Friday 21 June 2013

How To Achieve Your Goals In Five Simple Steps

By Lachlan Haynes


Success is something we all want in life. From the time we enter young adulthood, we always want to be successful in life, whether it be in our study, career, financial situation, or relationships. Success cannot be achieved, however, by simply wishing it! The first step to success is to set out the goals you want to achieve. But setting a goal and achieving it are two completely different things. To achieve a goal which you have set you need to (1) know exactly what it is that you want to achieve, (2) invest yourself emotionally in your goal, and (3) have a set modus operandi for achieving your goal. These are the three keys to setting goals which you will actually achieve, and this is what sets your goal apart from fluff-filled fantasies which may not come true. Below are 5 methods which have been proved over time to help get you over the crossing line to achieve your goals!

1. Know exactly what you want. The first plan of action in achieving your goal is to actually know what it is! It is not as simple as "I want to lose weight", you must define your goal, make it realistic, and breathe life into it. This is how you separate a true goal from a pipe dream. You need to know exactly what your desired end result will be and how it will look when you get there.

If your goal is to get better grades at school, what will that look like when you achieve it? Are you ultimately trying to get into a specific college? Are you looking for a very specific career? Or can your goal be better expressed in terms of the way your life will be if you get those grades? Regardless of what you want, the best way to get it is to first clarify exactly what you want in as much detail as possible. This can be hard work - but without a clear mental picture you'll never have the focus required to achieve your goal.

2. Be willing to pay the "entry fee". Success isn't achieved by sitting and waiting for things to happen. Achieving a goal and having a set plan to achieve it by go hand in hand. Think of yourself as an author writing a story. You have a rough idea in your head of the plot line of your next novel (which is going to be a bestseller by the way!) You write that down on paper, and slowly but surely, the plot line develops into a solid story. You start developing the characters, their nuances, and their influence on your plot. You start mapping out the events in your story that will help your novel to develop. The moment that roughly thought out plot line becomes a solid story, it becomes a novel. Now apply this methodology to setting out a plan to achieve your goal. But consider the "entry fee" to this as well.

Creating more study success may mean less recreational time. Getting an A+ in Maths may require you to watch less TV. It's the "full glass" theory. If your life (and your time) is already full to the top, there's no room for something new. The entry fee is carving out the time to create that amazing thing for yourself.

3. Focus on your goal. In order to achieve your goal you must make it a priority to focus on it every day. I am sure you have heard the phrase, "old habits die hard", and it is said for good reason. Old mental habits are hard to break and without constant and clear mental focus on your goal they can easily overwhelm and take over. If you find yourself about to fall into your old habits, stop and make a clear mental note of what you want, how what you are about to do does not help your goal, make the correct action, and move on. With this daily repetitive action and focus, you will be that much closer to breaking your old habits and making room for the new goals in your life.

As stated in step two, life will try to get in the way of your success, don't let it! By staying focused and recommitting to your goal every day, you will make sure you stay on course. Remember that you are worth it and you are never the backseat driver to your own life!

4. Get passionate. One of the most powerful tools in your "success tool box" is having real passion for your goal. Why passion? Because intense passionate desire for your goal will help you burn in those new neural pathways even faster. Many scientific studies have shown that intense emotion (i.e. passion) is a key success tool. Plus (and this is really a big plus), intense passion will also help you rapidly override any inappropriate old "failure messages" stored in your subconscious mind.

5. Take consistent action. This is the most intuitive but probably the most difficult step. You can sit and make goals and make a plan to achieve your goal, but unless you actually take action towards achieving your goals, it won't happen! The key is to take one small action after another - but take action you must! If you want to get an A+ in your Geography paper, then learn a new geographical term every day. Eventually, you will have mastered enough knowledge to be well on your way to getting that A+. The fruits of your labor will always pay off. Wishing for things to happen will not make them happen!

You are able to achieve anything you want in your life! All you have to do is follow these steps to create success. You must visualize your goal, face sacrifices, maintain focus, feel passion, and make steps toward it every day. Stop dreaming about what you want to do and do it! You are worth every step you take.




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