Ben Nemtin | Author, Creator, Cofounder of The Buried Life Movement
Inspired by Ben Nemtin's Keynote Session at CAST21? Dive further into his steps to making the impossible possible on your own—or in your classroom—in this five-part curriculum designed to help you—or your students—reach goals.
When it comes to our personal goals, we face two major roadblocks. The first is that there are no deadlines for personal goals, so we tend to put them off once something more important pops up. The second problem we face is that often we wait to feel inspired to pursue our personal goals. However, that inspiration rarely hits us out of the blue.
This five-part curriculum is designed to help you overcome these roadblocks by creating accountability that will drive you forward and by sparking inspiration through action. The curriculum follows my proven “5 Steps to Make the Impossible Possible’’. Each episode I will ask you to take a simple action to help you move towards your goals and a more meaningful life. Here we go!
To kick us off, the first step to achieve your goals is to write them down. You are 42% more likely to achieve your goals just by writing them down. By doing so, you force yourself to slow down and reflect on what is truly important. In addition, you move your intangible thoughts into tangible words. This list is now a reminder your goals exist, and the act of writing them down builds accountability.
Your Challenge: Steal 10-20 mins of quiet time and write your list on a piece of paper. Think about things that will bring you true joy and happiness (not what others may want for you). It's important to remove limiting beliefs, so I suggest that you write your list imagining that you have all the money in the world and that you have the ability to do anything. Have fun.
Feel free to email me your list or any questions you may have at ben@bennemtin.com.
Onwards and upwards,
Ben
The second step to achieve your goals is to share your list. If you don't talk about your goals, then no one can help you. However, it takes courage to be vulnerable enough to share your personal wants and dreams. In fact, most of us don't share their lists because of the fear of failure of the fear of what other people think.
Your Challenge: Now that you have your list, choose a really important list item and share it with a friend or family member and ask for help.
As always, feel free to email me at ben@bennemtin.com.
Onwards and upwards,
Ben
The third step to achieve your goals is to build accountability. We have deadlines for goals in other areas of our lives but often we forgot to set deadlines for our personal goals, leading to thoughts of "I'll do it tomorrow," "next week," or "next year". One way we can guard against this natural tendency is to build structures of accountability around our personal goals, just like we have accountability structures in our professional lives.
Your Challenge: Now that you’ve shared your goals, can you be even more strategic with who you share your dreams with? Seek out the people who might be able to help you accomplish your goals and keep you accountable. If you want to increase your chances by 77%, enroll an accountability buddy who can check in on you down the line.
If you’d like me to be your accountability buddy, just email me at ben@bennemtin.com.
Onwards and upwards,
Ben
The fourth step to achieve your goals is good old-fashioned persistence. It's worth noting that I believe it’s not just simple persistence that’s needed, it’s creative persistence. When you use your imagination to think of creative ways around a problem, oftentimes other people appreciate your originality and are more likely to rally by your side to support.
Your Challenge: You may be experiencing some setbacks at this point. If so, this is normal. Do not let this deter you; keep going. Remember, every failure is a correcting your course towards success. Continue to dream big, there is less competition for unrealistic goals as most people are aiming for realistic goals.
Stay positive and feel free to let me know how you are doing at ben@bennemtin.com.
Onwards and upwards,
Ben
The fifth step to achieve your goals is to give back. When you help someone else, it fills you up in a way that doing something for yourself doesn't. On top of that, people are more inclined to help you when they see you out in the world helping others. Remember that not just large gives create an impact. Every action has a reaction, and we all have the power to create an exponential positive impact.
Your Challenge: Do something nice for someone else this week. It could be calling someone and letting them know how much they mean to you, it could be leaving a large tip or helping a colleague. The ripple effect will go far beyond what you ever know.
Stay in touch at ben@bennemtin.com.
Best of luck with your list,
Ben