a priority to learn and grow a little bit every day by creating positive, healthy habits and sticking to them. 

Start small. Pick something new. Add it to your schedule and practice it daily until it becomes a part of your routine. 

Life gets better when we get better at processing it, responding to it in the best way possible, and continuing to strive forward, overcome, and grow. 

Your Turn Now

I'd love to hear from you. 

• What change are you facing right now?
• What transformation would you like to make?
• Which one of these strategies will you try? 

Leave your comments below.

A Gift For You

And I have a gift for you: 

If committing to a new self-care regimen is on your 'To-Do' list, contact me directly at andrea@coachforlife.ca for your Free Guide: Love Yourself More ~ Finding Balance of
Mind~Body~Soul for the 'Too Busy' Woman. 

I'll send a free copy along to you.

About the Author:

Andrea Raco is a Certified Success and Life Enrichment Coach, Founder of Coach for Life, Creative Wordsmith at The Copy Doc, and the Curator of Gold Key Club ~ a private community for Ladypreneurs, Supermoms, and Sisters making a difference in the world. She'd be delighted if you'd join her FREE community. Request membership to Gold Key Club.

For more information about her programs and services, visit www.coachforlife.ca or connect on Facebook.

Add JOY to Your Life With 6 Simple Self-Care Practices

Does your life feel like you're on a treadmill? 

You’re running and juggling, trying to take care of your family, the pets, your home, advance your career or grow your business (even at a time when we're adjusting and accommodating a global pandemic), giving to your community...

Plus, you have an ongoing list of self-improvements niggling your brain: 

• Workout~Get Stronger
• Lose weight~Get Healthier
• Meditate~Reduce Stress
• Eat Healthier~Live Longer
• Whiten teeth
• Smooth wrinkles
• Hydrate more
• Sharpen mind~Learn new skills
• Be kinder, more generous and helpful

And on and on.

And we wonder why it's SO hard to fit self-care into our lives! 

We wonder why it gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list - or worse...deleted from it entirely.  When we take our self-care off the list, what we're essentially doing is NOT Prioritizing ourselves and we can't pour from an empty cup.

What if a better way was possible?

Self-care shouldn't feel like it's nagging at you.It should feel rejuvenating and nurturing.

If your self-care routine feels like a burden, it’s probably because you’re trying to do too much. 

The Fix:  Simplify

Focus on developing a few healthy habits to help you love yourself every day and give you what you need.  Do this to be in the very best position to Win The Day - every day.

1. Start With A Dose of Introspection

Here’s how I prepare to take on the day: 

1. I wake up
2. Have breakfast & coffee and a glass of lemon water
3. Write in my journal: 3 things I'm grateful for.  Then I pick one thing I absolutely MUST accomplish in the day and write that down - My target for the day.

While it may be simple to catch up on the news or social media - reserve this time for focusing on how to make this day the most productive. 

I recommend this practice even if you'll need to get up 20-30 minutes earlier - that quiet, reflective time is priceless.

2. Nourish Your Healthy Body 1st

We really are what we eat!

If you want a healthy, strong body, make wise food choices - every time. 

• Hydrate with plenty of clean water
• Consume more fiber and vegetables
• Eliminate junk, sugar, processed foods
• Choose whole grains
• Limit coffee and alcohol (no need to give them up entirely)

Whenever possible, choose nutrient-packed, non-processed foods that you cook or prepare yourself. 

3. Move Your Body Next

We're designed to move and yet we spend so much time sedentary - behind a computer, at a desk, on the couch.

If getting your daily workout in is a challenge for you too...get it over with first thing.  

You'll feel better when you move your body - even if it's for 10 minutes - and you'll feel better once you've done something active for the day!

Don't have a whole hour to dedicate to a fitness routine?  

No problem - start smaller.  Try any of these for just 10 minutes in the morning to get your blood moving and clear out the cobwebs: 

• Put on some music. Dance & shake it, baby!
• Take the dog for a brisk walk
• On-the-spot stretches to get your muscled warmed up and your blood flowing 
• A stroll to the mailbox and back

4. Expand Your Mind

Make it your mission to learn something new every day. 

Seek out information about something that broadens your knowledge on a topic you're interested in. 

When we embrace being a student of life - for life, every day is an exciting opportunity to expand and grow.

• Be curious
• Be full of childlike wonder
• Pursue answers to your burning questions - find them.

Just because we left school doesn't mean we stop pursuing knowledge.  With the collective wisdom of humanity literally at our fingertips, take some time every day to learn.  If we're not growing, we're stagnating and dying.   

5. Nourish Your Soul

Make it a priority to cultivate the activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.

Take this step beyond your daily routines. You may enjoy your job or developing your business, but it won’t always satisfy you.  Your work, profession, or business may even be a source of frustration.

You undoubtedly love your family, but they may not always be encouraging or understanding of what it is you want to achieve for yourself.  

For soul nourishment, what’s one thing you can do that will make you happy and renew your spirit today?

• Artwork
• Play an instrument
• Take up a hobby that lights you up
• Write
• Connect with a relative or a friend
• Enjoy some aromatherapy or hydrotherapy
• Book a monthly massage

What is it for you? What nourishes your soul? What makes you feel more joyful connected, or that you're making a significant difference in the world? 

Whatever it is, do more THAT this week. Schedule it right into your planner.  Make your soul nourishment a priority. Stay committed to it.

6. Be Compassionate With Yourself

Disappointment, emotional pain, letdowns, and even suffering are things we can't avoid - they're all part of our human experience. 

Acknowledge your struggles and your challenges and then embrace them with compassion. 

Compassion is the antidote.

With compassion, we can take the lessons of the experience and move forward - in spite of the discomfort and pain.  It's how we grow and become more resilient.  

Will we have scars?  Sure.  Will those pains heal with time?  Absolutely.  Even the worst of them.  Time is an incredible healer.   

If you do nothing else to love yourself today, start by giving yourself the gift of compassion.

Progress Not Perfection

Make this your new mantra for self-care:  Progress, not perfection. 

Take the pressure off yourself.

Find a gentle balance with your self-care regimen that supports your ongoing health of mind~body~soul.  Just a few healthy habits, practiced daily, weekly, and monthly will help you feel more balanced and in control. 

Let the turtle be your guide. 

Slow and steady wins the race.  And there really is no race anyway - only growth.

Until next time, I wish you incredible love and growth this month. 

Now it's your turn…

If you're feeling up to it, I'd love to hear from YOU. 

1. Which strategy will you commit to? 
2. Which do you already practice?
3. Which resonates with you the most and why?  
4. Which one will you DO today?

Leave your comments below and share your thoughts. 

A Gift For You:

If you'd like some help setting up a Self-Care practice that's right for you, contact her for your FREE 'Ready For More' Consultation.

By the end of it, you'll have

1. Crystal Clarity about what you'd like to achieve
2. A Customized Step-By-Step Action Guide
3. Some resources to help fit a Self-Care routine into your life no matter how busy your schedule is.

 About the Author:

Andrea Raco, is a Certified Success and Life Enrichment Coach, Founder of Coach for Life, and Curator of Gold Key Club ~ a private community for women on a mission to make a difference in the world with their unique talents and gifts.

Contact her at andrea@coachforlife.ca

Find out more here www.coachforlife.ca