Like most people you probably have a list of wants in your life, such as, ‘I want to lose weight’, ‘I want to get a Master’s degree’, or ‘I want to feel happier’. I am no exception and have a list of desires that continually evolves. From this list I choose the ones I want really badly and set my goals. Then I make it happen.
Sometimes the process is smooth and sometimes it’s so challenging it feels almost impossible. It can be tempting to take the easy way out and accept defeat. Today I’d like to inspire you to really go for it this time and to support you in making your dreams a reality I’m sharing my 7-step Foolproof System for Achieving Your Goals.
The 7-Step Foolproof SYSTEM for Achieving Your Goals
- Clearly identify your goals. The very first step is always to be very clear about what you really want. Just like planning a trip, you’ve got to know exactly where want to go (your destination) so you can determine the best way to get there.
Your goals should be simple, specific, and stated in the positive. Ask yourself, “How will I know when I reached my goal? What will I see, hear, or feel?”
Goals should also be tangible and reachable within a reasonable time frame as to when you want to complete your goal.
- Put your focus on the result of the result. In reality, it’s less about the actual result and it’s more about what will having that result do for you. Perhaps when you’ll lose 15lbs you’ll feel more confident, happiness, and connected with those around you. You see, it’s really not about losing weight, it’s about what the weight-loss will do for you.
When you recognize what you really want is to feel more confident, happy and connected, then you can start creating ways for you to experience that NOW. Why wait until you lose 15lbs when you can have that feeling sooner! When defining your goals consider what will having that result truly do for you. It’s usually much more motivating than the actual goal (i.e. feeling more sexy and closer with husband vs losing 30lbs)
- Keep your eye on the prize but mostly on the next step in front of you. One thing that holds people back from reaching their goals is that they’re missing the map. The map is the ‘how’, it’s the list of steps you need to take to make your dream a reality.
When I started working on my first Master’s thesis it was excruciating to think about it for more than a few seconds. It felt like an overwhelming mountain that I would never accomplish (and if I did complete it, I imagined painfully suffering day in and day out for years until it was done). Thank goodness that’s not how it went.
The key to easily completing my thesis was not focusing on the main objective. It was to put my attention on each step; one at a time, never looking too far ahead or the anxiety would start to build. That’s exactly what you need to do too.
Start with step one and then move to the next. Small tasks feel much more manageable so keep your vision off the peek of the mountain and on your feet in front of you.
If your goal happens to be rather large, like a purging your whole house, break it down into chunks or mile-stones. Make a list of all the rooms and decide which one to start with first. Maybe you’d like to have the whole house completed by September. If you have 8 rooms you can plan to complete one per month and come fall you’ll have reached your goal!