It would be pretty cool if you could just put a goal out there into the Universe and make it happen without taking any action. But let’s be real… That’s just not the way it works! You have to put in the time and effort if you’re going to get serious about achieving your goals. Not only that, but you’re gonna have to keep yourself motivated along the way.
You shouldn’t let that scare you off from dreaming big though! You are 100% capable of making incredible things happen in your life. You just need a little push to get started. In this post, I’m sharing a few tips that will help you make your biggest goals a reality in the most feel-good way possible.
15 Tips for Achieving Your Goals
Achieving your goals doesn’t have to feel intimidating. It can actually feel totally doable. You just need to implement some smart strategies to help you make it happen.
1. Set Goals That Actually Excite You
First and foremost, your goals need to be something that you’re actually looking forward to working on. If you’re not, then you’re going to find every reason to procrastinate and push them to the bottom of your to-do list. Stop pursuing things simply because you think it’s what you should be working towards or because it’s what everyone else is doing. Chase the goals that feel good to you.
I talk about this a bit more here: Setting Goals & Achieving Them With Ease.
2. Keep Your Motivating Factor in Mind
When it comes to achieving your goals, one great way to stay motivated is to remember why you set out to pursue them in the first place. This will be the driving force that gets you out of bed every day and inspires you to work toward the things you want. Even in those moments when you’re feeling discouraged, your why can get you back on track. So, that big goal you set for yourself to achieve this year… Why are you pursuing it? What will reaching that goal do for you and others?
3. Break Down Bigger Goals Into Smaller Action Items
You probably have a few major goals that you’d like to accomplish, which is amazing. It’s important to dream big. However, sometimes the mere thought of those goals can feel daunting. And you’ll begin to wonder how you’ll ever make it happen. That’s when you need to break down your bigger goals into smaller, manageable tasks that feel easy to achieve. Then, you can set deadlines and take baby steps towards your grand vision. It just feels so much more possible this way.
My favorite goal setting tool is, without a doubt, my Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets. It’s amazing for setting aligned goals and breaking them down into quarterly and monthly steps. (This is an affiliate link, which is a simple way for you to support my business, as I earn a commission from your purchase.)
4. Develop an Action Plan
Building off that last tip, another crucial element of achieving your goals is having a plan. I mean, there’s no harm in winging it. But you stand a better chance at making your goals a reality (and doing so in a timely fashion) if you have an action plan in place. Without a plan, you’re kind of wandering aimlessly without anything to guide you in the right direction. After breaking your goals down into smaller tasks, set deadlines to help you stay on track. Allow ample time to complete it so you have a realistic amount of time to work on everything.
5. Eliminate Distractions
If something is preventing you from making progress on your goals, it’s gotta go. The first thing I’d recommend is silencing the notifications on your phone while you’re working. This way, you won’t feel tempted to stop in the middle of work to check your messages. If needed, you can even use a tool to block access to social media or any other distracting websites while using your computer. Then, you can increase your focus and accomplish so much more.
6. Visualize the End Result
Your thoughts become things, so it’s helpful if you can visualize yourself achieving your goals with ease. Personally, I love journaling about what it would look like and feel like once I reached the goals I’ve set for myself. If journaling isn’t your thing, you can sit on the couch, close your eyes and just imagine it in your mind. It may even help you to create a vision board and use images that represent your goals. Then, keep it somewhere you’ll see it every day.
7. Avoid Becoming Burnt Out
There’s nothing wrong with hustling to create amazing things in your life. However, it’s imperative that you still allow yourself time to recharge. If you work yourself until you are totally exhausted, you’re of no service to anyone. Block off time for self-care, whatever that looks like to you. It could be going for a walk, doing some midday yoga, or taking a relaxing bath. Prioritize the things that refresh and energize you.
8. Track Any Progress
Sometimes it feels like our goals are so far off that it’s impossible to achieve them. That’s why I find it helpful to track any progress I make along the way, even if it’s something small. This still shows that you’re actively moving forward. And if you find that you’re not making enough progress to reach specific deadlines, you’ll know that you need to step it up. Regular check-ins with yourself will help you monitor progress.
9. Celebrate Hitting Milestones
Another great way to keep yourself motivated as you work toward big things is to celebrate smaller milestones you reach along the way. For each milestone, you can plan little rewards to give yourself. Doing this in advance provides some incentive because you know what you’re showing up and working toward each day. Even as adults, positive reinforcement goes a long way when it comes to achieving your goals.
10. Get an Accountability Partner
In the past, I’ve found having an accountability partner to be a huge help. This is largely because if I tell my accountability partner that I’m going to accomplish something, I don’t want to let her down. I don’t want to check-in with her, only to say I didn’t do what I said I would. If you find that having someone by your side instead of going it alone is beneficial for you, seek out support.
11. Ditch Any Limiting Beliefs
An important factor in achieving your goals is to release any of the negative thoughts filling your mind, telling you that you can’t have what you want. I know I’ve fallen victim to believing I wasn’t good enough to do something. It held me back until I did the inner work to let go of those beliefs. The reality is, you are worthy of creating the life you want. You are deserving of hitting every single goal you’ve been dreaming about. You just need to trust that it’s possible for you.
If you are ready to reprogram your mindset and release the beliefs holding you back from success, let’s talk! As a certified practitioner in powerful modalities like Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Clinical Hypnotherapy, I can help you step into a more positive, empowered mindset. Check out my coaching services.
12. Allow Your Goals to Change
As the year goes on, you may find that some of the goals you set back in December/January don’t resonate with you anymore. They’re no longer aligned with the bigger vision you have for your life. And that’s okay! You’re allowed to adjust your goes along the way and shift them as needed.
13. Enjoy the Journey
Achieving your goals is a process. It’s not just about getting to that end result because the journey is equally as important. You can learn so much about yourself as you work toward your goals. That’s why you should allow yourself to enjoy this time. Learn from it and grow from it so you can become an even better, stronger person.
14. Remain Patient
You aren’t going to reach your goals overnight, no matter how badly you’d like that to happen. It’s going to take some time to build a life you’ve been dreaming about. That’s why you need to be patient along the way and enjoy the journey (as mentioned above). Patience will cut down on feelings of discouragement and frustration. And it’ll motivate you to keep moving forward even when times get tough.
15. Start Taking Action
Even if it’s just one small step, you need to take action towards achieving your goals. It’s not going to magically happen for you. Over time, those small action steps will add up and you’ll get closer and closer to reaching that coveted goal. Don’t allow yourself to become stagnant. Keep moving and build momentum.
