Real Happy Mom

Practical tips and encouragement for moms

Creating Goals *You’ll Actually Achieve* This Year

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We are at the home stretch of this year and this is the time that we start to make goals for the new year. Or maybe you are ready to make your dreams a reality.

The new year always brings about big goals and resolutions. But it never fails that many people never achieve their goals.

In fact, only 8% of people actually achieve their goals. [source]

What if there was a way that you could set yourself up to achieve all of the goals you set for yourself this year?

My guest, Tracy, has what you need to get you there in this episode.

In this episode, we talk about:

  • How you can set goals that motivate you and give you momentum
  • How you can better track our goals so that you know you are making progress
  • Plus, one tip that you can implement now to set goals that you will achieve

Get ready to set goals for the year and achieve them all.

About Tracy

Tracy is a mama of two boys, a Productivity Consultant, and Behavior Change Coach, and founder of TracyLynnMorgan.com, an online lifestyle improvement brand that gives Entrepreneurial Moms the tools and support to level up their productivity and build their business around the lifestyle they love.

Connect with Tracy

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Transcript of this episode

Real Happy Mom 0:02
Hey there, Mom, are you juggling all the things in motherhood for managing your time getting healthy meals on the table, to being a present wife, all while making yourself a priority without feeling guilty? I get it. It’s overwhelming. And guess what? The fact that you need support doesn’t make you a bad mom. And that’s why I created the Real Happy Mom podcast. I’m toniann, a wife and a mom of two little boys as well as a general dentist and reservists in the Navy. And I get it when it comes to being a busy working mom. On the Real Happy Mom podcast. I’ll interview real moms to chat about real life experiences. These guests and experts will help you to navigate the motherhood journey by providing answers to your questions and concerns surrounding raising children, self care time management, and so much more. So if you’re ready to get rid of the overwhelm, and start being a Real Happy Mom, join me inside the Real Happy Mom podcast. Well, Hey there and welcome back to a another episode of the Real Happy Mom podcast. This is episode number 109. And today, I am talking to Tracy, and in this episode, we are getting ready for 2021. So let me just put this out there. 2020 has been crazy for everybody. And I don’t want you to feel bad about it. But I know you are looking forward to 2021. And before you start making goals, I wanted you to listen to what Tracy has to share. Because in this episode, she is going to be talking about three things that we need to think about when we are creating goals. Why is so important for us to connect with our why when we’re creating goals, versus the should meaning why we should be doing something. So for instance, I should be working out I should be saving money. So she’s gonna help us tackle those things. And then she always helps us out with productivity. So she gives us a practical tip to get started with making some goals that will actually stick. But before we jump into this episode, I just wanted to quickly let you know that your girl has started some coaching. Yes, that’s right. I am going to be introducing some strategy sessions and coaching sessions for moms, if you need some help with getting your time under control. If you’re feeling like you don’t have time, yet, you need more time, you feel like you are having a to do list that is million miles long, and you just can’t seem to knock things out or you’re just struggling with motherhood and you just need some accountability and someone to help you out. I am here to help you. And I definitely want to get you to that point where you are feeling good about yourself and living out what it really means to be a Real Happy Mom. So send me an email at Hello at Real Happy Mom COMM And I will send you the information so that we can get started with these strategy sessions. Because, Mom, friend, you’re not supposed to do this by yourself. You are not meant to do this alone. So let me help you. Send me that email or send me a DM on Instagram at Real Happy Mom. And let’s get started. So now that we have that out of the way, let’s go ahead and jump into this week’s episode with Tracy. All right, Tracy, welcome to the podcast. I’m excited to have you on today. Oh,

Tracy 3:07
it’s so nice to be here. Thanks for having me.

Real Happy Mom 3:09
Yes, yes, I have been looking forward to talking to you all week. I think this is gonna be really helpful for all of us moms today, just about this topic in particular. But before we jump in, I just want you to share a little bit about you and what you do.

Tracy 3:24
Yeah, so I am a productivity consultant and behavior change coach. So I kind of came from the corporate world over. And when I had my kids eight, which is a really obvious transition for me that that kind of jet setting lifestyle that I thought would fit into my life wasn’t going to who I was becoming was not that. So I did a pivot. And I changed my business to more focus on individuals, as opposed to kind of corporate productivity and improvement strategies and behavior change, and focus more on moms that were building their businesses and trying to integrate kind of family business into the same, you know, into the lifestyle that we crave, right, and how those small simple changes can really make the differences in our day in our lives. So that was the pivot. And that’s what led me here.

Real Happy Mom 4:15
Awesome. I love all of that. And I love that you’re coming on and talk to us today because we have a new year approaching. And I must say 2020 has been a heck of a year. So we are all looking forward to 2021 and starting something new. But I feel like this is a perfect time for us to reflect into my goals for the new year. So I just wanted to share how can we set goals that will actually motivate us and give us momentum?

Tracy 4:40
Yeah, for sure. And I think you know, we are all ready for that right? are so primed and ready to kind of make some progress and feel kind of good and get back out there eventually. And so for me when I look at motivation for goals, one of the big things is kind of having and connecting in like, it’s the same with your life, right, like connecting in with why something is important to you. And I think, you know, really kind of building in that intrinsic motivation is one of the biggest keys. And sometimes that’s not always what starts the goal. But really, if we can find for ourselves, what is our reason why to do something, and really connect into that it’s our goal, not a should. So no shooting all over us, as we say, right, but really connecting in that we actually truly believe in that goal, that’s an awesome starting point. And it’s going to kind of drive you forward. And if you can kind of set that vision out at the outset, and really support it with what it means to you, you’re going to be able to persevere through those tougher times when maybe it’s not going as well as it could be. So vision is, you know, having the vision of what you want it to be as number one, number two is really connecting in with why that matters to you. And number three, and I think sometimes this one gets overlooked. But from a motivation perspective, if we can kind of connect in some of the strongest, most motivating goals are connected in with their identity. And you wouldn’t expect us to necessarily see that like we always say, write it down, share it, you know, all of those kind of obvious things. But when you can really get to a goal and connected into who you want to become, that becomes so much more powerful, and so much more motivating. So, you know, an example in motherhood for me, is because goals aren’t just in our business and our big things. But I’m just like, I want to be a mom, that is calm, respectful. That’s a goal. It doesn’t happen every day, right. But if I can keep that in the forefront of I want to be that in my day with my kids. And I’ve connected to strong reasons why and building resilient children and how important that is, for me, it’s easier for me to step into the day. And when I get flustered or I get frustrated, I literally it’s like I have this angel sitting on my shoulder that says, What would a common respectful mom do? And that just helps me solidify some of the behaviors that will help can meet those goals that I put down for myself. So that’s a simple example of how powerful that can be.

Real Happy Mom 7:20
Yes, yes. And I love that you brought that example of in particular, because like you said, like, a lot of times, I think we focus more so on business. And we don’t realize that we can make goals even just for like, like you said, mommyhood. And it is really, really helpful when you brought it down to that level. But I just wanted to just touch on a couple of things before we moved on. And you brought up three things you said vision. Because that is one thing. I think that a lot of times we don’t take a lot of time to think about. Because I know in particular, especially when it comes to health goals, all I’m thinking about is what I want to look like, and I want to be the size. Like, I’m not really visualizing a lot of other things that are going to help me get there. But that is one big one. I just wanted you to break that one down just a little bit more, because you touched on it, but I feel like there’s more to it than just, okay, just have a vision of what I want.

Tracy 8:12
Oh, for sure. Let’s unpack that. Right. Okay. So in all of this ties in kind of vision, your why and kind of connecting into kind of who you want to be like, really that identity of yourself. So we all start with that. Right? Like, okay, I want to lose 20 pounds, like that’s our target. That’s our goal, right? And, um, and so often it’s like, Okay, well, why, like, who actually owns this goal? Like, what’s actually driving that. And that vision is if you can start to kind of connect into what’s important about that. Okay, well, you know, what, like, yeah, I want to look good. So that’s the first reason, right? It’s like, you go five why’s deep, right? Well, why is that important? Right? And then we start to Okay, well, actually, like, I don’t feel good about myself, Oh, hey, that’s a deeper level, right? So why is it important to really feel good for yourself like, well, that’s how I want to show up in my day. And that’s kind of how I envisioned this. And I have these kids, and I need to be able to play with them. And I don’t feel good physically, I don’t feel good emotionally, or mentally. And I think that that would make a big change for me. And so you start to really dive into that of like, and I want to be here, and I want to be able to play with my kids. And those are really strong drivers for why you want to lose 20 pounds, right? And so you start to kind of get into that connection of what it means to you. And having a goal that is meaningful and connected into your life. You start to you know, make those connections, you’re really going to solidify the reasons behind it and internalize that. And when you can have those stronger connections to this makes sense why I’m doing this, it no longer becomes a question of whether you You should get up and go to the gym, or get up and do your run, it starts to become a, this is who I am. And, and then you can start to focus on not, especially when you’re starting out. So that vision kind of frames it for you. And setting that kind of connection in starts to be the intrinsic motivator for you. But what makes the difference is then you break it down, and it becomes more not about the losing the 20 pounds, but what are the daily actions I can take that are going to move me forward. So you start to focus on not the result, not the 20 pounds, but the process goal. So what am I going to do to lose 20 pounds, and that’s where the power starts to come in. Especially when you initially start to set these goals like the beginning of the year, as we always do, focus on that process, part of what am I going to do, I’m gonna, you know, aim to get up and walk three times a week. But you can even back that up farther, if you’re just starting out, I am someone that gets up and I put my running shoes on and I commit to going out the door, that’s enough, whatever I do outside of the door is icing on the cake. So it’s a bonus, just get out the door, set that habit in place, become someone that exercises regularly as part of kind of your daily routine, right, and then that will build momentum. So we talked about kind of that momentum piece when you can kind of put those pieces in place in your day. And that’s just what you do. You don’t have to rely on the motivation part or the quote unquote willpower anymore, it just becomes what you do. And that is the more powerful part that builds those results and gets you to kind of that 20 pound weight loss, because that’s just who you’re becoming. And then you solidify that with your family to be like, Well, no, fam healthy lifestyle is really important. These are values we want to instill in our kids values is huge for motivation, right? So all of that kind of fits together. And that’s kind of like the big unpacking of how this starts to work together to build that motivation where you don’t have to rely on willpower. It’s kind of who you are you ingredient as habits and you become that, like I am a runner over. I’m going to run three times a week. No, I’m, I’m a runner. That’s who I am.

Real Happy Mom 12:25
Yes, I like that so much more. Because Yeah, I have set so many goals for myself to do so many great things. And I think I’ve done too should too much like you said, I’ve been shooting too much. And that is the reason why it’s been hard. But in particular, I know when we have these big grand goals, sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the progress. So I was just wondering, how can we do better about tracking our goals, so we actually know that we’re making progress,

Tracy 12:50
totally, totally. So, um, for progress, let’s see how I can kind of frame this, I like to say that progress is power, right. And so again, kind of going back to if you’re starting out in the small goals, we talked a little bit about that about really kind of setting that process down, or kind of the action, or the task that you can actually accomplish, it’s within your control, right, and you can start to prep, track that progress. So it’s not just about the losing the 20 pounds, or the making $100,000 by the end of the year, like whatever it is your financial goals in your business, right, you can actually start to track your progress if you can break down your bigger goals into more process goals, so that you can not get caught on this negative spiral if you don’t meet the outcome or the results. But you’re looking at the progress that takes you for it because you don’t want to get into the negative spin, you want to build that momentum. And sometimes setting those smaller process goals can help you actually put those mile markers down, that will help you move forward a little bit. It will help you measure that progress. So I have an example for you of what I do in my personal life just to kind of bring it home if you want to see. So and make this personal, like make it fun. Like this isn’t one size fits all, like we all have different productivity or goal setting preferences or styles, right? So figure out what’s motivating and rewarding for you and what really works for you and go with that. For me what I did, especially when we’re starting out so starting my business, big goal, right? Like I want to be financially profitable. Like that’s a huge goal. And I put a number on that. But Wow, like sometimes that’s a little bit. It’s not always fully within our control. So if I can back it up when I’m starting out, and I say okay, that’s my goal for the year, right. We’re coming into a new year cycle. A lot of us have businesses or we’re kind of running, you know, running our businesses running around. Home, that’s a big goal to shoot for. And we’re going to start to set those ones. If you can break that down, I like to do it. I say, what are the five milestones? Right? And then I actually had this list on my fridge every year I redo it. It’s simple, right? Five milestones. In the first milestone I put, I put three things that I’ve already done, because I want to look at that list. And I want to prove it to myself that I know I can do this. And sometimes we forget about the things that we’ve done. And when we need that kind of confidence boost, we can go back to that and be like, okay, no, no, no, I’ve done this, the next step is not as big because I know I’ve done these three steps leading up to it, right, and so your steps kind of get bigger and bigger. So then your next milestone, you’re going to put what are the next three steps that I need to do the tasks or processes that I need to do to get to that next milestone. So it’s like, your milestone markers. As you go down the list and you date them, you’re like, yep, check, cross that one off, you know, started my email list, got my first hundred subscribers, you got my first clients paying, launched a new product, and he start to get bigger and bigger, and then you kick them off. And for me, what I do is every milestone marker, I put a big reward for myself. So it’s funny, because that can be like a really motivating thing, I have to do a webinar, and I haven’t done webinars. So I’m going to start to do these webinars. And I literally put on that goal, like that milestone marker that if I do those webinars, I get to buy this nice marble fruit bowl. Right. And it’s like, I start to become like doing the webinars for the goal that I’m at. And then I have this nice marble fruit bowl. And it reminds me of the satisfaction of like the progress that I’ve made, I look around my house. And I’m like, that was that goal. That was that goal, I have a bottle of champagne in the fridge that I’m ready to crack for this school. And so you you start to remember, and kind of connect into those little rewards in those milestones, not just kicking it off the list, but the things that actually symbolize or reflect back to you your progress. And that can be motivation and keep you going in itself. So that’s kind of a fun way of kind of setting that up. It’s not just our habit trackers and things like that, like you can make this fun weekend your own.

Real Happy Mom 17:28
Yes, definitely. I love that. Because I know that I had a big goal. And I think it was, it was Yeah, for my health goal. I had told myself I was gonna buy myself some new workout clothes, and I worked my booty off. Really before I knew that, because I like rarely by myself. So So that’s all like, Oh, yes, I’m gonna get this because I need Yeah. But I love that you brought up the rewards. Because I think that sometimes we, we take the fun out of the goal. And that’s why I think it turns into the should because it’s not fun. And so we’re just making ourselves do something that we really don’t even want to do. But we should be doing it.

Tracy 18:04
Exactly right. And so connected back into that, like, have a strong reason. And then yeah, like, connect back into the fun and reward and enjoyment out of it, right? Like make it desirable for yourself. And you’re so much more likely to kind of move forward with that and make it like realistic, like we all know, smart goals, but really actually like, it’s okay to take small steps and prove that to yourself. Because the becoming of that goal, like the becoming of a person that accomplishes those goals is so much more powerful than just accomplishing the goal itself. And that’s huge. And we kind of also forget that identity piece, and that is such a strong driver.

Real Happy Mom 18:47
Yeah, and one thing that I was thinking about while you’re talking is about accountability, because I know that’s one thing that I think I’ve heard a lot of people talk about, like oh yeah, like you said, write it down and tell somebody about it, that kind of thing. But yeah, I was just wondering how you feel about having someone to be accountable to or versus being accountable to yourself?

Tracy 19:05
Yeah. When I work with my clients, so productivity consultations or behavior change, I say you are accountable to yourself, how can I support you to be that? How do you want me to support that? So some people, they need to be accountable to me and they’ll say, okay, you know, I want you to check in at this point, or I’m gonna report back to you at these markers and kind of, we make a very tangible plan for it. And some people were like, thank you for taking the pressure off. Like because this isn’t for you. This is for me, right? And that’s that intrinsic driver that I really want to hit home. So 100% I use accountability partners myself, as well as for my clients and whatever form that is going to work best for them. So sometimes that can be an individual choice, but I definitely believe that it ups your your options. It’s success significantly. For sure. I think there’s a, there’s, there’s like a number on it. Like, if you can actually set an accountability appointment. It’s like ups your odds of success like 95%. I think that’s the American Society of training and development, 65% chance of completing your goal. If you commit to someone 95% of you actually set a specific and accountability appointment to kind of report back about that. But you can be accountable to yourself, it’s just how do you actually want to action? That is the difference?

Real Happy Mom 20:34
Definitely, definitely. Now, this is all been really good. And I know that you’ve given us a lot to think about. So I just wanted you to give us one practical tip that we can start by implementing right now when it comes to setting our goals that we can actually achieve.

Tracy 20:48
Totally, I would say keep it simple. You know, like this stuff does not have to be complicated, especially if you found you haven’t been getting traction. All you need is your goal and your next action. And you will start to fill in the gaps as you go. You don’t have to have the perfect plan to start. Great. So keep it simple focus on kind of that essential, like, What’s that one goal that’s going to have the biggest impact in your life? Start there? And what is one thing that you can do today to move towards it? And you will your mind having that vision, having that focus, your mind will start to fill in the gaps for you. And if you show up and keep asking that question, what am I going to do today to move myself forward? That’s, that’s your plan.

Real Happy Mom 21:33
Got it? Yes. Love it, and definitely something I can do right now. Yes. So easy. You have given us so much. Thank you. I wanted you to just give us either a motivational quote or words of encouragement for us Real Happy Mom before we find out.

Tracy 21:49
Absolutely. Okay. So like, of course, I’m gonna go to like the big the big guns in the business here, right? So I’m pulling one from Tony Robbins for you. It’s not about the goal. It’s about growing to become the person that accomplishes that goal. So really kind of connecting in to kind of finding ourselves in that process.

Real Happy Mom 22:09
Yes, definitely. Now, Tracy, if we want to connect with you or learn more about to where can we find you online,

Tracy 22:15
I am at Tracy morgan.com, tra CYLYNM RGA and calm and reach out to me or on Instagram or Facebook. And if you want to kind of, you know, get some help or support accomplishing those big goals or breaking them down or accountability. Let’s connect I have a three for 30 minute kind of goal setting session that we can start out with.

Real Happy Mom 22:39
awesome awesome and I will make sure to include all those links in the show notes. So great. Tracy, thank you so much for coming on and sharing all this with us. This was awesome.

Tracy 22:48
Oh, it’s been a pleasure. Thanks so much for having me.

Real Happy Mom 22:52
Now that does it for this episode to find the links in the show notes make sure you head over to Happy mom.com slash 109 and you will find all the links that Tracy Linton here. Now do me a favor if you have enjoyed this episode and you enjoy listen to Real Happy Mom podcast. Leave me a rating and review in Apple podcasts. This helps me out more than you know because it will get the message out to more moms so that we can truly be a real happy moms. Now that’s it for this week. I’ll catch you next week for another full episode. Take care and with lots of love

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