Have you ever felt like you’re on a “Hero’s Journey”?

It’s where the hero embarks on a quest but then faces obstacles they need to overcome.

They meet people along the way – some who create more challenges and others who help overcome them. After a series of ups and downs (and a bit of dragon slaying here and there), the hero wins… or fails in the quest.

When it comes to achieving success in your career and life, you are the hero in the Hero’s Journey.

And there’s one thing you can do that will stack the deck in your favor toward winning rather than failing in your quest.

It’s something most people don’t do and that’s why so many goals don’t get achieved.

Relying on Hope is Not a Strategy

If you want to be the hero who wins, then don’t leave things to chance. To maximize your chances of achieving your goals and winning, you have to set yourself up for success.

To maximize your chances of achieving your goals and winning, you have to set yourself up for success.

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And it’s all in the planning and preparation.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

Setting yourself up for success means creating an environment for yourself so you can’t help but reach your goal. It’s anticipating potential obstacles and smoothing your path. It’s having a plan.

The Success Path for Smaller Goals

For smaller goals, setting yourself up for success can take just a little lead time. Like checking your tire pressure and filling up your car’s gas tank the day before a big road trip so things go smoothly the next morning.

This could apply to starting a new daily habit. For example, one of my clients, let’s call her Toni, wanted to start a daily journaling practice. She was constantly racing to get things done for her job and at home and needed to create some space for thinking, reflecting and just letting her creative juices flow again.

We identified the morning as the best time, right after arriving at the office because she was usually the first one in and it was quiet.

But the key to her success would be in the preparation.

To set herself up for success, Toni needed an evening routine to make sure she was set up to journal the next morning with no hassles or preventable distractions keeping her from her goal. This included:

  • Clean coffee mug on her desk before she left the office
  • Favorite coffee pod ready to pop into the Keurig machine at work
  • Calming music queued up in her iPhone
  • Noise-cancelling earbuds charged up in her handbag
  • Journal and favorite pens in her briefcase

That way, all she had to do was pick up her handbag and briefcase in the morning, arrive at work and be ready to journal.

Your Success Path for Bigger Goals

But bigger goals take more lead time and planning. There are more moving parts involved and you need a longer runway.

For example, going for a promotion involves many others beyond just yourself and has a big payoff when done right.

In all likelihood, you’ll need to change the way people see and experience you, build new relationships, and even get on new projects where you can be more visible, which all take time. You can’t just leave all these and other efforts for the days, weeks or even months before the promotion announcement.

It all has to be part of a bigger plan and you need to prepare not just yourself but also others. Among other things, you’ll need to include time and space in your plan for the following:

  • Identifying the strengths and vulnerabilities in your case for promotion
  • Recognizing the gaps you need to address while there’s still time to influence outcomes
  • Knowing who you need to influence, how to approach them, what to say and when
  • How to make your case in the most compelling way
  • How to troubleshoot when unexpected obstacles come up
  • What steps to focus on because you’re busy and don’t have time to waste, just to name a few.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Whether you’re pursuing goals that are big or small, now is the time to take action to set yourself up for success.

Now is the time to take action to set yourself up for success.

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When you take the time to anticipate obstacles, create a plan and lay out the path for your “Hero’s Journey”, you’re much more likely to achieve success.

Just think of what it will mean for you to achieve what you’ve envisioned and worked for, whether that’s getting your creative juices flowing again, getting your promotion, or another goal that’s meaningful to you.

And no matter what happens, you win because of the growth and learning you’ll experience along the journey.

The important thing is to do everything you can to set yourself up for success with your goals. Then you can relax and let the chips fall where they may.

When you give something your best shot, you’ll have no regrets.

And if one of your goals is to get promoted, you’re in luck!

Enrollment is open now for my How to Get Promoted Program where you can get my personal support and guidance to land your next promotion.

See if the program is right for you because registration closes on Wednesday night, March 4th.

So, what’s the goal you most want to achieve this year and how will you set yourself up for success?

Leave me a comment and let me know!