Goal setting isn't easy, but it shouldn't be something we do just once a year in January. At The Leadership Institute-Women with Purpose, we want to encourage you to set goals for yourself on a continual basis, so we've provided a Resource of the Month with books, web sites, and...
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Cathy Holloway Hill: "One percent of action is better than 100% of intention."
Cathy Holloway Hill is Founder and CEO of C. Holloway Hill Enterprises, a personal and professional development company in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Her company’s mission is to devise strategies that promote performance excellence and empower others to achieve their personal and professional best. Cathy provides her clients with the tools and knowledge to take action, discover potential, embrace change, and unleash their brilliance.
In addition to her entrepreneurial work, Cathy also has corporate experience with two Fortune 100 companies. She walked away from a successful corporate technology career to focus on her life’s purpose of enhancing and advancing the lives of others. Her professional experience in the male-dominated technology industry affords her the ability to speak from the heart on many topics related to career and life success. She has been recognized with numerous awards for outstanding leadership, project management, training, and employee development. She is an International Advisory Board Member of Professional Woman Network, NAWBO, Who’s Who Black Louisville, Greater Louisville, Inc, and is a National Premier Coach with eWomenNetwork, the nation’s number one resource for connecting women business owners – 1 milion nationwide members. Cathy is certified in Diversity Training, Professional Speaking, Customer Service, and Life coaching. She is a column writer for Business First of Louisville, Hope for Women Magazine, The Examiner.com, and she hosts a segment on the CW Louisville Morning Show. Cathy has been featured in numerous publications including Today’s Woman and Black Enterprises Magazine.
Cathy has a B.S. in Computer Science and multiple technical certifications. Beginning her career at IBM Corporation, she has received numerous leadership and performance awards at both IBM and Brown-Forman Corporations.
Cathy’s book,
Emotional Bailout! Nine Principles for Rising When Your World is Falling, is climbing the charts and has changed thousands of lives.
1. Tell us a little about how you help your clients become effective at goal setting.CHH: I first begin with a thorough personal assessment of the individual. This includes a questionnaire about their strengths, weaknesses, values, beliefs, passions-their definition of success and what makes them happy. Most people initially don’t have answers to these questions which is why it is critical to undergo this self-discovery process. We must first understand who we are, what we want, and most importantly, why we want it. This is important because the single most critical ingredient to achieving your goals is commitment. Understanding who you are will help you determine what you want and why you want it. Self-discovery brings clarity on your what and why. When you know what you want and why, and are committed, your internal drive and determination that stems from that commitment will get you through the obstacles that will come. There’s a difference in wishing vs. committing. When you’re clear and have a vision, you can manage the obstacles that are inevitable in life. When your why is great enough, you can overcome the how. Your commitment keeps you emotionally anchored. When you’re interested, you do what’s convenient. When you’re committed, you do whatever it takes. When your commitment is un-wavering, the probability of achieving your goal increases tenfold. Most people don’t know how to commit and design a game plan of how. This is where I can help as a Life Coach.
2. Why is goal setting so important?
CHH: Everyone on the planet was placed here for a reason. No one is born by accident. There is a purpose for our lives. Goals are important because they give our lives meaning, direction, and purpose. Why would you want to leave your life up to chance? Life is the most precious gift we possess. This is especially critical now during a time when life is filled with uncertainties like the stability of the economy and the vitality or well being of our environment. We need to have something that we can control, and that something is YOUR life. Goal setting will allow you to have that control. We all have goals, but the problem is that they are simple goals – i.e., we wake up on time, we go to work each day, we take care of our families, etc. Life goals allow us to have a vision and direction, and our goals are the strategy to make the vision a reality. Living life without goals is like driving cross country with no map or direction on how to get where you’re going.
3. What is your advice on setting long-term goals?CHH: Understand your what and why, and design a plan around it to achieve your how. When you have clarity on this, long-term goal setting becomes the catalyst to leaving the legacy you desire. Take control and design your life, your way. Otherwise, someone will design it for you. Whether it’s your parents, spouse, significant other, or friend, someone will push you down a path that you may not like, so take control and acquire the necessary tools to understand goal setting so that you can implement the process for your life. No one should have to look back in regret. We minimize this possibility when we invest the necessary time to assess who we are and why we were born. The two monumental days we will experience in life are 1) the day you’re born, and 2) the day you discover why.
4. What are some suggestions you have for staying on course to reach goals?CHH: Work on your beliefs and thought control. Toxic beliefs created from our childhood will follow us into adulthood and throw us off-track if we aren’t aware of this. Gain control of your negative self-talk that lives in your conscious mind. When we assess and remove the toxic beliefs from our past, it helps us re-affirm our goals, our life, and our attitude. Also, having an accountability partner helps to keep you on track for achieving your goals. An accountability partner can help you to design checkpoints and re-assess the tasks/steps in your plan. Your goal achievement plan should always be in writing. Writing your goals helps them come into reality. Post them up in your house or at your desk where you can see them every day. Learn how to meditate and visualize yourself at the pinnacle of success after achieving your goals. Become one with your vision. Discover what motivates you, and participate in it often. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who are also working toward their goals. Your network will become your “net-worth”, so be careful who you allow into your circle. Avoid toxic people who cling to negative thoughts and energy. And most important, always do something toward achieving your goals every day. One percent of action is better than 100% of intention.
5. What advice do you have for college women who are trying to set goals for their professional career?
CHH: Gain control of your emotions. We as women have a very heavy load in trying to balance our professional and personal lives. When we learn how to separate our personal situations (emotions) from our professional goals, we have a clearer vision and path to achieving what we want. Sometimes we try to be superwomen and do it all – take care of our families, our homes, our community, our church, but we fail to take care of ourselves. We need to learn to love ourselves and take care of our personal needs so that we can be emotionally healthy enough to accomplish our professional goals. Positive daily affirmations, relaxation, visualization, belief that you will be successful, and rewarding yourself for progress toward your goals are great suggestions for helping to keep your eye on your prize.
6. Do people often set unrealistic goals? If so, what are the consequences?CHH: Yes, people try to create unrealistic goals frequently – especially at the beginning of the New Year. This is why it’s critical to go through the self-discovery process prior to launching into goal setting. Understanding yourself, your strengths, and your weaknesses will prevent you from creating unrealistic goals. Setting unrealistic goals can lead to frustration and eventually result in failure to accomplish your goal. I use the S.M.A.R.T. goal system for setting goals - Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time specific. If you have a weight loss goal of 50 lbs, don’t set a timeline of 2 weeks, and don’t create a task to run 3 miles every day if you’re not a runner. Your goals should align with who you are as an individual and they should be specific to your what and why. Also, we measure what we treasure, so when we can measure the goals and see progress, it motivates and encourages us to stay the course. If our goals are believable, then they become achievable.
7. What are some of your personal goals?CHH: I have several personal goals, but the two most important are to plan a vacation each year, and make it a point to learn a new empowering word each and every day toward my life-long learning. I also make a point to be aware of everything around me. I constantly work on my M.A.P. each and every day – Mindset, Actions, Passions. Being aware of my M.A.P. keeps me focused and centered. It allows me to see the world as I see myself. To believe is to “be love”, and this is my personal commitment to myself and the world. These personal goals are important because it enhances who I am as an individual. It strengthens me personally, and allows me the time to refresh my spirit and emotional health. If I don’t take care of myself personally, I can’t be the best I can be for those who look up to me for life empowerment.
8. How did your education prepare you for your career?CHH: My education and corporate experience both were very necessary toward my journey of becoming an entrepreneur. Understanding business, leadership, and management were critical components of not only running a business but also of leading people toward achieving their personal and professional goals. Relationship building, conflict resolution, and teamwork were also necessary skills that I acquired from my education and corporate experience. These skills and attributes are used every day in my coaching career.
9. What do you value about your work?CHH: I love this question, and I could write a book on just this one question alone. I love the sense of accomplishment and the fact that I’m making a difference in the lives of many people. My goal is to change the world – one life at a time. There is so much negativity in the news, and the media wants to focus on what’s wrong with the world. I love focusing on what’s right with the world and helping individuals to realize that they are not here by accident and their life is part of a master plan-something much greater than themselves. The fulfillment I get from knowing I’ve made a positive difference in someone’s life is an amazing feeling. The energy that comes along with it is unparalleled. Happiness is available to all of us regardless of our circumstances. It’s a choice. And when I can effectively communicate that message to people and they actually “get it” and implement it into their lives, I can easily say “I am successful”, and the value I bring to the world is very necessary.
10. What do you value outside of your work?
CHH: First and foremost, I value my connection with a higher power. This connection guides me in my life and my work (which is my purpose). Having a connection with a force greater than myself keeps me centered and on track. Secondly, I highly value my relationships with family and friends. Having a positive energy circle is extremely critical toward achieving our goals in life. Building effective relationships within my family and friend circle, as well as the community and church, is extremely valuable to me. We all need encouragement, acceptance, and love, and having effective positive relationships definitely brings that to my life.
11. What resources do you recommend for those who want to learn more about goal setting?a. Emotional Bailout! (a great resource for discovering your purpose and designing a plan around it)
http://www.emotionalbailout.comb. I am a fan of Zig Ziglar. He is an awesome master motivator and has great resources for goal setting. His website is:
http://www.ziglar.com12. Can readers contact you with questions?CHH: By all means! I encourage it.
info@emotionalbailout.com or
advice@emotionalbailout.com. Please submit your questions, concerns, and issues to me for valuable tips and help on how to get your life on track.