4 Pillars To A Goal

Well friends, we are halfway in January and I know some are still feeling the external momentum of the “New Year, New Me” rush, however others are feeling defeated and right back where they started.

I want to assure you that there is nothing wrong with you. You have never been taught how to properly set and accomplish your goals.

In this article I am going to break it all down.

There are way too many people out here talking about goals that don’t even know what goals are. So let’s get to the brain science behind it, shall we?

Put simply a goal is a dream with a deadline. If you are part of my world we come up with BIG delusional dreams and don’t look back until we reach them.

Most people think a goal is just a destination. It’s NOT. A goal has a requirement for a total internal shift.

One thing you need to understand about your brain before we dive in.

Your brain has ONE job. To keep you alive with as minimal effort as possible, that is the term “auto-pilot” in real time. Keep that in mind while you are understanding each of these pillars.

These are those “shifts” broken down into 4 pillars.

1.      The Outcome: This goes beyond the typical vision board and moves into a deep embodiment of what your life will look and feel like once your goal has been reached. If you can’t feel it, you can’t hold it.

Brain science- The brain struggles to distinguish between a vividly imagined memory and a real one. When you "embody" the outcome, you are activating the Reticular Activating System (RAS)—the brain’s filter. By getting hyper-specific, you are "programming" your RAS to notice opportunities in your environment that align with that goal, which otherwise would have been filtered out as "background noise."

Tips- When you think you’ve gone deep into the outcome, GO DEEPER. I want you to get hyper specific on what life will look like, who will it impact, how will it impact them and yourself. What is the short-term emotion attached, what is the long term.

2.      The Decisions: This is the key factor that holds most people back. They wait for this elusive feeling of being “ready”. Ready is NOT a feeling, but rather a byproduct of taking action. The decision is what creates the outcome. These can be broken into big decisions and smaller ones. Example- If your goal is to write your first book by the end of 2026. You big decision is to write the book, but then the goal requires you to continue to make micro decisions of writing 500 words every day, deciding to show up tired, deciding to create a space to work on your book, deciding to develop habits to help you follow through.

Brain science- We often wait for a "feeling" because our Basal Ganglia (the habit center) loves the comfort of the status quo. However, the Pre-Frontal Cortex (the decision center) is like a muscle. Every time you make a "micro-decision" to write 500 words or show up tired, you are physically strengthening the neural pathways of discipline, making the next decision easier and require less energy.

Tips- Decision fatigue is real. If the goal feels too big, your brain’s alarm system (the Amygdala) will shut you down. Use the Rule of 1. Don't decide to do the whole workout; decide to put on your shoes and gym clothes. Don't decide to fix your whole life; decide to make one phone call. Shrink the decision until it’s impossible to say no.

3.      The Identity: This is a big one! You can’t have a high impact life with a people pleasing identity. You have to become the person who is unwilling to settle for anything but accomplishing your goals. Every decision you make, every action taken needs to be in line NOT with who you are now, but with who you need to be to achieve your goal.

Brain science- If your identity is "People Pleaser," your brain will actually create physical anxiety (cortisol) when you try to say no. To change your life, you have to feed your brain new “data points “until it recognizes "Future You" as the new "Safe You."

Tips- Get radically honest about who you are now and then clear on who you want, need to be to reach your goal. Here are some questions to get you started.

·       What area’s of my life drain me the most?

·       What habits, thoughts or action hold me back from the life I want?

·       What labels, roles, or identities do I give myself that are limiting?

·       What do I desire? What do I work toward daily, that lights me up!

·       What does future me do? How do I move, eat, show up, honor myself, honor others?

·       What does habits does future me have to help me accomplish my goals?

4.      The Beliefs: You have to delete the “I’m not a morning person” or “I’ve never been good with money” scripts running in your head. Your reality will always mirror who your brain believes you are. The best way to create your identity is to rewire the beliefs holding you back.

Brain science- This is Neuroplasticity in action. When you use the "Interruption Method," you are weakening the old, negative neural association and strengthening the new ones. The "Celebration" step is crucial because it releases Dopamine, which acts as "neural cement," locking that new belief into place as long as you do this on repetition.

Tips- Interruption Method:

1.      Awareness- Notice beliefs that hold you back. Write down you goal on the top of a page and write down everything you believe about that goal that makes you feel like its not possible, it will be hard, it will take a long time, etc.

2.      Change your state- Before countering those beliefs change you physical body. Your brain believes what your body tells it. Get yourself feeling “good”, pumped up music, dance, shake, jump, etc.

3.      Create a new belief – Ask yourself “What would I choose if I trusted everything was going to work out? Start writing down those beliefs. Beliefs are just tiny decision we make that cast a vote for who we want to be (Will dive deeper into this in another article)

4.      Celebration- This is KEY. Activate the reward center of your brain and teach your brain that these are the beliefs you hold now. Favorite snack, check mark on a calendar, sticker, a positive affirmation, any type of reward works.

5.      Repeat- Your brain learns in repetition, so repeat this practice daily!

Now that you understand the 4 pillars to a goal you can focus on the foundation required to CRUSH all your goals, big and small.

Pick ONE limiting belief today (e.g., "I'm not a writer") and use the Interruption Method on it for the next 7 days. Hit reply to this email and tell me which belief you’re deleting.

Upcoming articles will break down each pillar in more detail to help you build the big fucking life you are destined to live!

I have an unwavering belief in your potential and wish you nothing but success

Angie.