How to achieve the goals you set?

Last time we were discussing what goals are for and how to set them correctly. Now it’s time to explore the other half of the process – achieving the goal. Both are equally important for us to be successful and self-directing.

Visualizing the goal

Making a collage of whatever you wish to achieve is not just clip art, it’s a process of self-programming. By creating a picture that shows our current goals achieved we put ourselves into the right mindset for success. No matter how skeptical we may be about this, we simply cannot deny the operating peculiarities of our brain. We are essentially programmable creatures. And our life depends on the type of program “installed” in our subconscious. The more positive the attitude, the clearer and more visible the goals – the easier it is to overcome all possible difficulties on the way to the finish line.

Breaking up large goals into sub-goals

Any large-scaled project can crush our motivation with its perceivable size alone. However, by breaking it up into smaller parts, we can easily handle them. As for the truly global goals we may have, they are easily achievable as long as you can break them up into shorter stages. Firstly, that way you make the picture of achieving the main goal clearer and more concrete. Secondly, it facilitates the process of achieving those goals. Thirdly, it gives us confidence and positive attitude as we consequentially achieve every sub-goal.

Correcting the goals

Nothing stands still. Our surroundings change, the world itself changes, and we change too. It’s normal that somewhere down the road we may change our perception of the world around, which will also affect our goals. There is nothing shameful in correcting your goals from time to time. Some of them may be eliminated, others will undergo substantial changes. Correcting your goals will help you soberly assess reality and economize your own resources (than you would otherwise be wasting on trying to achieve a goal that’s no longer relevant).

Believing in yourself and achievability of your goals

We already mentioned that a goal must never be imposed upon you by someone, rather than come from your heart and be highly desirable. Only in this case will you be able to truly believe in its achievability and overcome all obstacles along the way. Believing in yourself and being persistent are the two factors that will keep you from stopping or deviating from the intended route.

Forming a plan to implement your goal

• Review the resources you may need to achieve the goal. Assess how realistic it is for you to take advantage of external resources at the time (if you need them to achieve your goal at all), think about possible sources to use. It’s nice if you have a few of those, as that way your chances for success increase significantly.
• While trying to achieve the goal you set, always make sure you are moving along according to your plan, making a sober assessment of the situation at hand at any time. So what do you need to form an action plan?
• Visualize your present situation and what you are willing to achieve. Compare the two in order to understand how realistic the goal you set is. It’s possible that even at this stage you will need to adjust your action plan to eventually achieve what you want.
• Investigate potential external obstacles. It’s preferable to be prepared for a few possible scenarios if some external factors will stand in the way of you achieving your goal. Often this helps to properly correct your goal from the very beginning or choose a slightly different way of implementing it.
• Consult a professional. If your goal lies within a specific area (business, law, finance, commercial activity), in order to come up with a smart plan you absolutely need a sensible outside perspective to gain as much relevant information as possible. This will in turn save you time and effort on your way to the goal and articulate your plans.

We hope this information will help you concretize your goals and plan your actions in order to achieve them. Unfortunately, not all goals set turn out to be achievable due to numerous obstacles along the way. How not to lose motivation on your way to success? We’ll talk about it next time.