The 3 biggest mistakes we make in working toward our goals are what I call Sparkling, Hiding and Misguided Adventures.

Sparkling

is my term for when people bite off more than they can chew or go to extremes at the very beginning of the process (just like a sparkler does – burns bright at the beginning but then fizzles fast.) These are people who decide that they’re going to do a juice fast for 30 days and have no plan in place to support them. In these instances, I coach clients to create specific plans geared around baby steps that are achievable and most importantly, that have little rewards built into them when they hit certain goals.

Hiding

is when clients set goals and then don’t tell anyone. I have clients who decide that they’re going to quit smoking but won’t tell anyone else for fear they will look less than perfect if they fail. I coach clients to share their goals with their loved ones (and their coach!), to get them to participate and support them in what they want to achieve. Doing so always leads to better results.

Misguided Adventures

are goals that clients really don’t want to achieve. For example, a client told me that he wants to be a doctor. Upon further investigation, we discovered that in fact this was not really his own goal – but in fact a goal that his father has. I coach clients to identify personal goals that are their own and that ignite passion when they think about attaining them and to release the goals that others have for us.

Combat Sparkling with Balance.

Avoid Hiding through Transparency. Evade Misguided Adventures through Clarity. Doing so will have you quickly on your way to achieving your goals.