With a new year upon us, I’m sure many of you have some big, fat, hairy goals you want to achieve. I know I do! Whether it’s to double your revenue, make a big purchase, check off your bucket list, or make more time for something that’s important to you, goals can feel a little scary.
SMART Goals
“The moment you put a deadline on your dream, it becomes a goal.” - Harsha Bhogle
You’ve probably heard of SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This last factor is so important. Without a time boundary, goals remain dreams. Remember, SMART goals are just one modality for goal setting. It’s not the only way, but it's one that I’ve found to be very effective with my clients and myself.
I like to take SMART goals a step further, because, you know I’m extra like that! In addition to being SMART goals, your goals should be inspiring, exciting, and get you out of your comfort zone. These three extra factors are what keep the fire under your ass burning. Yeeeowww! Are you stoked to slay your goals yet?! I like to call this tactic “putting lipstick on the pig”.
Put Lipstick on the Pig
“Putting lipstick on the pig” means dressing up your big fat hairy goals (the pig) and making them beautiful (the lipstick). It’s not about just setting a goal to bring in 10K a month in your business. It’s about what your life will look like, taste like, smell like, and feel like when you have that kind of revenue. Visualize the impact achieving your goals will have, in vivid detail. How will it improve not only your life but the lives of others?
Now put that vision of your goals into a catchy motivating mantra you can chant in the shower. Bring it to life in full color on a vision board. Write notes to yourself and stick them on your bathroom mirror. A vivid and enticing vision (or some good lipstick) is the kind of stuff that converts inspiration into being driven. It keeps you going through the nitty-gritty unpleasant stuff you come up against as you work toward your goal. You need some big, bold, red hot lipstick on that piggy, trust me.
What Kind of Lipstick is My Pig Wearing?
By now, I’m sure you’re probably wondering what kind of lipstick my pig is wearing. I can see it from a mile away. Since I wrote my first vision statement in 2013, the focus has been on leaving a global footprint. It’s about positively impacting as many lives as I possibly can with my team through coaching, mentoring, and speaking. It’s to have the freedom to travel and work from anywhere, to have a fluid lifestyle that has no limitations.
I’ve been holding this vision close for a long time now. Living it, breathing it, saying “YES” to it even when I didn’t know the how, the when, or the where, being open to whatever is to come and keeping my eye on that lipstick.
My lipstick on the pig gets me up for 4 am conference calls to chat with people halfway around the world. It carries me through airport security and long plane rides. It helps me make decisions and say “NO” when something doesn’t fit with it.
Trust Your Vision, Trust the Process
As you move closer to your vision, the path you walk gets narrower and narrower. I’ve had to say some big “NOs”, like stepping down as COO of a global franchise structure company, because it no longer aligns with me or where my vision is carrying me. It’s not a selfish thing. It’s acknowledging that I can no longer serve them in the way that they need.
I’ve also gotten to say “YES” to some big opportunities that do align with my vision. In 2019, I became a full time digital nomad. In 2020, I accepted a leadership position with a global professional women’s network. I started a podcast. I joined the board of an international non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals become educated, ethical, globally aware professionals, who are committed to enacting positive change in the world. This fills my cup!
As you put lipstick on your pig this year, I challenge you to play bigger than you are. Dream more than you have ever dared, and lean into what could be even when you cannot clearly see the end product. Let your “why” drive you and your lipstick guide you. Imagine yourself in a larger sandbox than you think you need, and dive in!
I’m here to reassure you that you will grow into it.
Need help with goal setting? Contact me, I'd love to chat more with you about it!
