I’ve coached hundreds of small business owners and they’re all unique. And yet, I’ve noticed four characteristics that show up regularly in those that achieve their goals – clarity, confidence, courage and consistency. 

What’s fascinating about these four characteristics is that they work together to accelerate an individual’s progress on his or her growth and development journey. For example, the clearer you are about the goal you want to achieve, the more consistent you can be with the activity needed to achieve the goal. You’re able to more easily identify your priorities and align your schedule to fit those priorities.

The clearer you are with your priorities, the more consistent you become with your activity. This also leads to an increase in courage. If you are wildly clear about the type of client you want to attract for your business, you can be more courageous when you ask for referrals or introductions to others. This courage leads to confidence. And the more confident you are, the more consistent you are likely to be with your results.

Why Clarity?

I define clarity in the goal achievement process as knowing what you want and why you want it. Clarity is without a doubt one of the most important elements in the goal achievement journey. Without clarity, we often loose our motivation, forget why we are pursuing a goal and work without intention. Clarity helps us understand why we are doing all of the hard work to achieve a goal! Listen to episode 2 of the Elite Achievement podcast to hear more about clarity’s role in the goal achievement journey.

Clarity can be established by understanding your why and long-term vision.

• How clearly can you articulate your why?
• Do you understand your true desires behind achieving a goal?
• What work have you done to envision a bigger future for yourself?

One of today’s leading experts on the importance of knowing your why is Simon Sinek, author of the bestselling book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. In a recent interview with Entrepreneur Magazine, Sinek shared, “It is the “why” that provides solidity and continuity,” explaining that your why will dictate how you show up. 

Understanding your why is significant in the goal achievement process because it will motivate you when times are tough. And like anything in life, there will be difficulties, adversities and days you want to give up or don’t feel like moving forward on your goal achievement journey. If you can center back to an incredibly moving why you’ll be propelled to power through those tough times.

Understanding your why can also serve as a mission or bigger purpose for your business. As a goal achievement coach, I am driven to help others maximize their potential and achieve their definitions of success. This clear why helps me commit to meaningful projects that support my mission and focuses me on the content I want to create and launch in the marketplace. 

This means that if a project or idea flops, and yes, some do, it’s ok. In my mind, I built it up to be a great thing. Maybe it wasn’t exactly what my clients needed, but because I know it aligned with my why, I’m motivated to go back to the drawing board and try again. 

Another why is the desire to empower women to accelerate the launch of their businesses and advance their careers professionally. This why is connected to my heart. I spent over a decade of my professional career in a male-dominated industry. During this time, I watched many talented women, myself included, sit back and watch men confidently and courageously pursue opportunities.

I watched women who achieved excellent results and had brilliant ideas stay quiet because they weren’t confident enough to speak up. I watched women sit around and wait for someone to tap them on the shoulder to take the next opportunity. I had to go on a journey myself to grow my confidence to launch my business. So, I am deeply connected to the work around growing confidence and want to give that gift to other women. 

I’m also motivated to be an extreme example for my daughter. I want my daughter, who is now six, to see the world differently than I saw the world. I want my daughter to think it’s normal if a woman gets promoted to CEO or launches a business.

Different days require different connections to my why. Some days I am motivated to empower and others to be an example. When doubt, fear or disappointment kick in, I know I can connect back to my why to keep me progressing forward.

Why Vision?

In initial coaching conversations with new clients I ask them to re-connect to their long-term visions. Crafting and reviewing a vision for yourself is foundational to your goal achievement process, even more so than putting processes and strategies into place. As Michael Hyatt, author and former CEO of Thomas Nelson, explains, “Vision and strategy are both important. But there is a priority to them. Vision always comes first. Always. If you have a clear vision, you will eventually attract the right strategy. If you don’t have a clear vision, no strategy will save you.”

Long-term vision.

I like to project out for ten years. And while doing so, it’s essential to think as big as you possibly can. 

I think about the work that I’m doing, the clients that I am serving, the team that I am leading. I think about the life I am living, the dynamic between my family, the experiences and memories we are creating. I think about what we do in our free time. I think about the type of home we live in, where it is located and how it is furnished. I think about the gifts I can give my friends and family and think about the charitable donations and time I can provide the community.

Here are some rules for writing a long-term vision. No dream is too big. This is not the space for logic, for over-analyzing, or for thinking that you cannot do what you dream. And remember, it’s not permanent. Once I understood this concept, I broke free from hesitations I had about drafting a vision. Curious to understand more about writing a vision? Check out this blog post on overcoming vision skepticism.

Once you have clarity around your why and long-term vision, you can set specific goals to work towards your vision. The clearer you are about your goals, the more likely you are to achieve your goals.