In today's podcast, you're going to learn how to stop trying to achieve your goal, and do something else instead. That's right, focusing on goal achievement is not the best way to actually reach your goals for lasting change. But, there is a great way to do it.

If you're trying to make a habit or lifestyle change, you need a mindset to achieve any goal. Lasting change isn't easy, and it won't happen by changing habits short-term. To really make your goal for lasting change, consider how you will need to be qualitatively different to sustain that.

When you reach your goal, how will you be different?

How will you need to live in order to keep up the change you're seeking?

As you plan the goal you would like to achieve, imagine what kind of person regularly lives in a way that makes that goal possible. For example, if you want to lose weight and sustain it, what kind of lifestyle will a person who sustains long-term weight loss need to have? Or if you want to be more productive and less distracted at work, what kind of project management does a person who performs that way need to have?

The first and most important step to achieve any goal without relapsing into old thoughts and behaviors is to realistically visualize how you will be different in your future life of living that goal achievement. Once you can do that, you can achieve any goal. And you can maintain that success, becoming an even better version of you!

If you're ready to make habit or lifestyle changes to bring out your best, now and in the future, set up support. Some of the best ways to get support for reaching your most important goals include working with a coach, surrounding yourself with like-minded people, and acting as if you're already at the goal-line.

If now is a great time for you to work with a coach, let me know!

New Day, performed by Danny Gokey, (P) 2021 Danny Gokey, under exclusive license to Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc., was written by Ethan Hulse, Coby Wedgeworth, and Danny Gokey. Copyright © 2019 Better Than I Found It (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission; and EGH Music Publishing (BMI) / Be Essential Songs (BMI) / Colby Wedgeworth Music (ASCAP) / Fair Trade Music Publishing (ASCAP) / (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.