How to Achieve Your Goals
Whether you call them goals, objectives, missions or New Year’s Resolutions, they all describe the same thing: accomplishing an achievement you’ve identified and seek. Or, as Oxford puts it: “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result”
To make your vision a reality, here are four basic principles to follow:
See it
Your goal, objective or mission should be something you view each day so that you’re reminded of what you’re focusing on. This can come in the format of a vision board, list, word cloud, sticky notes – something you’ll see each day – and displayed in a place you’ll view each morning, like your closet, bathroom mirror, or pantry. Instead of or in addition to a physical reminder, you could use a digital reminder on a phone or other device you view daily.
Plan it
You’ve probably been alive long enough on this earth to know that goals don’t happen by accident. Take five minutes to capture your thoughts on what steps you’ll take to get there.
Schedule It
After you’ve identified your steps, schedule the first one on your calendar. Make an appointment with yourself to work on the first small step, even if it’s for only 15 minutes.
Celebrate It
As you complete each small step or task, be sure to celebrate it in some way. When we wait until the end to do this, it can be tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel and stay motivated to keep at it. By patting yourself on the back or giving yourself a high five or rewarding yourself in some way for each step, you’ll receive acknowledgement every part of the way and get that motivational boost to keep moving forward.
Bonus: Share It
People who share their goals with at least one other person who they’ll update along the way tend to have a higher goal completion rate. The four steps will get you where you want to go, but if you want a little more support and insurance, find a friend, coach or group who you’ll check in with. This is commonly known as an “accountability partner,” but since the “a” word seems scary or daunting to some, we’re calling it Share.
What’s your aim or desired result? Go make it happen. You can do this!
For more guidance on creating the time to turn your intentions into goals and achieve those goals, check out The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.
