Goal setting the right way: Michelle Risi master class- 01/17/2023

Michelle Risi was named one of the top 50 women in Canadian real estate according to Real Estate Professionals magazine.

As a multi-passionate entrepreneur, Michelle shares her expertise and insights through her role as Broker of Record of Royal LePage Connect Realty, and as the founder/CEO of the Aligned Academy.  

Over the last 25 years, Michelle has weaved self discovery into entrepreneurship, helping thousands of agents and small business owners to find the freedom, fulfillment and financial success they desire,

At the beginning of the year, we are motivated and full of energy! As months go on, that energy fades and life starts to happen. We start getting busy and we end up at a place where we give up on our goals. Let's find out why goals are important, how to be clear on what you want and why, how to prepare for obstacles, and how to take action.

What is a goal and why is it important?

Let’s start with defining what a goal is. Neuropsychologist Dr. Elliot Berkman defines it as any desired outcome that wouldn't otherwise happen without you doing something. You might ask why it is important to set goals. Current research shows that setting goals promotes happiness and reduces negative feelings.

Now that we know what goals mean and why they are important, let’s dig into why we have problems following through. The biggest factor in not achieving your goals is a lack of action, especially when we don’t see the results we want. We give up on our goals when we're not mentally prepared.

Here are 4 tips for goal setting:  

1. Change your thinking and behaviour.
2. Set goals with the expectation that we're going to be confronting difficulties.
3. Look back at past goals that you did not achieve. Then ask why?
4. Get out of your comfort zone and learn new things.

Think about the goals you did not achieve. And then I want you to ask yourself why? Look at what your pattern was. Do you need to do anything differently? What measures do you need to set up in place so you don’t fall back into old habits?

We often feel like there's not enough time in the day. Not achieving a goal is a reflection of your preparation and planning or lack thereof. As the market changes you are going to be facing resistance, so be prepared.

Be clear on what you want

When setting your goals, be clear on what you actually want, and why you want to do it. Whenever you lack clarity, it ends up tipping us into a state of overwhelm. Be clear in what you want and commit so that to avoid following what others are doing. That brings me to my next point. Your natural gifts and strengths.

Our natural blueprint

These are things that I call your natural blueprint, and we all have one. Our blueprint holds information about how you work best. Are you someone who likes to work at a slower pace? Or do you like more of a fast, quick pace? What things motivate you? Do you prefer to work on tasks or work with people? Where do you collect your energy from? What is your natural communication style? Your natural blueprint will tell you what your optimal environment is for you to grow.

First, start with choosing the right goal. Then have the right plan and preparation in place. This will ensure you'll show up with the right mindset and skill set to achieve them.

How to set goals

Research shows that we need 2 things: the will, and the way. The will of any goal refers to the attachment, the meaning that we have to the goal. It's what motivates you and what engages you. This will allow you to push past that resistance when it shows up.

The very first question you're going to ask is, why is this goal important to me? The second question to ask is why do you want to change your behaviour? Remember achieving the desired outcome requires you to change your behaviour. The third question to ask is why now?

You wonder how people get to do a lot in their day. It's because they're very clear on the priorities they've planned and prepared for. Understand that you’ll need to take something else off your plate to create space for this new goal. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable in certain situations.

Tip: Be aware of what change is needed, and then wholeheartedly commit to it.

Take action

Here are 4 questions to ask yourself:

1. What skills do I need to make it happen?
2. How is this behaviour changed? Going to look?
3. How am I going to make this happen?
4. Can I build out my network of people and tap into expertise?

Set the right amount of goals

Research shows that you should not be setting out to work on any more than one to 3 goals at any given time. That does not mean that you can't have a list of 5 goals or 10 goals. It means that as you set out to achieve them, you have to prioritize them. Don’t work on any more than one to 3 at any given time.

Don’t confuse dreams for goals. Goals need to have specific, measurable outcomes. Avoid too fixed goals by allowing flow. We are more motivated to do them when we have a range attached to them. We want to be challenged enough, but not so challenged that it becomes unachievable.

Stay persistent

Research shows that when we have a range it's called a high, or low goal. We are more motivated and more inspired, to stay committed and persistent. And so, instead of setting something specific like losing 5 pounds, you can set a range of 3 to 5 pounds. You can also have a range with your time limit. For example, you can say” “I want to book 3 to 5 goals over the next 7 to 9 months.”

In the end, we’ve learned that setting goals will make us happy. Remember to set the right goals. Be clear on what you want and why. Be prepared for obstacles. Finally, set the right amount of goals with a range and stay persistent!

Download Free Goal Setting Guide here: Click here to Download.