You Accomplished Your Goal. Now What?
May 19, 2022 - Shauna Jurczak

When anyone sets a goal, the ultimate end game is accomplishing it. We devote ourselves so deeply to working on and through it. Our thoughts and actions are elevated everyday in a way to help accomplish the goal. Weeks, months, even years are spent trying to reach it.

Then, one day, you do. You accomplish your goal. What a great day!

So, now what?
 

Accomplishing a goal can feel so satisfying, yet it can also leave one feeling a little lost after. When you've spent countless hours devoted to reaching a specific goal – often working to build skillsets, change behaviors and mindsets, make new connections, and push the boundaries of comfort zones in order to find success, reaching the goal is bound to leave most people wondering what’s next.

I recently experienced this. After two years of working to reach a goal, I did. In the words of my two-year-old nephew, "I Did It!!" ...

I then wandered through my daily life for about 10 days after feeling a little bit like a lost puppy. My thoughts were all over the place. I felt like I was supposed to be doing more in my day. I searched for purpose in my morning coffee and then I realized: I had devoted so much of myself to my goal, it was almost like a disappointment that it was was done. I had reached my goal. If felt awesome. But now what?

I came up with a few steps to help me process my two-year journey and to help prepare me to move forward. Curious what it is? Here is a little synopsis of the 3 R's I used:

Rest

A goal may be physical, mental, or a combination of both. Either way, once you accomplish it, you need to be kind to yourself. When you push, and work, and keep go-going for a long period of time - both physically and mentally - you need to give yourself a minute to breathe.

It may feel strange, especially after pushing so hard on a goal - but those few days of rest are so necessary. It’s a chance to help you decompress and balance out the emotional response – usually a high – after accomplishing something.

It’s a chance to reward yourself with a good sleep in, or a day on the coach watching a movie, or doing any of those little  things that got pushed by the wayside when you were focused on achieving your goal. Even more important it’s a chance to stop, take a deep breath, congratulate yourself, and then move on to the next step.

Reflect

It’s great to accomplish a goal. It feels good. It's rewarding. What's even more valuable is being able to reflect on the process, to see your growth, the impact you've made, and all the amazing things you learned along the way to strengthen you for your future endeavors.

Whether you prefer journaling, drawing, thinking in silence, or talking it out with a friend or partner, reflection is so valuable and it prepares your to move on from your goal.

Reflect on things like:

1. 1. What was my life like before I started on this journey?

   2. What was I hoping to get out of it?

   3. How have I changed along the way?

   4. If I hadn’t pursued this goal? How would my life have looked vs. how it turned out?

   5. What new skills did I acquire?

   6. What new friends or connections did I make?

   7. What is the most valuable lesson I learned through the process?

Once you’ve had time to reflect – and don’t hold back, you have to dig deep - you’ll be able to move on to the next step.

Reset

Ok, so in this whole "I have a goal and I'm going to do it" process, you went through the following:

1. You set a goal

2. You went out and worked for it

3. You accomplished it

4. You took time to rest

5. You’ve reflected on it

Now what? Do you just stop striving for more? Are you a one-and-done type of goal-getter? Probably not, otherwise you wouldn't be here reading this! That’s where this next step comes in. It’s a chance to reset your thinking - and honestly your being - to where you’re life is now, so you can set new goals to accomplish in the future.

Sometime a new goal presents itself like a neon sign in Las Vegas, flashing at you like a beacon, and you just know instinctively that is what’s next for you. Other times, there may feel like you're in a lull looking for something new. Either way, checking in with yourself will help clarify your next goal.

Take time to think it out:

1. 1. Is there a “next level” of my original goal I’d like to build upon?

   2. Are there projects or ideas that I’ve filed in the back of my mind that I’d like to pursue now?

   3. Are there new skills I’ve acquired that I’d like to put to use further?

   4. In 5 years I see myself….(fill in the blank with all your wildest dreams!)

   5. What values, morals, and ideals matter to me most and how do they factor into what I do now as I move forward?

From here, you’ll be able to start setting out on a new chapter of your journey. All goals, big or small, play a valuable part if your life. If you've just accomplished a big goal and want to start something new, or if you are setting out to accomplish your first big goal, just remember: you can do it! Take your time, make it matter, and go get it!

If you need help along the way with goal setting, planning, and being a goal-getter, coaches like me are here to empower you, keep you on track and help you find your sparkle. Let’s chat!