Did you know that less than 25% of people actually follow through on their new year’s resolutions in the first few weeks of the new year and only 8% accomplish them?
I don’t know about you, but every year I have these grand intentions of accomplishing something, anything, either big or small, and it not working out. The change I thought I wanted to make or dream I wanted to accomplish ended when “it got too hard” or “life got in the way”. Most of us have all been there, done that, at some point in our life.
But what if you could actually achieve the goals you created? What if you could not only start but be brave and crazy enough to finish?
Well, at the beginning of this year I did not want to see 2019 come and go without accomplishing some of the things I set my mind too. So before I could turn back and say, “I’ll just do it tomorrow,” I put a post out there to the Facebook world asking for ladies who were serious about reaching their goals and making their new year’s resolutions a reality to join me on a journey of making 2019 the BEST YEAR EVER!
And guess what? A few brave ladies decided to take me up on it. The only thing I asked of them was to commit to showing up one Friday a month for 12 months. Now 6 months later, this group of amazing women is making things happen.
In this process, I’ve learned the importance and impact of having “goal” friends. And trust me, I wouldn’t have followed through on half the stuff I have actually accomplish (this blog being one of them) if it wasn’t for these group of ladies being there and walking the journey with me.
Here are a few things I’ve discovered as to why you need “goal” friends.
1. They help you to show up and start
Showing up and starting is the hardest part. Were some of the individuals that showed up scared to just show up? Absolutely. Many of them didn’t know each other. They didn’t know what to expect. But they knew one thing, they wanted this year to be different. So they showed up and started just where they are.
Many times we wait for the perfect conditions or for us to be in a certain place to start working towards things we want to accomplish. There will never be a perfect time or season for you to start working towards your goals. You just have to start.
2. They help you get out of your own way
The biggest thing that keeps us from accomplishing our goals is our own self. We create things in our head that just isn’t true sometimes. In order to accomplish everything we want, we have to get honest with ourselves about the limiting beliefs we tell ourselves that hold us back. With a “goal” friend, they help you realize just how untrue the things you think are. They help push, support, and encourage you. You also begin to recognize some of the things you tell yourself are things they say to themselves as well. We can be held back by our limiting beliefs, because they are just that, limiting. “Goal” friends help you find the liberating truth, defeating that pesky limiting belief.
Check out this post for some ways to overcome self-doubt and limiting beliefs.
3. They don’t let you go it alone
The whole reason you need “goal” friends is because you can’t do everything on your own. This was a lie I had to get over real quick. As a single mom and an independent woman, I really struggled in this area. And I believe this partly due to the importance our society places on independence. But it’s a really warped way of thinking.
We are better and stronger together.
We weren’t dropped off in on an island by ourselves the day we were born. Instead, we were born into a community.
So when it comes to your goals, get some individuals to come along the journey with you. Be brave enough to be vulnerable. When you do, you will find you often share the same fears and hopes as the person next to you.
Check out this post here of why it’s important to not go it alone.
There are a ton more reasons why “goal” friends are the best. They help you be intentional and celebrate the hard-earned victories of reaching the next step or goal. They gently push you when you need pushing. And they help you to think bigger and brainstorm creative ways to overcome obstacles as they arise.
“Goal” friends aren’t just people who show up to help you stay focused on the things you said you were going to do, but they walk with you every step of the way. When you reach the finish line of what you set out to accomplish, you will have a whole group of friends cheering you on as you cross.
BE INSPIRED
Who is someone in your life who has been a mentor or “goal” friend to you? Comment below.
