Goal setting is the true secret to success in any area of life. But although setting a goal may seem simple, achieving it is usually another question altogether. This is because you will never achieve your goals unless you: (1) know exactly what you want, (2) are passionate about your goal, and (3) have a solid, realistic plan of action. This is what makes the difference between vague dreams and wishes - and truly achievable goals! Many obstacles and challenges will fly right in your face when you're going after a goal. But here are 5 time-tested methods that will help get the success you deserve.
1. Know exactly what you want. The first plan of action in achieving your goal is to actually know what it is! It is not as simple as "I want to lose weight", you must define your goal, make it realistic, and breathe life into it. This is how you separate a true goal from a pipe dream. You need to know exactly what your desired end result will be and how it will look when you get there.
Is your goal focused on trying to get into a certain college? Do you want to make more money? Would you like to become better organized? Once you set your goal, you need to define it clearly and completely. The more detail you include, the more likely your success. Envision how you will be or feel when you achieve that goal, write down steps you need to achieve in order to get there, and try to anticipate any possible road blocks along the way and how you will handle them. This can be challenging for some, but without this clear picture you will not have the proper focus to achieve your goal.
2. Be willing to make sacrifices. Success takes dedicated preparation and determination. You can liken it to starting a business. In the beginning all you have is an idea that needs to be developed, nurtured, and fleshed out. Once you get past that step and start building your business you may realize you have less time for other things in your life, you may become frustrated along the way when sales aren't as high as you want them to be, and you also may see that this idea is taking up more of your time than you anticipated. That's okay! In order to truly have success with your goals, you must make the necessary sacrifices to get there.
For example, trying to get into a specific college may mean less time for things you like to do, such as going out with friends. Likewise, wanting to become more organized may mean you have to get rid of some of the clutter in your life. All goals come with sacrifices but they are easily surmountable if you have defined exactly what you want and mapped out as we did in the first step. This step can be hard for many people but it is important that you allow yourself the time and willpower to get past it and make the sacrifices needed to achieve your goal.
3. Focus on your goal. In order to achieve your goal you must make it a priority to focus on it every day. I am sure you have heard the phrase, "old habits die hard", and it is said for good reason. Old mental habits are hard to break and without constant and clear mental focus on your goal they can easily overwhelm and take over. If you find yourself about to fall into your old habits, stop and make a clear mental note of what you want, how what you are about to do does not help your goal, make the correct action, and move on. With this daily repetitive action and focus, you will be that much closer to breaking your old habits and making room for the new goals in your life.
Re-commit to your goal every day. Don't let your goal take a back seat to the daily tasks and distractions that will try to take over. Life will try to get in your way. Just get, and stay, on course every day. Focus on your goal, and on your success!
4. Be passionate. Studies have shown that passion can be a key tool in your success. This is because intense desire and passion for reaching your goal can easily override the old "failure messages" we are all used to that are stored in our brain. With firm objectives and passion you can overcome these messages and create new ones. What's more, having passion for your goal will tie into all aspects of your life and success. Your passion will carry you through any obstacles in your way and will help you stay focused every day.
5. Take consistent steps. The most difficult step for many people is taking the actual steps to reach your goal. The best course of action is to take one step at a time. Each small step will lead to bigger steps in your success. Think about it like building blocks. We can't create a castle with one big block; we need to take one small block at a time and build up to our ultimate goal. You cannot sit back and wait for that castle to build itself, you need to be proactive and make one small step toward your goal each day.
You are able to achieve anything you want in your life! All you have to do is follow these steps to create success. You must visualize your goal, face sacrifices, maintain focus, feel passion, and make steps toward it every day. Stop dreaming about what you want to do and do it! You are worth every step you take.
1. Know exactly what you want. The first plan of action in achieving your goal is to actually know what it is! It is not as simple as "I want to lose weight", you must define your goal, make it realistic, and breathe life into it. This is how you separate a true goal from a pipe dream. You need to know exactly what your desired end result will be and how it will look when you get there.
Is your goal focused on trying to get into a certain college? Do you want to make more money? Would you like to become better organized? Once you set your goal, you need to define it clearly and completely. The more detail you include, the more likely your success. Envision how you will be or feel when you achieve that goal, write down steps you need to achieve in order to get there, and try to anticipate any possible road blocks along the way and how you will handle them. This can be challenging for some, but without this clear picture you will not have the proper focus to achieve your goal.
2. Be willing to make sacrifices. Success takes dedicated preparation and determination. You can liken it to starting a business. In the beginning all you have is an idea that needs to be developed, nurtured, and fleshed out. Once you get past that step and start building your business you may realize you have less time for other things in your life, you may become frustrated along the way when sales aren't as high as you want them to be, and you also may see that this idea is taking up more of your time than you anticipated. That's okay! In order to truly have success with your goals, you must make the necessary sacrifices to get there.
For example, trying to get into a specific college may mean less time for things you like to do, such as going out with friends. Likewise, wanting to become more organized may mean you have to get rid of some of the clutter in your life. All goals come with sacrifices but they are easily surmountable if you have defined exactly what you want and mapped out as we did in the first step. This step can be hard for many people but it is important that you allow yourself the time and willpower to get past it and make the sacrifices needed to achieve your goal.
3. Focus on your goal. In order to achieve your goal you must make it a priority to focus on it every day. I am sure you have heard the phrase, "old habits die hard", and it is said for good reason. Old mental habits are hard to break and without constant and clear mental focus on your goal they can easily overwhelm and take over. If you find yourself about to fall into your old habits, stop and make a clear mental note of what you want, how what you are about to do does not help your goal, make the correct action, and move on. With this daily repetitive action and focus, you will be that much closer to breaking your old habits and making room for the new goals in your life.
Re-commit to your goal every day. Don't let your goal take a back seat to the daily tasks and distractions that will try to take over. Life will try to get in your way. Just get, and stay, on course every day. Focus on your goal, and on your success!
4. Be passionate. Studies have shown that passion can be a key tool in your success. This is because intense desire and passion for reaching your goal can easily override the old "failure messages" we are all used to that are stored in our brain. With firm objectives and passion you can overcome these messages and create new ones. What's more, having passion for your goal will tie into all aspects of your life and success. Your passion will carry you through any obstacles in your way and will help you stay focused every day.
5. Take consistent steps. The most difficult step for many people is taking the actual steps to reach your goal. The best course of action is to take one step at a time. Each small step will lead to bigger steps in your success. Think about it like building blocks. We can't create a castle with one big block; we need to take one small block at a time and build up to our ultimate goal. You cannot sit back and wait for that castle to build itself, you need to be proactive and make one small step toward your goal each day.
You are able to achieve anything you want in your life! All you have to do is follow these steps to create success. You must visualize your goal, face sacrifices, maintain focus, feel passion, and make steps toward it every day. Stop dreaming about what you want to do and do it! You are worth every step you take.
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