May 16, 2023 • 24 mins
In this episode, we explore the art of setting achievable goals. We discuss the importance of striking a balance between challenge and realism, and how aligning goals with personal values and priorities enhances their relevance and meaning. We also delve into overcoming external limitations and opinions to pursue our goals, emphasizing the fulfillment that comes from tackling scary and growth-oriented aspirations. Tune in to discover how setting achievable goals can increase motivation, confidence, and overall well-being while avoiding overwhelm and discouragement.
GOLD MEDAL MINDSET Email Community: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/631f72220db2862ae393bd0a
GOLD MEDAL MINDSET Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldmedalmindset
GOLD MEDAL MINDSET Show Notes: https://brennahuckaby.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to the Gold Metal Mindset Podcast. I
am your host, Barrena Huckabye, three time Paralympic gold medalist snowboarder,
here to encourage you to live a gold medal life,
one that is full of confidence, resilience, empowerment, so that
you can be successful in your goals without sacrificing your
mental health and the things you care about most in
(00:21):
this world. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back. We are still talking
about smart goals. We've already tackled the S, which is specific,
We've tackled the M, which is measurable, and today we're
going to tackle the A, which is achievable or attainable,
depending on your source. I will probably be using them interchangeably,
but they mean the same thing, so it shouldn't be
too confusing anyway. What does it mean to set an
(00:45):
achievable goal? And what it means is you're setting a
goal that's going to be challenging yet realistic. It's so
important that your goals stretch you, but they're not so
far out of reach that they become demotivating or impossible
to ache. You also want to emphasize that this goal
should be aligned with your values, your priorities, and it
(01:06):
should be relevant and meaningful to you because that is
how you are going to keep that motivation to achieve
that goal. Now, I have a personal experience when it
comes to setting these achievable or attainable goals. And when
I was living in Batners, Louisiana, I had set this
goal to become a Paralympian. And y'all, one thing about
(01:27):
Louisiana is there is no snow there's no mountains. You know,
we have we have crowsfish and good vibes. Okay, we
don't have any snowboarding. But I had gone on a
ski trip one time and for whatever reason, something had
clicked within me and I knew that I could become
a Paralympic snowboarder. And it was so funny. I can
remember sitting down in my high school cafeteria telling my friends.
(01:48):
I'm like, hey, you know what, one day, I'm going
to be a Paralympic snowboarder. And being the kid with
cancer in that high school, everybody was like, okay, Brenda, yeah, sure, right,
we support you. But you could tell them their faces
and in their tones that they thought it was one
crazy girl and you know what that is. One thing
about me is I am crazy. But I guess the
point of this is is nobody else can limit you.
When you set these goals. They may seem so far
(02:08):
out of reach to some other people, but if it
is feeling achievable and attainable to you, then that's all
that matters. You can't let other people limit you. And
you know what, I say that it was so crazy
and out of this world, but I could see the
steps in this process to becoming a Paralympian, and it
all felt so within my reach. It didn't feel like
this huge dream, big over the moon land amongst the stars.
(02:29):
Like it really did feel huge and was a big ask,
and I knew it was gonna be a lot of work,
but it really felt like something that I could do.
And so when you were setting these goals, that's how
they need to feel. They need to feel like kind
of scary. They need to stretch you. But you also
should know like now I got this, Like I have
these tools, I've got this. So when you're doing this,
you're going to set them so that they stretch you,
so that you can learn, so that you could grow,
and when you achieve that success, y'all is going to
(02:51):
feel so much better when you do these goals that
are you know, safe, They are something that it's not
so scary to set. It's kind of boring, like what
are you doing. You're not gaining anything, You're not learning
and growing and shifting as a person. And when you're
setting these goals, make sure that it's kind of scary
when it comes to setting achievable and attainable goals. Let
(03:14):
it challenge you go these achievable goals so that you
can increase your motivation, your confidence, and avoid feeling overwhelmed
and discouraged. Look, when it comes to setting these goals,
it's going to provide you with motivation. These goals are
going to feel like, oh my gosh, I have something
to work for that's going to push me outside of
my comfort zone, but it's still within my capabilities. I'm
so excited to see what happens. Think of that giddy
(03:36):
feeling you get when you first go for that big,
scary goal and you take that first step towards achieving it,
and I want you to like bottle it up and
just put it in your memory bank, because that is
going to be such a massive reminder in your motivation
to keep you moving forward towards these goals, because that
right there, like that is you intuitively knowing like I
freaking got this and I'm doing it and I'm so excited.
(03:57):
So take that feeling, bottle it up and remember it
and use that as your continued motivation when you do
these goals that stretch you and encourage growth for yourself.
When you were setting these goals, know that, hey, as
he is boring, I love a challenge. I love growing myself.
I love pushing myself. And when it gets too hard,
know that, like that uncomfortable feeling, that's how we grow, right,
(04:19):
that's what they call it growing pain. Not to be
too cliche, but we love a good cliche up in here,
and that is one right. You don't grow by being comfortable.
You get uncomfortable when you grow. Another really cool thing
that happens when you are doing these attainable goals and
these achievable goals is it's going to give you that
clear target to work for and it's going to improve
your focus because it's going to help you prioritize your
time and your energy into things that actually matter. And
(04:42):
in doing so, you're also going to increase your productivity.
I don't know about you, but I hate feeling so
busy for no reason and having these goals that like
I'm pushing myself for and I have to do, like
right now, I just restarted this big goal of mine,
and telling my husband the other day, I'm like, I
feel like I keep doing like three steps forward and
then I've close my eyes, I turn around and there's
seven more things for me to do, and it's actually
(05:03):
kind of exciting, Like it's really scary because there's so
much that goes into it, but I always feel like
I have something to work for and it's really fun
and exciting and challenging. And I feel like I'm starting
the Paralympics all over again, but in a different area
of my life. And I just want you to know
that while I have achieved some really amazing and great things, like,
this is an ever evolving process and I feel like
(05:24):
I will always be stretching myself in some way. And
so you're not going at the salone. I am right
there with you right now, and I am knee deep
in it just now that I am speaking from not
only experience, but also I am in it right there
with you. So when you were setting these achievable goals,
I really want you to focus on a few things
and here's some strategies and tips that can really help
you make it successful. So the first thing is, we're
(05:46):
going to focus on the process. And you hear me
say this time and time and time again, because it
is the most important part when it comes to your goals.
It's focusing on the process. Focus on the actions and
the behaviors that will lead you to your goal, not
just the outcome. The outcome is one singular day, onceing
moment in a lifetime of progress and process, and if
you were only focused on that outcome, there is so
much life that you were missing out on. And if
(06:07):
there's one thing about me as a baby. We're going
to be achieving goals in a place of self love,
not self sacrifice, and we are not sacrificing our life
and our experience of life for one outcome. One goal
like that is just not what we do here. The
second thing is we're going to protect that goal. Y'all.
If this goal is ours, when we are going to
set boundaries around it. And we're going to set boundaries
(06:27):
in two ways. We're going to set boundaries and saying,
when I am achieving this goal, I am all in,
and when I am out, and when I am achieving
life and I am experiencing things, I am going to
set it aside and I'm going to know that it
is always there for me. I'm also going to have
boundaries around distractions and things that are going to do
rail my progress. My goal is my baby, but it
is not everything. And I honor that and I recognize that,
(06:49):
but I also can put intentional time and effort into it.
I also want you to write your goal down. Write
it down, keep it visible, Remind yourself what you're working towards.
That's going to keep that that, remember that bottom up
feeling alive when you see it, and you're gonna say, yes, ma'am, Yes, sir,
that's mine. Let's go for it. And the last thing
I want you to do when it comes to setting
this achievable goal is connect a why to it. Connect
(07:10):
your goal to a deeper purpose, a deeper meaning that's
going to help you stay motivated and connected. Y'all. One
thing is goals are going to get hard. I talk
about this all the time. You know, if you listen
to my other episodes. Life gets hard, it's gonna throw
a roadblock guit you, it's gonna make a challenging it's
gonna test how much you actually want this. And one
way to really stay motivated and stay inspired and creative
(07:31):
towards your goal is to write a why that is
bigger than yourself, That is bigger than a paycheck, that
is bigger than any award that you could receive around
achieving your goal. Right, that is so intrinsically motivating that
no matter what you do in this life, you were
doing it for that You were doing it for that why,
You were doing it for that purpose, and that is
what's going to keep pushing you through when these goals
start feeling really hard, because, baby, you're challenging yourself, you're growing,
(07:54):
you're evolving, you're learning more about yourself, and you're gonna
want something that's going to anchor you down and keep
you going when those times get really tough. Now, I
would be crazy to talk about setting these achievable goals
if I didn't talk about the aligned action aspect that
is so important when it actually comes to making progress
towards your goal, y'all, you can't wish it one to
be it into being successful, you actually have to work
(08:16):
for it, one step at a time. And I really
like the idea of aligned action, which isn't just like
going after it and just I'm going to do this.
This is this is it's saying, I'm going to be
intentional with the way that I am acting towards my goal.
I'm going to be purposeful when I take steps towards
achieving my goals. I'm going to align my thoughts, my behaviors,
my actions towards my desired outcome, and I'm going to
(08:36):
consistently take action in the direction of my goals. Right, So,
when you were setting these attainable goals and you were
doing this aligned action, this is going to help you
stay focused and motivated on what actually matters no. One.
Really cool thing about having this aligned action and being
more intentional is when you're setting your goal that is
attainable that is going to stretch you, I also want
(08:56):
you to be intentional with it. I want you to
align your purpose and your vision and with not only
the goal, but that action plan to achieve it. When
you are intentional about your goals, you were bringing a
clear purpose, structure, positive mindset, to your day, which is
going to help you become not only more present, but
it's also going to help you achieve bigger and better
things in your business, in your life, and wherever else
(09:17):
you want to achieve it. So I have a personal
experience with this. When I first started Gold Medal mindset,
I began to get caught up, y'all in the colors
and the branding, how everything looked. I was putting all
my time, energy and focus and all the really fun
and don't get me wrong, there is a place and
a purpose for it, but all of the esthetic parts
of my business. And I remember hearing someone say, if
(09:39):
you don't make money from your business, baby, you don't
have a business, you have a hobby, a really expensive hobby.
And I was like, Oh, that's me. I have a hobby.
But I didn't really care too much because for me,
I honestly started as a place of love and I
just wanted to share. But I also began kind of
wanting to change how I was looking at it, So
I started researching what do I actually need to do
to do the dang thing beyond just the colors and
(09:59):
the brand like what actually mattered, what mattered most was
actually making money from your business to actually call it
a business, and you're gonna be like hello, mcflyd duh.
But like for me, I don't know. I've always thought
it was so much more than that it is to
me honestly, But I started to think, Okay, well, if
I'm actually going to make action towards making this into
something bigger, I don't really fully care about how many
clients I have, how much money I make from this.
(10:21):
Really it's how many lives can I impact on this journey?
And I had to start getting serious about what mattered
when I was showing up. How do I show up
with purpose? How do I show up and just start
chipping away at parts of this journey that are going
to move me forward? And I share this because it
involves getting quiet. It involves reflecting on successes and failures
(10:41):
and listening to your gut when it tells you that
it's time to send it, it's time to go all in,
or it's time to pull back. For me, in this journey,
there have been moments where I've pulled back. And if
you've been following a long gold metal mindset for a while,
you've noticed there was almost a year that I would
absolutely radio static quiet because I was dealing with competing
in the Paralympics or advocating for my right to compete,
and unfortunately gold medal mindset had to be put on
(11:04):
the back burner. But you know what is something so
beautiful is when you have a goal that is so
aligned with who you are and your purpose and what
you want and like you can always always always come
back to it. And I am a living example of
that right now. When it comes to aligned to action,
when it comes to intention, don't beat yourself up for
not being what everyone else seems to be. Don't beat
yourself up for not being an overnight success. Don't beat
(11:25):
yourself up for not being what you had envisioned that
one time in your mind about being successful. No, that
success is not linear, and you are on a path
to growing yourself and experiencing what it's like to go
for this dream. Please remember you're on your own unique
journey and nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody can take that away
from you. So when it comes to taking aligned action
(11:47):
and staying motivated and being intentional, here are some tips
that I have taken that you can take to really
make this a part of your journey that's kind of
second nature, so that you can start living from a
place of just love and achievement without that self sacrifice.
And so one of the ways that I think we
should all start out is by cultivating more stillness, more mindfulness,
(12:09):
and more ways for inspiration to flow through you and
through practices such as meditation or listening to prayer. This
is going to help you stay grounded, stay focused. It's
going to help you get in tune with who you
are what you actually want without listening to the noise
and the fears that the outside will put on you.
(12:30):
Inevitably if you do not listen to who you are
on the inside. I have so many bond posts on
my Brenda Huckabee dot com website about mindfulness and starting
if this is something that is new to you, but
being mindful is slowing down, it is doing your actions
with intention, It is being purposeful in your movements. It
is experiencing what it is like to go through those motions.
(12:51):
And so have a blog post on how you can
get started on that, and I really encourage you to
do that, and you can do research how to get
into meditation. There are so many apps and so many
very beautiful resources for that, and I encourage you to
do a deep dive into it and figure out how
to start cultivating more stillness into your own life and
allowing for more sources of inspiration to come to you.
(13:13):
And sometimes that could be seeking out positive information and inspirations,
not only just allowing it to come to you into
that stillness. The next tip when it comes to creating
aligned action is create a plan. Break down those goals
into smaller achievable steps. Right can create a plan that
outlines specific actions you need to take to achieve your goals. Guys,
(13:33):
this is not only going to help you stay focused
and motivated, but it's going to help you avoid those
feelings of overwhelm. And also, if you are not purposeful
and intentional what you're doing, you may end up doing
way more than you need to. And doing that is
just going to cause burnout. It's going to cause dissatisfaction.
It's going to make you feel like, oh my god,
I wasted all of this time, and yeah, you might have.
(13:57):
If you just take a little extra time at the
beginning to really cultivate stillness and understanding of where you
need to go, you could avoid so much pain in
the future, so future you will thank you for creating
a plan. Guys, I'm not even kidding. The next thing
you can do is visualize your success. Visualize yourself achieving
your goal. But I want to take this in next
(14:17):
up because we talk about this in the last two
episodes as well, But I want to take this a
little step further, and I want you to visualize your
future self not only achieving your goal, but ask them
where did you put your focus? What mattered most to
you in this process? How did what I am doing
today move me closer to my goal? How am I
showing up? Am I showing up as that version of
(14:38):
me that achieved this goal? This is something that is
a work in progress, and I know from my own
personal experience. I do this with the help of a
therapist and a coach, because there have been so many
times in my life where I'm like, why am I
showing up like this? Why am I in these situations?
And I'm reverting back to behaviors I have when I
was sixteen, Like what the heck is this about? And
(14:59):
what I've just learned is there are some protective parts
within me that I need to learn how to manage
and to shut off so that I can show up
as the more aligned version of myself that is successful,
because if y'all, one thing by my sixteen year old
self is she has no business being successful. She has
so much to work on. And so I just hated
that I was reverting back to her. But in the
(15:20):
process of being able to visualize that future person of me,
I can acknowledge the areas that I didn't show up
in alignment with her, And so I really encourage you
to take that visualization next step. And guys, I know
it sounds so silly, it sounds so rude, but it
has been proven to be helpful. So give yourself permission
to get a little weird, and I guarantee that it
(15:41):
will pay off now getting back on track with that
aligned to action. When you're taking your steps, try and
be consistent. And y'all, as I am an ADHD girl,
I know how hard it is to be consistent with things.
But when you were taking consistent action, even if it's
so small you are, you're doing yourself such a service.
You're making progress, and as long as you especially reflect
(16:02):
on that progress, you were gaining so much more than
you think. I heard this quote in the TV show recently,
and they said, you don't have to show up and
give it your all every single time. What you have
to do is show up and give your best, and
sometimes your best is only ten percent. And that for me,
I was like, dang, that is so powerful, because it
is so true. If you show up and give your
one hundred percent every single day, girl, that's crazy. You're
(16:24):
gonna burn out, You're gonna exhaust yourself. That is impossible
to show up at one hundred and ten percent every
single day, but you can show up at one hundred
and ten percent of your ten percent. And so to
move into that next piece is taking care of yourself.
Prioritize that self care, practice that self care, make sure
that you were doing things like exercising, like rest, relaxation,
seeing friends, giving time for yourself, to cultivate relationships, to
(16:50):
clean something. Self care is all about, you know, rest
and recovery, but it's also about doing things and practices
that are going to set your future self up for
more success in the future. And for me, having a
clean house is such a like I need it. I
need it. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but I'm like,
I don't care. I will spend the thirty minutes to
an hour every single night clean in this kitchen and
cleaning picking up around the house because I like to
(17:11):
wake up in the morning with the clean home. I
feel like I'm able to reset and I feel like
I'm able to get things done and not have to
focus on a to do list. And so sometimes self
care is cleaning your house, cleaning your car, it's organizing
your finances, It's doing the things that you may not
want to do, but it is setting yourself up for
more peace and care in the future. But sometimes you know,
I need a bath, or I need a face mask,
(17:34):
or I need a good book and everybody to just
be quiet for a minute. So practice that self care.
And you know, as an athlete, we give one hundred
percent of our body so much. But the thing is
is you can only give one hundred percent when you
charge yourself back to one hundred percent. So as an athlete,
I'm constantly doing my my leg massages. I've got my ball,
(17:56):
like the what are they called, oh, my goodness, my
recovery ball. I've got all sorts of tools to help
my body come back to one hundred percent. And so
you can't give your all if you're not resting and
recovering to get back to your all. The one thing
about me, y'all that y'all know is I believe that
goal setting is one hundred percent useless if you do
not do mindset work around it. And so three mindset
(18:16):
shifts that can get in the way of taking a
line in action in one, being unclear about what you want.
And you can go back to the specific podcast episode
to learn more and get really really detailed about that.
But if you're not clear on what you want, what
are you doing, what are you working towards, there's just
no reason to keep going. So making sure that you
have that clarity. And the next thing is clarify what's
(18:39):
important to you. Make sure that not only like I
know exactly I'm specific, I know where I'm going, but
I know why I'm going for it. Because goals that
are not aligned with your values will inevitably lead to unhappiness.
It'll lead to burn out, it'll lead to failure, it'll
lead to negative self esteem. When you align your goals
with your priorities, it is so much easier to claim success.
And the last block that I know so many people
(19:01):
have is perfectionism right, what happens when we are plagued
with wanting to show up as perfect, wanting to get
it right, wanting it to be the best that it
has been. And the reality is, when you do this,
it's going to lead to procrastination, it's going to lead
to an overwhelming sense of fear of failure, it's going
to lead to not taking action, it's going to lead
(19:22):
to so many negative things. And so when you recognize
that perfectionism is something that may be taking up your space,
you're able to overcome it. And so I have a
few tips to overcome that perfectionism when it comes to
taking action. And the first one is recognized that perfectionism,
and the first one is recognized that perfection is literally impossible.
And as an ex gymnast, this one is so hard
(19:45):
because I have spent so much of my life, so
much of my childhood chasing perfection, chasing that a ten
and I had seen a few people get one, so
they were slightly possible. But it's important to understand that
perfection is an unrealistic standard that is just not going
to be achieved, and if it is achieved, it is
because it is subjective, not objective. Like objective perfection is
(20:06):
just not real. And so when you accept that there
is no such thing as a perfect outcome, you can
alleviate that pressure to be perfect. You can allow yourself
to focus on improvement. You can allow yourself to focus
on the process. So focus on that progress, not the perfection.
Shift your mindset away from seeking perfection to focusing on
seeing those small steps that you have done. Celebrate those
(20:28):
small lens. Acknowledge the progress that you have made towards
your goal. See how far you have come, because this
is going to help you stay motivated and committed to
taking action towards your dreams. Okay, another thing that a
lot of people do when it comes to perfectionism is
you're setting unrealistic standards. So I want you to set
realistic expectations for yourself and your goals, which may mean
(20:49):
acknowledging your limitations, taking into account factors like time that
you have, resources, and other commitments. When you sit there
and you get realistic about your expectation, this can alleviate
pressure to be perfect, and it can make it easier
to actually take some action towards your goals. And honestly,
it could take you time and reflection to say, hey,
you know what, this isn't really a priority of mine.
(21:11):
This isn't something that I can accomplish right now, this
isn't something that I want. And you're able to say no,
You're able to reevaluate what you want. You're able to
reevaluate your goals. And so by getting realistic about what
you can accomplish and what you want to accomplish is
going to take away a lot of that perfectionism. Now
this one, I think some of you guys are going
(21:33):
to scream when I say it, But go for it.
Take imperfect action, take it, just freaking go for it.
Put a Nike on it, and just do it. Because
instead of waiting for that perfect moment or outcome, you
can start today taking action, which is going to give
you experience. It's going to give you something to jump
off of, something to improve, something to work for, something
(21:54):
to take with you and move forward. All you have
to do is be willing to adjust your approach as
need it. Right, so it's like, hey, this didn't work,
so I'm going to try this, and this didn't work,
And guys, I feel like I am the queen of that.
I am a go for it, let's see what happens,
and sometimes it's frustrating. I've been in about a year
of like experimenting on social media and it has yet
(22:14):
to be fruitful. But you know what, I just keep
showing up because I know that there is some value
in it, and I'm learning so much about how I share,
how I show up, and what I actually care about.
And I'm able to continue to try new things because
I understand that there is no one set rule, there
is no perfection and how I show up and honestly,
(22:35):
the best way for me to show up is by
showing up. And I'm pretty proud of myself for that.
So you should take that for yourself and apply it
as well. And I kind of just did this here,
But when you're doing this, make sure you're practicing self compassion.
Be kind to yourself in these practices. Treat yourself with
the same kindness and understanding that you would your friend.
Like recognize that it's okay to make mistakes, and that
(22:57):
setbacks are going to happen. Things are goaling to get hard,
And this isn't about you or who you are as
a person or your self worth. This is just a
natural part of goal achievement. Knowing that mistakes are going
to happen. It's a part of the learning opportunity. Mistakes
are going to happen, Setbacks are going to happen, but
they're all opportunities for learning. They're all opportunities for growth.
(23:18):
And when you recognize that, you're able to show more
kindness and compassion to yourself. So knowing that, hey, this
isn't going to be everything that I had envisioned, it's
going to get hard. It's I'm not going to be
like the number one top whoever in whatever my industry
is the first time that I show up, it is
a work in progress. I am a work in progress
and I love that and I'm excited to see what
(23:40):
I learn about myself in the process. That is going
to make it so much easier to make intentional aligned action.
So that's it, you guys, Thank you so much for
showing up to this episode. If you learned anything is
that if you want to achieve your goals, you need
to set them right. You need to make them achievable
yet challenging. Focus on the process, be intentional with those actions,
(24:02):
and align action means being purposeful, being consistent, being motivated,
visualizing your success, tracking your progress, finding an accountability partner,
and taking consistent action towards your goals. Guys, it's not
about being perfect, it's about making progress. Get out there,
get those smart goals, take a line action, and just
(24:23):
watch yourself become the superhero in your own story and
let those dreams come true. I would absolutely love if you,
guys shared what you learned in this episode with me
on social media. Be sure to tag me so that
I can see it. I feel just so incredibly honored
anytime that I get to be a part of your
guys's journey. So thank you in advance, and I will
see you guys in the next episode where we talk
(24:46):
about unleashing your potential and unlocking realistic goals for success.
I cannot wait to see you guys there, and in
the meantime, I hope you continue living your gold metal
life by
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to the Gold Metal Mindset Podcast. I
am your host, Barrena Huckabye, three time Paralympic gold medalist snowboarder,
here to encourage you to live a gold medal life,
one that is full of confidence, resilience, empowerment, so that
you can be successful in your goals without sacrificing your
mental health and the things you care about most in
(00:21):
this world. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back. We are still talking
about smart goals. We've already tackled the S, which is specific,
We've tackled the M, which is measurable, and today we're
going to tackle the A, which is achievable or attainable,
depending on your source. I will probably be using them interchangeably,
but they mean the same thing, so it shouldn't be
too confusing anyway. What does it mean to set an
(00:45):
achievable goal? And what it means is you're setting a
goal that's going to be challenging yet realistic. It's so
important that your goals stretch you, but they're not so
far out of reach that they become demotivating or impossible
to ache. You also want to emphasize that this goal
should be aligned with your values, your priorities, and it
(01:06):
should be relevant and meaningful to you because that is
how you are going to keep that motivation to achieve
that goal. Now, I have a personal experience when it
comes to setting these achievable or attainable goals. And when
I was living in Batners, Louisiana, I had set this
goal to become a Paralympian. And y'all, one thing about
(01:27):
Louisiana is there is no snow there's no mountains. You know,
we have we have crowsfish and good vibes. Okay, we
don't have any snowboarding. But I had gone on a
ski trip one time and for whatever reason, something had
clicked within me and I knew that I could become
a Paralympic snowboarder. And it was so funny. I can
remember sitting down in my high school cafeteria telling my friends.
(01:48):
I'm like, hey, you know what, one day, I'm going
to be a Paralympic snowboarder. And being the kid with
cancer in that high school, everybody was like, okay, Brenda, yeah, sure, right,
we support you. But you could tell them their faces
and in their tones that they thought it was one
crazy girl and you know what that is. One thing
about me is I am crazy. But I guess the
point of this is is nobody else can limit you.
When you set these goals. They may seem so far
(02:08):
out of reach to some other people, but if it
is feeling achievable and attainable to you, then that's all
that matters. You can't let other people limit you. And
you know what, I say that it was so crazy
and out of this world, but I could see the
steps in this process to becoming a Paralympian, and it
all felt so within my reach. It didn't feel like
this huge dream, big over the moon land amongst the stars.
(02:29):
Like it really did feel huge and was a big ask,
and I knew it was gonna be a lot of work,
but it really felt like something that I could do.
And so when you were setting these goals, that's how
they need to feel. They need to feel like kind
of scary. They need to stretch you. But you also
should know like now I got this, Like I have
these tools, I've got this. So when you're doing this,
you're going to set them so that they stretch you,
so that you can learn, so that you could grow,
and when you achieve that success, y'all is going to
(02:51):
feel so much better when you do these goals that
are you know, safe, They are something that it's not
so scary to set. It's kind of boring, like what
are you doing. You're not gaining anything, You're not learning
and growing and shifting as a person. And when you're
setting these goals, make sure that it's kind of scary
when it comes to setting achievable and attainable goals. Let
(03:14):
it challenge you go these achievable goals so that you
can increase your motivation, your confidence, and avoid feeling overwhelmed
and discouraged. Look, when it comes to setting these goals,
it's going to provide you with motivation. These goals are
going to feel like, oh my gosh, I have something
to work for that's going to push me outside of
my comfort zone, but it's still within my capabilities. I'm
so excited to see what happens. Think of that giddy
(03:36):
feeling you get when you first go for that big,
scary goal and you take that first step towards achieving it,
and I want you to like bottle it up and
just put it in your memory bank, because that is
going to be such a massive reminder in your motivation
to keep you moving forward towards these goals, because that
right there, like that is you intuitively knowing like I
freaking got this and I'm doing it and I'm so excited.
(03:57):
So take that feeling, bottle it up and remember it
and use that as your continued motivation when you do
these goals that stretch you and encourage growth for yourself.
When you were setting these goals, know that, hey, as
he is boring, I love a challenge. I love growing myself.
I love pushing myself. And when it gets too hard,
know that, like that uncomfortable feeling, that's how we grow, right,
(04:19):
that's what they call it growing pain. Not to be
too cliche, but we love a good cliche up in here,
and that is one right. You don't grow by being comfortable.
You get uncomfortable when you grow. Another really cool thing
that happens when you are doing these attainable goals and
these achievable goals is it's going to give you that
clear target to work for and it's going to improve
your focus because it's going to help you prioritize your
time and your energy into things that actually matter. And
(04:42):
in doing so, you're also going to increase your productivity.
I don't know about you, but I hate feeling so
busy for no reason and having these goals that like
I'm pushing myself for and I have to do, like
right now, I just restarted this big goal of mine,
and telling my husband the other day, I'm like, I
feel like I keep doing like three steps forward and
then I've close my eyes, I turn around and there's
seven more things for me to do, and it's actually
(05:03):
kind of exciting, Like it's really scary because there's so
much that goes into it, but I always feel like
I have something to work for and it's really fun
and exciting and challenging. And I feel like I'm starting
the Paralympics all over again, but in a different area
of my life. And I just want you to know
that while I have achieved some really amazing and great things, like,
this is an ever evolving process and I feel like
(05:24):
I will always be stretching myself in some way. And
so you're not going at the salone. I am right
there with you right now, and I am knee deep
in it just now that I am speaking from not
only experience, but also I am in it right there
with you. So when you were setting these achievable goals,
I really want you to focus on a few things
and here's some strategies and tips that can really help
you make it successful. So the first thing is, we're
(05:46):
going to focus on the process. And you hear me
say this time and time and time again, because it
is the most important part when it comes to your goals.
It's focusing on the process. Focus on the actions and
the behaviors that will lead you to your goal, not
just the outcome. The outcome is one singular day, onceing
moment in a lifetime of progress and process, and if
you were only focused on that outcome, there is so
much life that you were missing out on. And if
(06:07):
there's one thing about me as a baby. We're going
to be achieving goals in a place of self love,
not self sacrifice, and we are not sacrificing our life
and our experience of life for one outcome. One goal
like that is just not what we do here. The
second thing is we're going to protect that goal. Y'all.
If this goal is ours, when we are going to
set boundaries around it. And we're going to set boundaries
(06:27):
in two ways. We're going to set boundaries and saying,
when I am achieving this goal, I am all in,
and when I am out, and when I am achieving
life and I am experiencing things, I am going to
set it aside and I'm going to know that it
is always there for me. I'm also going to have
boundaries around distractions and things that are going to do
rail my progress. My goal is my baby, but it
is not everything. And I honor that and I recognize that,
(06:49):
but I also can put intentional time and effort into it.
I also want you to write your goal down. Write
it down, keep it visible, Remind yourself what you're working towards.
That's going to keep that that, remember that bottom up
feeling alive when you see it, and you're gonna say, yes, ma'am, Yes, sir,
that's mine. Let's go for it. And the last thing
I want you to do when it comes to setting
this achievable goal is connect a why to it. Connect
(07:10):
your goal to a deeper purpose, a deeper meaning that's
going to help you stay motivated and connected. Y'all. One
thing is goals are going to get hard. I talk
about this all the time. You know, if you listen
to my other episodes. Life gets hard, it's gonna throw
a roadblock guit you, it's gonna make a challenging it's
gonna test how much you actually want this. And one
way to really stay motivated and stay inspired and creative
(07:31):
towards your goal is to write a why that is
bigger than yourself, That is bigger than a paycheck, that
is bigger than any award that you could receive around
achieving your goal. Right, that is so intrinsically motivating that
no matter what you do in this life, you were
doing it for that You were doing it for that why,
You were doing it for that purpose, and that is
what's going to keep pushing you through when these goals
start feeling really hard, because, baby, you're challenging yourself, you're growing,
(07:54):
you're evolving, you're learning more about yourself, and you're gonna
want something that's going to anchor you down and keep
you going when those times get really tough. Now, I
would be crazy to talk about setting these achievable goals
if I didn't talk about the aligned action aspect that
is so important when it actually comes to making progress
towards your goal, y'all, you can't wish it one to
be it into being successful, you actually have to work
(08:16):
for it, one step at a time. And I really
like the idea of aligned action, which isn't just like
going after it and just I'm going to do this.
This is this is it's saying, I'm going to be
intentional with the way that I am acting towards my goal.
I'm going to be purposeful when I take steps towards
achieving my goals. I'm going to align my thoughts, my behaviors,
my actions towards my desired outcome, and I'm going to
(08:36):
consistently take action in the direction of my goals. Right, So,
when you were setting these attainable goals and you were
doing this aligned action, this is going to help you
stay focused and motivated on what actually matters no. One.
Really cool thing about having this aligned action and being
more intentional is when you're setting your goal that is
attainable that is going to stretch you, I also want
(08:56):
you to be intentional with it. I want you to
align your purpose and your vision and with not only
the goal, but that action plan to achieve it. When
you are intentional about your goals, you were bringing a
clear purpose, structure, positive mindset, to your day, which is
going to help you become not only more present, but
it's also going to help you achieve bigger and better
things in your business, in your life, and wherever else
(09:17):
you want to achieve it. So I have a personal
experience with this. When I first started Gold Medal mindset,
I began to get caught up, y'all in the colors
and the branding, how everything looked. I was putting all
my time, energy and focus and all the really fun
and don't get me wrong, there is a place and
a purpose for it, but all of the esthetic parts
of my business. And I remember hearing someone say, if
(09:39):
you don't make money from your business, baby, you don't
have a business, you have a hobby, a really expensive hobby.
And I was like, Oh, that's me. I have a hobby.
But I didn't really care too much because for me,
I honestly started as a place of love and I
just wanted to share. But I also began kind of
wanting to change how I was looking at it, So
I started researching what do I actually need to do
to do the dang thing beyond just the colors and
(09:59):
the brand like what actually mattered, what mattered most was
actually making money from your business to actually call it
a business, and you're gonna be like hello, mcflyd duh.
But like for me, I don't know. I've always thought
it was so much more than that it is to
me honestly, But I started to think, Okay, well, if
I'm actually going to make action towards making this into
something bigger, I don't really fully care about how many
clients I have, how much money I make from this.
(10:21):
Really it's how many lives can I impact on this journey?
And I had to start getting serious about what mattered
when I was showing up. How do I show up
with purpose? How do I show up and just start
chipping away at parts of this journey that are going
to move me forward? And I share this because it
involves getting quiet. It involves reflecting on successes and failures
(10:41):
and listening to your gut when it tells you that
it's time to send it, it's time to go all in,
or it's time to pull back. For me, in this journey,
there have been moments where I've pulled back. And if
you've been following a long gold metal mindset for a while,
you've noticed there was almost a year that I would
absolutely radio static quiet because I was dealing with competing
in the Paralympics or advocating for my right to compete,
and unfortunately gold medal mindset had to be put on
(11:04):
the back burner. But you know what is something so
beautiful is when you have a goal that is so
aligned with who you are and your purpose and what
you want and like you can always always always come
back to it. And I am a living example of
that right now. When it comes to aligned to action,
when it comes to intention, don't beat yourself up for
not being what everyone else seems to be. Don't beat
yourself up for not being an overnight success. Don't beat
(11:25):
yourself up for not being what you had envisioned that
one time in your mind about being successful. No, that
success is not linear, and you are on a path
to growing yourself and experiencing what it's like to go
for this dream. Please remember you're on your own unique
journey and nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody can take that away
from you. So when it comes to taking aligned action
(11:47):
and staying motivated and being intentional, here are some tips
that I have taken that you can take to really
make this a part of your journey that's kind of
second nature, so that you can start living from a
place of just love and achievement without that self sacrifice.
And so one of the ways that I think we
should all start out is by cultivating more stillness, more mindfulness,
(12:09):
and more ways for inspiration to flow through you and
through practices such as meditation or listening to prayer. This
is going to help you stay grounded, stay focused. It's
going to help you get in tune with who you
are what you actually want without listening to the noise
and the fears that the outside will put on you.
(12:30):
Inevitably if you do not listen to who you are
on the inside. I have so many bond posts on
my Brenda Huckabee dot com website about mindfulness and starting
if this is something that is new to you, but
being mindful is slowing down, it is doing your actions
with intention, It is being purposeful in your movements. It
is experiencing what it is like to go through those motions.
(12:51):
And so have a blog post on how you can
get started on that, and I really encourage you to
do that, and you can do research how to get
into meditation. There are so many apps and so many
very beautiful resources for that, and I encourage you to
do a deep dive into it and figure out how
to start cultivating more stillness into your own life and
allowing for more sources of inspiration to come to you.
(13:13):
And sometimes that could be seeking out positive information and inspirations,
not only just allowing it to come to you into
that stillness. The next tip when it comes to creating
aligned action is create a plan. Break down those goals
into smaller achievable steps. Right can create a plan that
outlines specific actions you need to take to achieve your goals. Guys,
(13:33):
this is not only going to help you stay focused
and motivated, but it's going to help you avoid those
feelings of overwhelm. And also, if you are not purposeful
and intentional what you're doing, you may end up doing
way more than you need to. And doing that is
just going to cause burnout. It's going to cause dissatisfaction.
It's going to make you feel like, oh my god,
I wasted all of this time, and yeah, you might have.
(13:57):
If you just take a little extra time at the
beginning to really cultivate stillness and understanding of where you
need to go, you could avoid so much pain in
the future, so future you will thank you for creating
a plan. Guys, I'm not even kidding. The next thing
you can do is visualize your success. Visualize yourself achieving
your goal. But I want to take this in next
(14:17):
up because we talk about this in the last two
episodes as well, But I want to take this a
little step further, and I want you to visualize your
future self not only achieving your goal, but ask them
where did you put your focus? What mattered most to
you in this process? How did what I am doing
today move me closer to my goal? How am I
showing up? Am I showing up as that version of
(14:38):
me that achieved this goal? This is something that is
a work in progress, and I know from my own
personal experience. I do this with the help of a
therapist and a coach, because there have been so many
times in my life where I'm like, why am I
showing up like this? Why am I in these situations?
And I'm reverting back to behaviors I have when I
was sixteen, Like what the heck is this about? And
(14:59):
what I've just learned is there are some protective parts
within me that I need to learn how to manage
and to shut off so that I can show up
as the more aligned version of myself that is successful,
because if y'all, one thing by my sixteen year old
self is she has no business being successful. She has
so much to work on. And so I just hated
that I was reverting back to her. But in the
(15:20):
process of being able to visualize that future person of me,
I can acknowledge the areas that I didn't show up
in alignment with her, And so I really encourage you
to take that visualization next step. And guys, I know
it sounds so silly, it sounds so rude, but it
has been proven to be helpful. So give yourself permission
to get a little weird, and I guarantee that it
(15:41):
will pay off now getting back on track with that
aligned to action. When you're taking your steps, try and
be consistent. And y'all, as I am an ADHD girl,
I know how hard it is to be consistent with things.
But when you were taking consistent action, even if it's
so small you are, you're doing yourself such a service.
You're making progress, and as long as you especially reflect
(16:02):
on that progress, you were gaining so much more than
you think. I heard this quote in the TV show recently,
and they said, you don't have to show up and
give it your all every single time. What you have
to do is show up and give your best, and
sometimes your best is only ten percent. And that for me,
I was like, dang, that is so powerful, because it
is so true. If you show up and give your
one hundred percent every single day, girl, that's crazy. You're
(16:24):
gonna burn out, You're gonna exhaust yourself. That is impossible
to show up at one hundred and ten percent every
single day, but you can show up at one hundred
and ten percent of your ten percent. And so to
move into that next piece is taking care of yourself.
Prioritize that self care, practice that self care, make sure
that you were doing things like exercising, like rest, relaxation,
seeing friends, giving time for yourself, to cultivate relationships, to
(16:50):
clean something. Self care is all about, you know, rest
and recovery, but it's also about doing things and practices
that are going to set your future self up for
more success in the future. And for me, having a
clean house is such a like I need it. I
need it. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but I'm like,
I don't care. I will spend the thirty minutes to
an hour every single night clean in this kitchen and
cleaning picking up around the house because I like to
(17:11):
wake up in the morning with the clean home. I
feel like I'm able to reset and I feel like
I'm able to get things done and not have to
focus on a to do list. And so sometimes self
care is cleaning your house, cleaning your car, it's organizing
your finances, It's doing the things that you may not
want to do, but it is setting yourself up for
more peace and care in the future. But sometimes you know,
I need a bath, or I need a face mask,
(17:34):
or I need a good book and everybody to just
be quiet for a minute. So practice that self care.
And you know, as an athlete, we give one hundred
percent of our body so much. But the thing is
is you can only give one hundred percent when you
charge yourself back to one hundred percent. So as an athlete,
I'm constantly doing my my leg massages. I've got my ball,
(17:56):
like the what are they called, oh, my goodness, my
recovery ball. I've got all sorts of tools to help
my body come back to one hundred percent. And so
you can't give your all if you're not resting and
recovering to get back to your all. The one thing
about me, y'all that y'all know is I believe that
goal setting is one hundred percent useless if you do
not do mindset work around it. And so three mindset
(18:16):
shifts that can get in the way of taking a
line in action in one, being unclear about what you want.
And you can go back to the specific podcast episode
to learn more and get really really detailed about that.
But if you're not clear on what you want, what
are you doing, what are you working towards, there's just
no reason to keep going. So making sure that you
have that clarity. And the next thing is clarify what's
(18:39):
important to you. Make sure that not only like I
know exactly I'm specific, I know where I'm going, but
I know why I'm going for it. Because goals that
are not aligned with your values will inevitably lead to unhappiness.
It'll lead to burn out, it'll lead to failure, it'll
lead to negative self esteem. When you align your goals
with your priorities, it is so much easier to claim success.
And the last block that I know so many people
(19:01):
have is perfectionism right, what happens when we are plagued
with wanting to show up as perfect, wanting to get
it right, wanting it to be the best that it
has been. And the reality is, when you do this,
it's going to lead to procrastination, it's going to lead
to an overwhelming sense of fear of failure, it's going
to lead to not taking action, it's going to lead
(19:22):
to so many negative things. And so when you recognize
that perfectionism is something that may be taking up your space,
you're able to overcome it. And so I have a
few tips to overcome that perfectionism when it comes to
taking action. And the first one is recognized that perfectionism,
and the first one is recognized that perfection is literally impossible.
And as an ex gymnast, this one is so hard
(19:45):
because I have spent so much of my life, so
much of my childhood chasing perfection, chasing that a ten
and I had seen a few people get one, so
they were slightly possible. But it's important to understand that
perfection is an unrealistic standard that is just not going
to be achieved, and if it is achieved, it is
because it is subjective, not objective. Like objective perfection is
(20:06):
just not real. And so when you accept that there
is no such thing as a perfect outcome, you can
alleviate that pressure to be perfect. You can allow yourself
to focus on improvement. You can allow yourself to focus
on the process. So focus on that progress, not the perfection.
Shift your mindset away from seeking perfection to focusing on
seeing those small steps that you have done. Celebrate those
(20:28):
small lens. Acknowledge the progress that you have made towards
your goal. See how far you have come, because this
is going to help you stay motivated and committed to
taking action towards your dreams. Okay, another thing that a
lot of people do when it comes to perfectionism is
you're setting unrealistic standards. So I want you to set
realistic expectations for yourself and your goals, which may mean
(20:49):
acknowledging your limitations, taking into account factors like time that
you have, resources, and other commitments. When you sit there
and you get realistic about your expectation, this can alleviate
pressure to be perfect, and it can make it easier
to actually take some action towards your goals. And honestly,
it could take you time and reflection to say, hey,
you know what, this isn't really a priority of mine.
(21:11):
This isn't something that I can accomplish right now, this
isn't something that I want. And you're able to say no,
You're able to reevaluate what you want. You're able to
reevaluate your goals. And so by getting realistic about what
you can accomplish and what you want to accomplish is
going to take away a lot of that perfectionism. Now
this one, I think some of you guys are going
(21:33):
to scream when I say it, But go for it.
Take imperfect action, take it, just freaking go for it.
Put a Nike on it, and just do it. Because
instead of waiting for that perfect moment or outcome, you
can start today taking action, which is going to give
you experience. It's going to give you something to jump
off of, something to improve, something to work for, something
(21:54):
to take with you and move forward. All you have
to do is be willing to adjust your approach as
need it. Right, so it's like, hey, this didn't work,
so I'm going to try this, and this didn't work,
And guys, I feel like I am the queen of that.
I am a go for it, let's see what happens,
and sometimes it's frustrating. I've been in about a year
of like experimenting on social media and it has yet
(22:14):
to be fruitful. But you know what, I just keep
showing up because I know that there is some value
in it, and I'm learning so much about how I share,
how I show up, and what I actually care about.
And I'm able to continue to try new things because
I understand that there is no one set rule, there
is no perfection and how I show up and honestly,
(22:35):
the best way for me to show up is by
showing up. And I'm pretty proud of myself for that.
So you should take that for yourself and apply it
as well. And I kind of just did this here,
But when you're doing this, make sure you're practicing self compassion.
Be kind to yourself in these practices. Treat yourself with
the same kindness and understanding that you would your friend.
Like recognize that it's okay to make mistakes, and that
(22:57):
setbacks are going to happen. Things are goaling to get hard,
And this isn't about you or who you are as
a person or your self worth. This is just a
natural part of goal achievement. Knowing that mistakes are going
to happen. It's a part of the learning opportunity. Mistakes
are going to happen, Setbacks are going to happen, but
they're all opportunities for learning. They're all opportunities for growth.
(23:18):
And when you recognize that, you're able to show more
kindness and compassion to yourself. So knowing that, hey, this
isn't going to be everything that I had envisioned, it's
going to get hard. It's I'm not going to be
like the number one top whoever in whatever my industry
is the first time that I show up, it is
a work in progress. I am a work in progress
and I love that and I'm excited to see what
(23:40):
I learn about myself in the process. That is going
to make it so much easier to make intentional aligned action.
So that's it, you guys, Thank you so much for
showing up to this episode. If you learned anything is
that if you want to achieve your goals, you need
to set them right. You need to make them achievable
yet challenging. Focus on the process, be intentional with those actions,
(24:02):
and align action means being purposeful, being consistent, being motivated,
visualizing your success, tracking your progress, finding an accountability partner,
and taking consistent action towards your goals. Guys, it's not
about being perfect, it's about making progress. Get out there,
get those smart goals, take a line action, and just
(24:23):
watch yourself become the superhero in your own story and
let those dreams come true. I would absolutely love if you,
guys shared what you learned in this episode with me
on social media. Be sure to tag me so that
I can see it. I feel just so incredibly honored
anytime that I get to be a part of your
guys's journey. So thank you in advance, and I will
see you guys in the next episode where we talk
(24:46):
about unleashing your potential and unlocking realistic goals for success.
I cannot wait to see you guys there, and in
the meantime, I hope you continue living your gold metal
life by
Host
Brenna Huckaby
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.