The Birthday Challenge

Everybody sets personal goals.  Many people choose to do it on January 1^st with the rest of the world.  For most, by the time February 1^st rolls around, those goals are long forgotten in a sea of busyness.  It is all too easy to give up on your goal when you see the rest of the world do fall short of their goals all around you.  Everybody sets personal goals… few people achieve them.  This is because goal setting is more than just an idea conjured up in the heart of a momentarily inspired person.  Goal setting is about planning, action, and accountability.  If you struggle to reach your personal goals, maybe it is time for a new approach.  Try the Birthday Challenge.

Here is how it works.  As you approach your next birthday, think of one or a hand-full of things you really want to accomplish in the next 365 days of your life.  It could be weight-loss.  Maybe it is writing that book that you have thought about.  Perhaps it could be centered on your relationship with your immediate family members.  Create in your mind a vision of where you would like to realistically be in 365 days.

Then think about what steps you are going to have to take each day in the next 365 days to get there.  Figure out the daily or weekly time required to make your vision become a reality.  Will it take 30 minutes, each day on Monday through Friday?  Is this something that you will need to devote minutes or hours to?  Once you have thought this through, begin charting how you are going to fit those precious goal-achieving moments into your schedule.

Here is what makes this “The Birthday Challenge”.  Normally, birthdays are a time to celebrate with those closest to you.  You may have dinner with your spouse, get together with your kids from out of town, or have a lunch with friends.  As you get together with loved ones, it is time for you to unveil the goal that you have set and your plan to get there.  In doing so here is what you will create for yourself…

1. Accountability – Those closest to you will hear your goal.  Because they love you and are closer to you than anyone else, they are the best person to hold you accountable.  365 days is a long time and you will need their encouragement and motivation to keep going.

2. A Starting Line – Have you ever said, “I’ll start tomorrow.” By setting a goal tied to your birthday, you are giving yourself a memorable starting date that you can chart your progress from.  This way, 30, 75, 150 days into your journey, you can see how far you have come.

3. A Deadline – By announcing your goal on your birthday, you are starting the clock.  It will expire in 365 days.  Therefore you now have a deadline to work towards.  If your goals are not time-sensitive, it can take an eternity to complete them (if you ever get around to it).

Maybe your birthday is just around the corner.  Maybe it is still a ways off.  It’s not too early to begin planning for your goal.  Who knows? It could lead you into one of the best years of your life.