How My ‘Wildly Improbable Goal’ Came True
“Wildly Improbable Goals,” or “WIGs,” as Martha Beck calls them, are goals that make your body feel excited, come alive or full of energy.
I call them “Wild Goals.”
They are not goals achieved by analyzing, doing what makes “sense,” or being “practical.”
They often grow from a place of imagination and dreaming.
One of my Wild Goals was to visit South Africa with my coaching mentor, Martha Beck.
I just got back from this amazing trip!
Not only was the experience exciting, fun, and interesting – it was so surreal.
Surreal because I just couldn’t believe how quickly this Wild Goal manifested.
To Make A Wild Goal, You Need to Get Out of Your Head
As Martha says, “Wildly Improbable Goals are not in the rational mind.”
Part of working on such goals requires you to really feel what you want in your body – not your head.
I had been leading a coaching group where we were working on such goals.
One client asked me to share one of my Wildly Improbable Goals. When I thought about the possibility of this trip, I felt an electrical charge in my body.
I thought it was a bit unrealistic – not something that would happen in the near future, but maybe not impossible. So I wrote it down.
Shortly after writing down this goal, I received an email with the opportunity to apply for this trip.
Even if I were accepted, there were about 50 “head” reasons to say “no”: My kids and their schedules, my work, money, traveling by myself, my fear of tiny airplanes, the possibility of malaria, the hassle of flying 20 hours each way….The list in my head went on.
But my body was saying, “Yes!”
I took small steps towards the goal, and the goal became a reality.
It was so worth it!!!
Before You Make Your Wild Goals, Take Care Of Yourself
A prerequisite for creating such goals, according to Martha, is that you must “befriend, protect, and nurture your own spirit.”
Based on my experience working with clients, if you are exhausted, overwhelmed, or stressed out, it will be difficult to imagine these WIGS.
You may just need more rest, play, help with childcare, or the ability to delegate work projects. (If you’re looking for more tips, check out my posts on the importance of self-care: Self Love 101 and Self Love Tips.)
Start by paying attention to your real needs, wants, and desires in the smallest ways so that you can allow yourself the gift of dreaming up some wild goals.
Tips For Realizing A ‘Wildly Improbable Goal’
If you are in a place where you have nurtured yourself and your spirit well, you are ready to make some Wild Goals!!
Consider these tips:
- Get out of your head! Learn to recognize when your body is saying “YES” to wanting something. For me, it feels like there is a buzz running through me. If you don’t know what that feels like, start by identifying small things your body wants.
- When you feel that “YES!” to something you really want, don’t dismiss it, even if it seems like an unlikely goal. Instead, ask yourself: How could this become possible?
- Write it down. The act of putting a goal on paper is very powerful.
- Find the smallest, tiniest step you could take to move toward that goal. Achieving Wild Goals takes effort – but it is sooo worth it!!
For more tips on creating Wildly Improbable Goals, check out these great ideas from Martha Beck: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/wildly-improbable-goals/all
To Your Wild Goals!
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💜😀💜
Kathy McCabe
Life Coach
P.S.– If you want to see more pictures from my adventure, check out my Facebook page.
P.S.S. – Want help with creating some Wild Goals? Schedule a FREE 30-minute coaching session by emailing me. My current group coaching programs are full. You can get on the list for my next groups by emailing me. If you are interested in my upcoming online coaching program, email me here.
