Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Danielle Cobo: We all have a dream. Is there a goal you've had your eye on? Perhaps moving up the corporate ladder. Earn a raise so you can travel more. Buy your teenager car, or maybe pay off your mortgage if you are a salesperson. Does achieving the President's Club as a top performer have you pumped up? It might be to reach six or seven figures of revenue as an entrepreneur.
So you can work less and play more without a plan. We're guessing what we should do next and hoping for the best. You deserve better than that. We all need a little help to make our dreams come true. But where do you start? In last week's episode, we explored the ultimate guide to Creating Your Dream Career Plan.
Now let's discuss how you can create courageous goals to achieve success. One of my courageous goals was to write a book, and this was no easy feat at the risk of being vulnerable and judged by others. I wanted to share stories that people could relate to, and the lessons I learned from my own failures and successes.
At times, I felt really awkward and doubted if I could do it. Despite an incredibly packed schedule, squeezing in writing time between coaching my five year old twin's, soccer team, speaking engagements, consulting clients, receiving a certification in D E I from the University of South Florida College of Business, and becoming a certified trainer in the model of human behavior from personality insights, I dedicated every day towards achieving my courageous goal.
Even with a category four hurricane tearing up the coast and my laptop running off a generator during a power outage, I kept writing, refusing to accept defeat my grit, resilience, and persistence. I was determined to achieve my goal. A year of writing every day in a round of content editing. I'm still not finished, but that's okay because I decided to take an extra time to add another chapter.
Then after that I still have three rounds of copy editing to make sure my grammar and punctuation game is on point. Next we have cover an internal design to tackle, then the pre-launch phase. This journey has been a year in the making, and my publisher still projects another six to seven months until the physical book launches.
No matter what phase I am in and achieving this courageous goal, it is so satisfying to reflect on how far I have come since embarking on this journey. In the meantime, while you hold onto your reading glasses just a little longer, we are going to explore how you can set and achieve your courageous goals.
Using the COBO framework, you can develop a roadmap to set courageous goals. Objectives to describe the steps you will take to achieve your goals, benchmarks to monitor how you'll achieve your goals, and how they're progressing and opportunities you envision arising from your actions. Now, let's explore how you can build your COBO framework for success.
The first part of this framework is your courageous goal. Think about a goal you can set to push you towards your best self. For me, my courageous goal was writing a book. You wanna pick something that will stretch you outside your comfort zone. Perhaps it's writing a book, maybe it's getting a new job to pursue a promotion, buy a house, pay off your mortgage, or start a business.
According to research published by the Journal of Experimental Psychology, you need goals that challenge you enough to make you engage emotionally. An emotional investment is essential. To set yourself up to be successful in achieving specific goals as possible.
Next is establishing objectives to describe the steps you will take to achieve your goals. Objective steps mean figuring out what steps you must take in order to reach your goal. There is power in breaking down what needs to be done by smaller objectives. This gives you the momentum to propel you towards your courageous goals by going through the process of defining your objectives.
It will help you determine what needs to be done and what resources need to be gathered to accomplish your goals. The objective steps for my courageous goal of writing a book were to find a publisher, write a book,outline, meet weekly with a developmental editor, and devote time every day to writing, whether it was before my kiddos woke up throughout the day, or even in the evening, maybe your objective is to meet with a mentor.
Be specific on the frequency of how often. Perhaps it's to read books and set specific timelines to complete each book. Maybe it's listened to a podcast episode each day. Enroll in an online course and set specific dates when you'll complete the course. Holding yourself accountable for progress on your objectives will help be easier if you set concrete timeframes.
Then set benchmarks to monitor. Monitor how well your goals are progressing. Tracking goals with benchmarks is an effective way to create sense of urgency. It provides you with an ability to celebrate small milestones along the way, further increasing your motivation. When we acknowledge our accomplishments, endorphins and dopamine are produced in the brain.
Endorphins are chemicals, hormones released during pleasurable activities such as exercise, massage, eating, and even sex. They relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve your wellbeing. Dopamine is considered the motivation, molecule, or reward chemical. It's responsible for intrinsic motivation that provides intrinsic self-determination.
It motivates us to put in the effort to attain our goals. No matter how small the win, celebrating gives us the chance to acknowledge and appreciate our accomplishments. Tracking goals with benchmarks was the secret sauce that motivated me to write my book. I met with a developmental editor every Monday and spent anywhere between 10 to 20 hours a week for 11 months writing the manuscript.
These benchmarks I set enabled me to stay on track. And hold me accountable. If you work in corporate and your goal is to get promoted once a week, you can meet with your mentor and show them the progress you've made on the weekly homework. If you are an entrepreneur, maybe meeting with a business consultant and report on your revenue growth in areas where you think you need improvement.
Learn new skills through online courses. Commit to reading a professional development book every month. Maybe listening to podcasts. Finally, envision the opportunities arising from your courageous goals and the actions that you've put forth. You've laid down the foundation for success.
You have your courageous goal, you've got your objectives, you've got your benchmarks. Now, envision what amazing opportunities are on the horizon. As I wrote my book, I was driven by a powerful vision of the positive impact it could make on people's lives. I saw the potential for my words to help individuals heal from past traumas, grow stronger and more resilient in the face of adversity, and develop the resilience necessary to overcome obstacles.
I imagine readers becoming empowered to set courageous goals. And persevere in the face of uncertainty. I envision people setting courageous goals and developing the grit to take risks and make those goals a reality. To break free from the endless hustle and bustle of modern life and discover a sense of balance and purpose, I wanted to challenge conventional notions of success and encourage readers to redefine them on their own terms.
Perhaps most importantly. My hope was to ignite a passion for living with the intention of creating a life that was fulfilling and meaningful to them. As I wrote, I could picture myself standing on stage, sharing my message with the world, and inspiring others to embark on their own journey of growth and self discovery.
The thought of making a real difference in people's lives was incredibly motivating. It kept me focused and driven, and I poured my heart and soul into the writing process. Now imagine that moment you land your dream job where revenue starts rolling in from your business. Imagine buying your dream house or paying off your mortgage.
Visualize where this new found success will take you. Consider how your actions will bring positive change to people's lives. When we begin pursuing new courageous goals, new opportunities and possibilities will arise. Going for our goals has unexpected surprises. Consider how these opportunities unleash your hidden potential.
Gaining the self-confidence to take on whatever life throws at you. Having the confidence to seize a new job promotion business endeavor. Or even if your goal is to write a book. Thank you for tuning into today's episode to learn courageous goal setting and Strategies for success. It was a follow up to last week's episode on the Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Dream Career.
Remember to subscribe and tune into next week's episode when I will share how to have unstoppable career growth. By building your professional brand on LinkedIn. Thanks for tuning in. And if you know somebody that wants to achieve success in their life, share this episode with them. Share with them a resource that can help them set courageous goals and achieve long-term success.