Do you ever feel like your dreams are just out of reach? The truth is, we often hold ourselves back by setting goals that are safe and comfortable. But if we want to achieve our full potential, we need to challenge ourselves to go beyond what we think is possible. That's where stretch goals come in.
What are Stretch Goals?
Stretch goals are targets that challenge us to perform beyond our current abilities. They are goals that require us to stretch outside of our comfort zone and put in extra effort to achieve. These goals are meant to be just out of reach, but still achievable with focus and determination.
When we set stretch goals, we push ourselves to become better, to develop new skills, and to reach new levels of success. By challenging ourselves in this way, we learn to push through obstacles, overcome limitations, and develop resilience in the face of setbacks.
The beauty of stretch goals is that they allow us to continually improve and evolve. As we accomplish one goal, we can set another, slightly higher goal that pushes us even further. This process of setting and achieving stretch goals leads to continuous growth and development.
Start Small and Dream Big
The key to achieving stretch goals is to start small.
Begin by setting daily tasks that challenge you to stretch outside of your comfort zone. As you become more comfortable with this practice, you can expand out to add a stretch component to your bigger goals.
A small stretch goal may feed into your productivity list for the day. If you are planning to create social posts for your business for 3 days could you push it out to 5? Is there a simple system you could implement to improve your efficiency which will increase your productivity? Once you are able to achieve this micro increase, the jump up to 7 days of social posts all of a sudden feels achievable.
Once you have started implementing these small stretch goals you can move onto applying this same method to your bigger goals. If your goal is to write a book, why not set a stretch goal to become a best-selling author instead? Or perhaps complete the book in a shorter time frame? These subtle shifts in your goals may have just the right charge for you to get really excited and go for it.
Recognise Your Progress
It's important to recognise and acknowledge the small incremental changes you are making as you work towards your stretch goals. Celebrate your wins, no matter how small they may seem. By acknowledging and celebrating your wins, you are building evidence that you can achieve what you set out to do.
This act of self-congratulation is creating an internal affirmation. Each affirmation is building proof that you can grow and evolve - it changes your beliefs in your ability to do something and in your confidence.
Small steps lead to big changes over time. It is the repetition of our habits that make change unfold. If you are shifting limiting beliefs about yourself and your abilities this can take time, it’s a process, be gentle on yourself.
The Power of Stretch Goals
Stretch goals not only challenge us to become better, but they also allow us to dream and imagine new realities. When we push ourselves to go beyond what we think is possible, we open ourselves up to new opportunities and experiences.
Stretch goals help us to break out of our comfort zones and to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. This is where growth and transformation happen. We are able to develop new skills and to achieve new levels of success that we never thought were possible.
Action Steps
Start today. I don’t mean start thinking about implementing stretch goals, make it happen, put the process into action.
- Start small: Try adding in 5-10% more workload into your day or perhaps 5-10 minutes extra into your exercise routine. The idea is to stack your achievements.
- Focus on the process: If you are wanting to increase by small increments, what is your method to achieve it? Is it waking up 10 minutes earlier? Is it streamlining your workflow? Pay attention to your habits, routines, and notice if there are any spots where you can improve your processes.
- Celebrate your wins: Acknowledging your ability to stretch is telling your subconscious that you can do this in any area of your life. Affirmations build proof to change your beliefs about your abilities.
- Be flexible: Don't be afraid to adjust your stretch goals as needed. If you're not seeing progress, it may be time to reassess and set a new goal that's more achievable.
- Dream: You know from here we are moving onto applying stretch goals into your main goals. Have you booked in some dreamtime to see what they could be? With this new lens of stretch, can you imagine something more?
So, where will you implement a stretch goal this week?
You get to choose your own adventure, but make sure it’s action fuelled and not a thought.
The difference between good and great is action!
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This blog has been created and designed to inspire you to Become the Creative Director of your life.
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Leina x
