In a perfect world, we could all easily achieve what we wanted. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. However, that struggle to reach your goals is what makes finally achieving them so rewarding. If you want to make achieving your goals a little more achievable (see what I did there?), then this is the article for you!
- Define your goal
- Find accountability
- Create an action plan
- Form habits
- Make it easier
- Reward yourself
Define your goal
First of all, you need to make your goal very clear. Not only this, but it has to be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This is very easy to do! For example, if your initial goal is to be a better runner, then your SMART goal might be to be able to run a 5k in 40 minutes. This will make it easier for you to stay motivated and create a plan to achieve your goal.
Find accountability
I’ve said this many, many times before, but you need to find accountability to help you achieve anything. Fear of failure is good – it can drive you to keep doing things. By finding an accountability partner and telling them your goal and deadline, you’ll have an external source of motivation to help you stay focused on your goals.
Create an action plan
Doing anything without a plan is almost impossible, especially when you want to achieve your goals. Once you’ve got your SMART goal, you can create a plan of action to start working on it. Research ways you can work towards your goal, and make sure you write down a plan somewhere! Make it specific – saying you’ll “run more” won’t help you become a faster runner.
Form habits
Goals are really just a bunch of habits sitting on top of each other hiding under a trench coat. In order to achieve your goals, you need to form lots of little habits that will add up to eventually achieving your goal. For example, if your goal is to get straight As, then you have to form habits like studying every day, using better study methods, and revising well before an exam.
Make it easier
There’s a reason why many people give up on their new year’s resolutions so quickly – because it’s difficult to make long-term goals and habits stick. That’s why you need to make choosing your goal easier. If you want to be healthier but you only have junk food in your kitchen and your running shoes are hidden in the back of your closet, then it’ll be difficult for you to keep taking action to become healthier. Make your habits easier for you.
Reward yourself
It’s important to create little checkpoints on your way to your goal. That’s because you need to reward yourself at these points – you’ve done well, you’re on your way to achieving your goals, celebrate! Rewarding yourself is a great way to stay motivated 🙂
