Don't give in to call of the Comfort Zone

By Carrie Stack, M.Ed.
Congratulations! You've joined My Life List, created your profile, and written down your incredible, inspiring, exciting goals for your life. You've shared them with your network at MyLifeList.org and you’re feeling pretty proud.

Now what?

You have done step one. You just set rock star goals. (What are rock star goals? Concrete goals that specifically identify the "how much, how many, by when" piece that so many others overlook.) For a lot of people, this can be where things go awry. Daily life happens and what they want to "become" slides back into what they have "been." The backward slip is pretty seductive. Our comfort zones call us back – desperately, zealously, relentlessly, promising Chinese takeout, beer, endless chocolate and flannel PJs if we'd only return!

So what do you do? You pull this key strategy out of your back pocket.

Know what motivates you.

Most people don't know what they are motivated by, or what keeps their energy flowing to maintain focus and forward movement. Right now, let’s assess what has helped to propel you in the past.

Think of a goal you successfully reached and answer these questions:

• What helped you maintain momentum, energy and movement?
• Why did you push through any obstacles?
• What kept you going until you reached it? 

Was it people? Was it a reward at the end? Was it because you followed a timeline or a list? Was it recognition? Was it because you were moving toward something, or did you succeed because you were moving AWAY from something?

If you want to keep going, then you need to know what KEEPS you going.

Now build that into your goals.

Look at each of your goals and figure out how you can incorporate your past patterns of success. Bottom line: You want to replicate what has worked for you in the past and use it now.

From my work as a life coach and motivator, I know that a great majority of us respond to accountability, shared connection and recognition/celebration – making MyLifeList.org an incredible source of support and energy around reaching your goals! So make sure you keep us posted on your progress. I speak for the entire My Life List community when I say, we just LOVE this stuff!

Carrie Stack, M.Ed., is a certified life coach, trainer, author and motivational speaker with more than 20 years’ experience providing people with the strategies to make positive changes in their lives. She is also the founder of the Say Yes Institute and co-founder of EO Your Life, a personal development site that helps people to live life fulfilled.