As goal-oriented as you can be, it’s easy to stray off-course and throw in the towel, especially when things don’t go your way. If you’ve ever tried something that didn’t get you closer to your goals, have faith in knowing that this struggle could lead you to something better and bring out the best in you.
Perhaps this is the perfect time for you to make some changes in your personal and/or professional life. Take this opportunity to reinvent yourself, analyze the setbacks and learn from them. Then, get back on your feet and keep moving forward — towards your goals, if they mean a lot to you.
Let me share with you some insights on how you could stay on course and achieve your short and long term goals.
“If you create a vision for yourself and stick with it, you can make amazing things happen in your life. My experience is that once you have done the work to create the clear vision, it is the discipline and effort to maintain that vision that can make it all come true. ”
— Angela Duckworth, author of GRIT.
Hang On To Your Goals
At times when I realized I was in a rut, I questioned myself. “How did I end up here?”. “Why did I allow myself to be in this kind of situation?”. Well, the answer was…I screwed up!
But I didn’t allow my screw-ups to dissuade me from the course I’ve set for my goals. Instead of talking my goals or vision down, I talked about solutions, new plans and strategies.
See The End Result
Visualize in your mind that you have reached your goals. What do you see? How do you feel about your achievements? Feel it in your heart.
This is a very effective method to help you keep your eyes on your goal. When you DO see the end result, the chances of reaching the goal is immeasurably better.
Keep Believing
Yes, you absolutely must believe in yourself! To stay on course, keep affirming your worth and value to yourself. If you don’t, you tend to forget how great you really are.
Change Your Approach
If things didn’t work out previously, then change your approach. Perhaps you have to do new things or change your way of doing things. You can’t use your same old routine pattern and expect new results. To be successful, you have to look at a complete transformation in your approach. Be willing, be bold.
Create Workable Tasks
Changing your approach could sometimes feel overwhelming. Believe me, you don’t want to feel overwhelmed because it could lead to quitting and feeling like taking your next step is almost impossible.
Any new plans or approaches should be intelligently executed. You could do so by breaking it down into workable parts.
Figure out exactly what you need to do, every day! If you need to delegate your work, determine who you need to network with. Find out what resources you need, the necessary financing and most important, how you need to grow and stretch as a person.
Create a list and a schedule of the tasks you need to do and when you will do it. Then commit yourself fully to the tasks at hand and complete it. Every completed tasks is an achievement that will bring you closer to the finish line.
Consistent Reminders
Staying on course ain’t a smooth ride. Even if you’re well prepared to do the work, you will encounter resistance, most often coming from your own limiting beliefs or stories about yourself that will hold you back.
So each time you find yourself slipping into old habits like making excuses or procrastinating, ask yourself. “What can I do in this moment to keep moving forward?” Your mind will always offer you solutions.
Conclusion
Every successful people and high achievers experiences a time when things aren’t moving and progress is bogged down. But these are the people who are on a quest to something big — like athletes who are playing the most important game of their life, know too well that giving up is not an option.
They develop the right mental attitude and rise to the occasion. Working one day at a time, making stepping stones out of obstacles to stay on course and responding positively to all negative situations.
So, just like them, you too can reach the top. Use every element of your Being to work towards excellence, towards your goal. You know you want to get there. :)
