How To Effectively, And Achieve Your Goals Faster Than Ever
Want to Reach Your Goals? You’ve probably done some research yourself, weigh your options, and make a solid decision that “writing” your goals down is the way to go. But what if you don’t have a clue how to do it? What if “writing” your goals means “typing” them in a little bit of paper that nobody reads, that nobody plans to look at again, and that no one will ever look back at it again?
How can you possibly reach your goals with such limited access to the tools you need?
The research is definitive: Those who truly write down their goals, detailing exactly what they want to accomplish each day, are 50% more likely to make or achieve serious progress on their objectives than those who do not commit them to thought. Why? Writing something down forces you to use a pep-talk – to acknowledge that you have a goal and commit to seeing it through.
It requires you to take action by drawing out a roadmap outlining your plans and presenting to yourself each day what you must do to reach them. And pep-talk comes easy for most people, especially those who regularly “use” the tools to achieve their goals.
Here’s how you can take this “paper-in-the-drawer” approach even further. Instead of writing one small thing down per day, put all of your goals in one drawer or a central “bucket” where you can easily find them when you need to re-start your dreams tomorrow.
Importance of Pen and Pencil
Have a loose-leaf paper next to each plan; use colour-coding (red for priority, orange for possible secondary goals, etc.) to mark off the different things you need to do to reach each goal, and make sure always to have a pen or pencil nearby to write the necessary notes and reminders. Then, cross-check your daily list with your list of things to do for each of your goals, and you’ll be amazed at how easy it becomes!
For the visual learners, I’ve found it helpful to make a college or large photo of your ideal work situation or even a picture of a scene from your desired location. I like to place my goal collage beside my computer screen so that I can see it every time I close my eyes. This helps me remember what I must do to reach my goals and remind me of my ultimate goals in general. Here’s how you can do the same thing:
Create a Vision Board
Take a collage or photograph of an aspect of your life you’d love to achieve, and make a list of all the things you need to do to take action. Then cross-check your list with the list of things you want to accomplish each day, and notice where you’re missing a “preach” or a “practice”. What are you doing each day that is setting you up to fail? Do you have positive energy, or are you drenched in negative energy?
Visualize your success
Achieving your goals doesn’t have to mean you’re going to lose sleep, spend a lot of money, or break down. If you think about the things that you would love to achieve, look like the person you want to become, or use visualization to help you reach the specific goal you have in mind. When you start believing that you can and will get whatever you want to, it starts to happen. Taking small steps toward success builds confidence, and soon your “perfect day” will be just around the corner!
