How often have you heard the phrase, “The bigger your Why, the easier the How!”

WRONG!

This affirmation may work for the handful of high-achievers who believe they can achieve anything but its wrong for the 96% of us who don’t have unshakeable faith in our abilities. By setting goals that are too lofty, we are setting ourselves up for failure and inviting our subconscious to undermine our efforts.

Our subconscious brain’s primary responsibility is to keep us alive and safe. So we have to convince our subconscious that what we want to achieve is important for our life and safety.

Here’s the good news. While our subconscious brain is incredibly powerful and works tirelessly without ceasing, it is rather dumb. Which means that, if we can convince our subconscious that our goals are important and achievable, we can harness it’s full support.

And what better way to convince our subconscious that our goals are important for our life and safety, than by demonstrating our point, one small step at a time.

Here is my take on that first quote;

“If your WHY is important enough, the HOW will be easy.”

Here are three personal goals that will help you to (eventually) convince your subconscious that you have unlimited potential.

1. Survival Goal.

How much must you earn to survive without going into debt?

Your survival is your subconscious brains primary responsibility so it’s going to be ready and willing to support your goal if it believes that your goal really is about your survival.

Make this number as low as possible, a ‘beans and rice’ budget as Dave Ramsey calls it. No frills. You must believe it is easy to achieve and believe that it is good for you.

Ensuring that you can survive is good, isn’t it?

For example, if you lost your job, how much would you need to be earning from your side-hustle to survive without going into debt? Assume that you will be able to sell everything that isn’t essential or paid for.

The lower the number, the easier it is to harness the power of your subconscious mind.

Having demonstrated that you can achieve your Survival Goal in your side-hustle business, your subconscious will be ready to support your ‘next step’, your Lifestyle Goal.

2. Lifestyle Goal

How much must you earn to live a reasonably comfortable lifestyle?

Keep this goal fairly moderate; ideally no higher than double your best income to date. You can always raise the bar when you achieve your first Lifestyle Goal.

What does a comfortable lifestyle mean to you? Living in a safer neighbourhood? Better education for yourself and your children? A safe and reliable car? A decent annual holiday?

Describe in detail exactly what a ‘your comfortable lifestyle’ will be like? Create a vision board with pictures of what you want and review it regularly.

For many people a comfortable lifestyle is all they want; having fun is more important than achieving more. And that is absolutely fine.

3. Success #1 Goal.

How much must you earn to feel that you are beginning to achieve financial success?

Success Goals are for those of us who want to achieve as much as possible; today’s achievements are the springboard from which to launch the next adventure.

Once again, keep this first Success Goal fairly moderate, it is only the first of many Success Goals.

Why is your Success #1 Goal important to you? What will achieving this goal enable you to be, do and have that you can’t achieve with your current income?

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This article is part of my free webinar "Five things to consider before starting a side-hustle."