How to achieve your goals and eliminate negativity

A Q&A with speaker and mentor Tracy Johnson on goal-setting and resiliency, to help businesses and individuals outline clear steps to achieve their goals.

NZB: What lead you to the work you now do as a ‘get your goals’ mentor?

Tracy: At 22 I tragically lost my partner to suicide, which meant I was faced with both devastating grief as well as raising our son on my own. I felt the weight of this responsibility heavy on my shoulders and, like any parent, I wanted to provide him with the best upbringing I could. Having left school early, however, meant finding a well-paid job was a big challenge.

A huge mindset change happened for me when I decided to host a community concert to raise funds for a charity. There was a lot of organisation required and pressure involved, but the event was a huge success and gave me a renewed confidence that I could achieve anything I set my mind to. It also gave me a deeper faith and a sense of belonging in the community around me.

I’ve come a long way from that scared young parent wondering how I would provide for my baby. I put that down to mindset and backing myself even when others didn’t, and not being afraid to give things a go.

I also had huge support from friends, family and the community and that’s the kind of support I now offer my clients, to be that personal cheerleader when they need it.

NZB: What are some of the most common reasons why people struggle to reach their goals?

Tracy: Themselves! If you aren’t willing to back yourself how can you convince others to take you seriously? We can all be our own worst critic at times but with some simple tools you can work on kicking that negative chatter to the curb.

I’m continually telling myself “You’ve got this”, “You’re awesome”. It’s amazing the change in confidence you can experience from just talking kindly to yourself! It won’t come easy but it is a habit. It’s a matter of catching yourself in those micro moments and tweaking the phrases in your head. So instead of thinking ‘this will never work’ you catch and rephrase that to ‘what will it take to make this work?’ Or ‘I’ve definitely got this’ – the phrase will be different for everyone but the key is that it needs to resonate. You need to feel it (this will help you to believe it).

Another reason why people struggle to reach their goals is that they’ve got the wrong goals! Often people select goals that are either out-dated (they’ve had them on their ‘bucket-list’ or ‘to do list’ for ages) or it was never their goal in the first place, but rather linked to someone else’s expectation. So my tip would be ‘make sure they’re YOUR goals.

NZB: How can people figure out their genuine goals?

Tracy: I believe re-evaluating what your goals are is really important. If you are struggling to take action on a goal you have set then it could be a good time to ask yourself if it is truly what you want.

Looking at your goals with fresh eyes and asking the cold hard question of do you actually WANT that can be a great wakeup call and a reality check. I give many of my clients permission to re-asses. They can tweak their goal or change it all together to something that they are truly excited about. Then we can map out how they can go and get it.

Your heart has to be invested; passion is what drives us forward. A good test is the ‘smile test’. When you talk about your goal, does it make you happy? Does it get you excited and make you smile?

NZB: What is one mindset technique or hack to help people stay positive?

Tracy: Focusing on what is going well in that moment is a fast mindset technique that will help you change gear. It’s easy to get weighed down by the things that aren’t going so well but if your attention is focused on the negative it’s harder to prioritise the things that are really important to you and make you happy.

One tool I use is the ‘Gratitude Countdown’. It helps to shift a negative mindset and works well to break goals into achievable steps.

Each day in your journal, write down:

• Three things you are GRATEFUL for.
• Two GOALS, but the trick is to write them as if they are already true! For example: “I’m the president of ……”
• One ACTION you are going to take today to move towards your goal.

When you are feeling distracted at work or home you can read back over your action for the day to be reminded on what your focus for the day is. When you feel yourself slipping into self-negative talk you can quickly revise back over the things you are grateful for.

NZB: How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?

Tracy: I believe that people can use their past and their challenges to propel them into the future. Having a mentor can help you see things, including your strengths, from a fresh perspective and help cheer you on while holding you accountable. This is something I wish I had done earlier. The people I’ve brought into my life to mentor me have been invaluable – this is part of the reason why I love my work. I love doing it for others.

Tracy Johnson is a speaker and mentor on positive mindset and goal setting. She also hosts workshops and events encouraging groups to reflect and support each other towards their dreams. Visit www.Nextsteps.nz