Like an R&B Usher song, this is my confession: I made way cooler goals when I was younger. Earlier in my twenties, I decided that I would live in three different countries by the time I turn 30.
Now, my goals are just nerdy. Like: update my CV by March.
As multi-passionate professionals, we have lots of long-term goals. And because of this, we sometimes worry about how we’re going to do it all.
So, in this post, I’m walking you through how to loosely hold on to your long-term goals without getting discouraged or side-tracked. And when you’re done, you can fill out this Focus Planner to help you narrow in on the goals that are most important to you right now.
So let’s get started:
1. Root firmly in the knowledge that it’s going to happen
This is arguably the hardest part, so let’s get it out of the way. To achieve your long-term goals, you have to first decide that they’re achievable. In other words, you have to be certain that you’ll get there (or somewhere better), and that it’s just a matter of time.
This is easier said than done – I know – especially for multi-passionate professionals who have big goals. In a way, it almost sounds delusional: like how are you going to just believe something big will happen? But that’s not what I’m talking about.
You’re not going to believe your way into that new job or think positively into your new role. You’re going to do the work, and you’re going to make it happen – with the most helpful mindset.
When you think this way, you can afford to take your time, to weather the ups and downs, and to modify your game plan. Most good things take time, and if you’ve already decided that this good thing is for you, then you can afford to wait. You know you’re going to get there anyways.
In my case, I can afford to put my life abroad on hold. I mean, it’s been a whole decade now of working on other passions – medicine, writing, etc. – but what may look like a lost cause to others is still a strong passion of mine.
And – exciting news – it’s starting to come together because one of my passions (medicine) has brought me abroad to Brazil! In fact, as I’m editing this post, I’m also getting ready to fly away for four months. When you’re reading this post, I’ll already be away on placement! (P.S. you have to read how this all turned out. Hint: this placement started in February of 2020… and then there was a pandemic.)
You’re likely the same. Maybe not the Brazil part, but you haven’t forgotten your passions. Just because you’re not actively working towards one at the moment doesn’t mean it’s not meaningful to you. You’ll get there… if you’ve decided you will.
2. Stay motivated by your own action
In your own work, it is so important that rather than focusing on everything you haven’t done, you focus on what you have. As multi-passionate women, we’re good at moving on to the next project rather than stopping to reflect and congratulate ourselves on the current one.
I’m willing to bet that your long-term goal idea is big, so of course, it’s not happening all at once. In order to nurture your long-term goals, you’ve got to fuel yourself by recognizing all that you’ve already done. Take a moment to celebrate these things because they’re valuable.
If you consistently work towards your long-term goals, and if you keep moving in the right direction, it’s going to pay off in the long run. You’re making deposits towards your own life, so don’t be discouraged if your goals bank account is slim right now.
3. Be flexible, not distractible
From one multi-passionate woman to the next, I want you to know that I value focus and creativity. I think it’s problematic when people say that if you’re not fully committed to just one thing, then you’re not going to make waves. It’s well-meaning advice, but I’m returning it.
You can absolutely do more than one thing and do it well, but here’s the key. You’re going to have to be crystal clear about what that means. Because you’re multi-passionate, you also have to be organized. You have to know, without a shadow of a doubt, what success in each of those passion areas looks like to you.
So write it down.
No, seriously, so that when the next shiny object comes your way, you can quickly evaluate whether or not it’s something for you.
These shiny objects come in the form of other people’s opinions, networking opportunities, and inspiration. Examples will distract you, suggestions will distract you, and courses will distract you.
And a tough one: your own self-doubt will distract you! If you write down exactly what success in your passion looks like for you, then you can come back and check any new opportunities against that description you’ve written down.
And just to clarify for my planners and perfectionists, I’m not saying to hold on tightly to your exact plan. You have to be clear on the destination, but be willing to take a detour for traffic.
Summary
I know it can be so hard to make progress with our long-term goals, simply because we’ve got lots of ’em.
That being said, it’s doable. In this post, we talked about changes in thoughts that can help make our long-term goal ideas a reality. First, we need to decide that they’re truly going to happen, and then we need to decide when we’re going to put in the work.
We also talked about incremental and consistent actions as both motivation and momentum. Lastly, we spoke about how to avoid distractions (including our own thoughts) and the role of creativity and flexibility in our long-term goal planning.
If reading these concepts is helpful to you, then self-care coaching is your next step. It’s the difference between understanding all this and putting it into practice in your everyday life & work. Let’s chat.
