8 Sure Fire Steps For Achieving Your Goals

I don't know a thing about you, and I'll bet that there are goals that you have set for yourself that you are having trouble achieving. You set the same goals year after year. A prime example of this is the New Year's resolution. It is generally excepted that these resolutions are to be made to be broken.

It is true that if you want something different in your life you must start by setting goals. This is a common practice and yet most people still have trouble achieving their goals. How then do you go from just setting your goals to achieving your goals?

1. To start with you must know where you are going, exactly. When mapping directions you enter in the precise address of your destination. The same is true for achieving your goals. Have a crystal clear picture of what that goal looks like when it is achieved.

2. When achieving your goals it is important also to have an exact time frame within which the goal must be achieved. I find that most people, myself included have short attention spans. There is no real urgency for a goal that is 5 years off. Achieving your goals that have a 6 month deadline however is going to be higher on your list of priorities. Ask yourself where you would like to be in 6 months and then set your goals accordingly.

I'm not saying that you won't have a larger picture that your goals are fitting into. That is most definitely a necessity. The bigger picture is the dream that you want your life to be. It consists of everything that you want in your life and nothing that you don't. Goals take the big picture and break it down into achievable steps.

3. Next take a good look at where you are currently. You must know where you are starting from when achieving your goals. Take the time to determine where you are now compared to where you want to be. Driving from Paris, France to Barcelona, Spain requires an entirely different route than if you were beginning in Prague in the Czech Republic.

4. When taking stock of where you are currently, also be aware of what resources are available to you in achieving your goals. What is your financial situation? Who do you know that has done what you want to do? Where can you go for advice, information, and encouragement? These are all points to consider in achieving your goals.

5. Additionally, be clear about why you want to have your goals in your life. Is achieving your goals something that you deeply desire? What is the point of achieving your goals? What is reaching your goals going to do for you? Get rid of any goals that you feel like you should do. Choose the goals that you get to do instead.

The most important question to ask when achieving your goals is if your why is strong enough for you to take the needed action. Be honest with yourself. If you tell yourself all the reasons why you think you should do something and deep down you don't really care if you do it or not you are setting yourself up to fail.

Nothing is more stressful than having a goal hanging over your head all the time. Your why must be strong enough to keep you in motion through the good and the tough in life. Your why must be strong enough to push you to put your heart and soul into achieving your goals.

6. Now is the time to determine how you will achieve your goals. The biggest thing I see that keeps people from achieving their goals is jumping into action far to quickly. You have something you have decided you want. You jump into action on the first thing you see that might work to get you there. If you are lucky it does work, and more than likely it doesn't. You then find yourself setting the same goal over again and repeating the same mistake.

You can avoid falling into that trap quite easily. Wait to take action until you've come up with at least 10 different ways to achieve your goal. Typically, people choose the first strategy that comes to mind when they start working on a goal. The best strategy for you may be number 10 on your list. Take the time to brain storm and do your research.

Stay flexible even after you have your list of 10 strategies. Maybe you haven't come across the best method for achieving your goals yet. After you've chosen the strategies you like best from your list, you may still come across methods that work better for you. Don't become so rigidly attached to one strategy that you miss it when opportunity comes knocking somewhere else.

7. Lastly, if it's not fun don't do it. I can't stress that point enough. Achieving your goals isn't meant to be a chore. It's meant to be an exciting and fulfilling process. Choose only those strategies on your list that you would enjoy doing. You are far more likely to take action on your goals if those actions are enjoyable to you.

If you are having a difficult time finding fun ways of achieving your goals, you might want to rethink your goal. If your goal is something you get to do, there is a fun way of achieving it out there.

8. Finally it's time to get started. The best plan in the world means nothing if you don't act on it. You have all the ground work done. You know where you're going, where you're coming from, how to get there, and why you are going to. It's time to get yourself into motion. Break your goal down into simple steps. What are you going to do today, tomorrow, and the next day? Do something everyday to move yourself closer to that goal and you'll be achieving your goals in no time.