Episode 99: How Bad Do You Want It? Taking Aligned Action to Achieve Your Business Dreams

Do Your Actions Match Your Business Dreams? How to Take Bold Aligned Action

As an ambitious entrepreneur, you have big goals and dreams for your business. But when it comes down to taking action, do you hesitate, make excuses or fail to follow through? It's time for an honest conversation with yourself.

The critical question is: How bad do you want it?

Change can feel scary. Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things takes courage. But if you truly want to grow and succeed, embracing change and calculated risks is non-negotiable.

Your actions are the ultimate gauge of your true desire. Are you consistently taking steps towards your goals, even when it's challenging or uncomfortable? Are you open to suggestions and feedback from those who have achieved what you aspire to?

If fear of failure is holding you back, ask yourself: What would I do if I knew I could not fail? This powerful question reveals the bold moves you'd make if success was guaranteed.

When you find yourself stalling, investigate what's really blocking you. Is it fear, lack of confidence, misaligned priorities or low intrinsic motivation? Awareness is the first step to breaking through.

If your goals are a match for your deepest values and desires, it's time to commit to taking action - even when the going gets tough. Starting with one small step builds the momentum that keeps you energized.

To stay accountable, break major milestones into bite-sized, manageable pieces. Celebrate each tiny win along the way. Surround yourself with supportive people who will both encourage and challenge you. Regularly review progress and adjust course as needed.

Above all, practice self-compassion when you stumble. Setbacks are a normal part of growth. Every misstep is an opportunity to learn and expand.

Your actions reveal the truth of your commitment. Do you genuinely want to turn your business dreams into reality? Prove it to yourself by taking aligned action today, no matter how small. Watch as your world transforms in ways you never imagined possible.

Trust yourself and your ability to achieve your wildest entrepreneurial goals. You already have everything you need inside. It all comes down to desire - how bad do you want it?

Ready to take bold action?

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Collab with Kiva.
See you next time!

Are you ready to unlock your potential and create positive change? Let’s chat 👇🏽

Podcast Transcript:

Kiva Slade 0:02

Welcome to Collab with Kiva leveling up your life one episode at a time. I'm your host, Kiva, Slade, your personal guide to unlocking your potential and reaching your biggest goals. Through coaching, insights and mindset shifts, you'll gain insights to transform how you think, feel and approach challenges, so you can live more purposefully and reach your biggest visions. I'll bring a splash of sassy, real talk. Expect inspiring conversations and practical takeaways you can apply to be more purposeful, empowered and resilient in your daily life. So let's dive in and start expanding what's possible. Hello, and welcome to another episode of Collab with Kiva. I am your host, Kiva, Slade, and today's topic. Hmm, I feel like I need to embrace a little bit of Tupac with how bad do you want it? You don't want me to sing, but if I were to sing, I want you to hear Tupac, how bad do you want it? And I think that's a question that is critical to every business owner. And for us to ask ourselves, because often when I'm coaching, I work with clients who say they want to make changes, they want to achieve their goals. But when it comes down to taking action, they hesitate, they make excuses, or they simply don't follow through. Does that sound familiar? Of course not. Because I know your action takers. But for those that are not, it's time, it's past time, that you have an honest conversation with yourself.

Kiva Slade 1:50

So for this conversation, let's first acknowledge change can be scary. Stepping out of our comfort zone trying something new, it takes courage. But here's the thing. If you truly want to grow and succeed in your business and life, you have to be willing to embrace change, and take calculated risks. I didn't say take every risk that's out there. I said take calculated risks, there's a difference. So how can you tell if you really want something? It's quite simple. Look at your actions. Tons of research on goal setting, goal attainment, which we've talked about, because they're not the same thing. It all goes back to your actions. Are you consistently, consistently taking steps towards your goals? Even when it's challenging? or uncomfortable? Are you open to suggestions and feedback from others who have achieved what you're striving for? Or do you find yourself making excuses and shying away from opportunities to grow?

Kiva Slade 3:07

So as always, I got a powerful coaching question for you. What would you do, if you knew you could not fail? That question should sound familiar. I really want you to think about that. If fear of failure wasn't holding you back, what bold action would you take to grow your business and achieve your dreams? Actions speak louder than words. And we've heard that since we were probably knee high to a grasshopper. So if you're not actively working towards your goals, ask yourself like, is it time to reassess your priorities? Is it fear of failure, lack of confidence? Maybe you're not passionate about your goals as you thought you were? Lack of intrinsic motivation? What is it? What's the block? What's the hurdle? What's the obstacle that is preventing you from moving forward? Whatever the reason is, okay, like, hey, we all have a reason. You know, it's important, though, that we just don't say sitting with those reasons. I want you to acknowledge it, then decide what you're going to do about it. What are you going to do about it?

Kiva Slade 4:21

If your goals truly align with your values and desires, then it's time to commit to taking action, even when it's hard. I'm gonna say that again, have your goals truly aligned with your values and desires, then it's time to commit to taking action, even when it's hard. So, next coaching question, what's one small step that you can take today to move yourself closer to your goals? Doesn't have to be a giant leap. I'm not asking you to jump the Grand Canyon. The smallest of actions, though, can build momentum. And those are part of goal setting building blocks. And that is what keeps us going. It encourages us, it inspires us, it motivates us to keep showing up.

Kiva Slade 5:21

So, some additional tips to keep you motivated and accountable. Break your goals down small, manageable steps and celebrate each milestone along the way. Hey, I'll admit I struggle with this one. Sometimes, I'm like, okay, boom, got it done, check onto the next thing. being intentional about stopping myself, pausing myself, causing myself to celebrate the milestones. It's like, wait a minute, I did do that. It's again, another one of the building blocks as it relates to goal attainment, which is far different from goal setting. See previous episodes.

Kiva Slade 6:02

Number two, surround yourself with a supportive network of like minded individuals who will encourage and challenge you. I don't need you to surround yourself with a bunch of yes men and women who were like, Yay, great job, great job. You didn't do anything but great job. This is not participants, like you're not getting certificates for participation here, people. I want those who will encourage and challenge you sharpen you. Question you and say really, you didn't do anything since last week, what's the deal? Number three, regularly, review your progress and adjust your plan as needed. Setbacks are a normal part of the journey. Failure is important people. Not hitting the goal is important, because we get to learn things in that process. So review your progress. Number four, practice some self compassion. Honestly, be kind to yourself when you stumble, every mistake is an opportunity to what learn and grow. Let's be kind with what we say to ourselves when we don't hit our goals. When we stumble along the way. Watch the words that you say to yourself. Above all, though, trust yourself. Trust yourself and your ability to achieve your dreams. You have what you need inside of you, in order to do that. You just again have to ask yourself, How much do you really want it? Or in Tupac's words, how bad do you want it? Your actions will reveal the truth, not your words, your actions will reveal the truth. So I want you to choose to take action today. And watch as your business and life, they just transform in ways that you didn't think were possible. So thanks for joining me today. Until next time, I want to see you taking action. There's a song to you about that. I'm serious. It's all about 80s 90s Hip Hop here. So it's time for some action. So with that being the case, until next time, keep taking action, keep moving towards your goals. See you next time. Bye. We just took another dose of vitamin Kiva. Thanks for joining me on this journey of self growth and potential. I appreciate all of you who listen, share your wins, and give me feedback. If you want to continue the conversation. You can find me on my website, the 516 collaborative.com or you can reach me on LinkedIn and until next time, keep taking steps in the right direction and believe in yourself. You've got this!

Meet Kiva Slade—founder and CEO of The 516 Collaborative. With a unique background spanning high-powered politics on Capitol Hill and homeschooling, Kiva found her true calling lies in guiding business owners and leaders.

Originally, her work focused on orchestrating operations and data behind the scenes. But after realizing that mindset was the missing link holding business owners back, Kiva became a coach. Now she blends data savvy with research-backed psychology to help clients transcend barriers and build the business of their dreams.