Tips for Achieving Your Goals

If you’re anything like most people, you have a bucket list of things you’d like to do if only you had won the lottery, had more time or if you weren’t afraid of failure. Whether your bucket list includes a variety of activities to do and sights to see or one ultimate goal, there is nothing holding you back from achieving success. Start by writing your goal down and sharing it with a friend. This simple first step will help you clarify your goal and recognize the steps you need to take towards your goal, which will help you stay focused and accountable.

Choose Wisely—Don’t be afraid to shoot for the moon, but you can’t forget the laws of physics when you do. There are forces in the world that you have to acknowledge. Whether you figure out a way to work around these forces or a way to work with these forces, they will be an undeniable aspect of your journey. When choosing your goal, decide what elements of your goal are crucial to your satisfaction. If your goal is to be a professional actor in the Big Apple, take the time to think if it’s more important that you get paid for your acting skills or live in one of the world’s most fabulous cities. Decide which elements of your goal are crucial to your satisfaction. Welcome revisions as new insights and life events happen, because you can’t stop them so you might as well make it work. The other thing is to make sure that your goals are truly your goals and not aspirations cast on you by the people who love you.

Break It Down—It’s easy to feel overwhelmed once you state your ultimate goal. That feeling may cause fear and anxiety to keep you from even starting on the path to your goal. By breaking your ultimate goal into micro goals, you give yourself a road map to success. You’ll be able to reflect on where you started, where you are now and how far you still have to go. Also, micro goals give you the chance to celebrate the small victories along the way.

Focus on Results—Do what you need to do to stay focused on both your micro goals and your ultimate goal. Create a road map to help show the way when you are feeling lost. Using this map may help you reduce distractions. Whether you have to say no to something fun or say yes to hard work, staying focused will keep you accountable and committed to your own success.

Hold Yourself to a Higher Standard—Don’t let yourself take the easy way out. There are more excuses in the world than you can imagine. When you make an excuse, you are stepping away from your goal. Take a minute to look from a different perspective. You will encounter many obstacles on your path and some of these will be beyond your control. These obstacles give you the chance to look at your goal from a different perspective and find alternative paths to keep you on track.

It is important to remember that all of life is a journey and the path to your goals will be filled with seemingly insurmountable obstacles and unexpected joys. While it is important to stay focused on your ultimate goal, it is equally important to take the time to reflect on your journey, revise your plan and have the flexibility to let your goals grow in new ways that you didn’t think were possible.