Goal setting is no doubt one of the most powerful tools that anyone can use to achieve what they want in their lives, but the truth is that many of them fail to reach the goals they set.
In this article, you will learn some very effective methods you can apply to help you reach your goals and be successful in life. Below are the 5 methods you should seriously consider:
How To Reach Your Goals: 5 Effective Methods
1. Get an Accountability Partner
According to professor Dr. Gail Matthews from Dominican's Department of Psychology in the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, having an accountability partner can greatly increase your chances of achieving your goals.
It is common sense that when you have to report to someone about your progress, you are more likely to take action and complete the task.
When it comes to reaching your goals, find a partner, and commit to your partner that you are going to send a weekly progress report to him or her.
Ask your partner to remind you of your progress and check on you regularly.
This way, you are giving yourself 'eustress' or the positive stress that will put you into taking action and getting the work done.
Most people fail to achieve their goals because they are not truly committed to taking action.
They choose to do what is convenient rather than what they have to do to work on their goals.
However, when you have someone to accountable for, you are putting yourself on the line. You know that someone is checking on your progress and thus, you will become more motivated to work on your goals and hit your targets.
2. Time-Block your Tasks
Most people set goals, but the problem is that they don’t do anything about their goals.
They think that goal setting works like a magic wand and all they need to do is to just write down what they want on paper, but that's just the first step in a journey where you have to take a lot of steps.
They think that goal setting works like a magic wand and all they need to do is to just write down what they want on paper, but that's just the first step in a journey where you have to take a lot of steps.
If you want to achieve your goals, wishing won't do it, you need to work hard and put in the action.
One way you can do so is through time blocking.
Time blocking is a form of scheduling that helps you manage your time better and at the same time, allows you to get things done.
For example, if you need to exercise to achieve your goal of losing weight, you should time block the action. In this case, time block your exercise.
You can block out an hour every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 7AM to 8AM, to exercise. And during these hours, you will do nothing but exercise.
Even if something or other task comes up, try your best to reject or schedule the other task to another time. You give priority to the activity that you have time blocked.
This way, you will ensure that you get your work done and are making consistent progress to reach your goals.
3. Focus on the Schedules
Another great way you can use to accomplish your goals is to focus on the schedules and not on the goals.
This may sound a little contradicting, but allow me to explain:
When you focus on your goals, which are usually something that you cannot act on, you may feel confused because your goals lack the actionable clarity.
When you focus on your goals, which are usually something that you cannot act on, you may feel confused because your goals lack the actionable clarity.
For example, if you want to lose weight, focusing on losing 10 pounds is not going to be helpful. Your goal, “to lose 10 pounds” is not actionable and it is not influenceable.
Instead, you should focus on the schedules. Schedules are such as “to exercise in the gym every Monday and Thursday from 8AM” and “to run 10 miles on Tuesday and Friday at 7AM”.
Schedules are something specific and something you can work on. And you should focus on them.
When you focus on your schedules and act on them, you will make progress to reach your goal, which is to lose 10 pounds. You keep moving forward.
Therefore, identify your schedules and then focus on them, not your goals.
4. Adopt the Big-3 Rule
Every day, commit to taking 3 steps that will lead you to your goals. This is what the Big-3 Rule is all about.
Once again, achieving your goals requires action. It is not just about writing things down. It is about pouring the action and make your goals a reality.
The key is that you must maintain your momentum and make sure you are making progress each day.
So take 3 action steps that will get you closer to your goals, no matter how big or small they are.
A lot of people started out strong. When they first set a goal or start a new project, they are all fired up and they take massive action. However, as the time goes by, they start to lose momentum and taking less and less action.
Eventually, they lose interest in their goals altogether and in the end, they either quit and give up, or they start another new project.
So don’t let this happen to you. Adopt the Big-3 Rule and take 3 action steps each day.
Successful people are successful not because of what they do once in a while, but it is because of their consistency.
Successful people are successful not because of what they do once in a while, but it is because of their consistency.
They take action and work on their goals, day-in, and day-out, every day, regardless of whether they feel like doing it or not. That is why they are successful!
5. Track and Measure Your Progress
Tracking is extremely important if you want to hit your goal. Most people underestimate the process of tracking and many of them don’t do it.
When you track and measure your progress, you know where you are, how far you need to go, and whether you are on the right track.
How can you tell if your plan is getting you closer or further away from your goal if you don’t track and measure your progress, right?
If you want to lose weight, you must weight yourself first. And then you do it on a regular basis to find out if what you do is getting you forward or backward from your goal.
Plus, when you measure and track your progress, you are constantly telling yourself and connecting yourself with your goals.
As a result, you become more conscious with your daily actions.
For example, when your friends invite you for a drink, you know it very well that if you go with them, there is a high chance that you will move away from your goal.
Tracking and measuring your goals not only help you understand if your actions are producing the right results, it also reminds you of what you want to accomplish and so you can make the right decision in your everyday life.
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Shawn Lim is the founder of Stunning Motivation. He has experience in the personal development industry for more than 7 years and has helped countless success seekers to achieve outstanding success in life. You can download his guidebook Active Goal Setting on StunningMotivation.com or follow him on Facebook.
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