Setting goals has always come easy to me, the execution is another story. For instance, I’ve always wanted to invest in real estate. I’ve read extensively, listened to podcasts, watched videos, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, signed up for a $10,000 real estate investor (huge mistake), was active on real estate forums, then not…catch my drift?

Many of us aspire to be better at work, school, in our relationships, a favorite hobby etc. We make plans to pursue our goals. Some stick to the plan while others veer off the path and completely lose focus. What can be done to increase the chances of achieving our goals? 

Pursue goals that are important to you 

Set goals that bring value and are of the utmost importance in your life. Focus on a few goals that are of the highest priority. This prevents you from being overwhelmed-leading to demotivation, stagnancy and/or giving up altogether. Figure out your “why?” Exactly why you want to achieve that goal. It will come in handy whenever things get tough and you feel like giving up.

Have a sense of urgency and timeliness

Set a deadline to achieve your goal. Otherwise, you will procrastinate and your interest will dwindle. The further away the goal, the less likely you’ll be committed. Don’t forget to celebrate every milestone you’ve set for yourself. Once you have achieved your goal, move the bar higher or tackle another goal. 

Be Specific 

Avoid setting vague goals by defining exactly what you want to achieve. This gives you clarity which in turn makes it easier to visualize and actualize your plan. In other words, how to get to your goals. Over time, adjustments may be necessary but you will remain focused because you know your exact goals.

Write down your goals

Putting your thoughts pen to paper makes the goals less abstract. You can read and follow your progress clearly. Your written goals should be easily visible or accessible. You can write them  in a notebook, place sticky notes in visible areas etc. You could read your goals before going to bed. Write down ideas or enhancements to your goals whenever the thoughts occur.  

Your goals should be measurable

How do you know you are progressing toward your goal? How are you gauging your achievement? For instance, if you want to lose 10 lbs in 4 months. You could plan to lose 1 lb per week and compare your actual weight at the end of the week. You are able to track your weight loss journey and over time determine what works best. 

Another example is setting a timeline to achieve financial independence. Documenting the monetary value of investments you plan to have in your retirement accounts in 3, 5, 10 years etc compared with the actual money invested and saved over that same period.

Your goals should be relevant and achievable

Set goals that are both attainable and challenging. Personal growth and satisfaction arises from achieving challenging goals that you set for yourself. The more challenging a goal, the more effort will be required, the better the outcome and satisfaction of achievement

Be consistent

Consistency is doing the same thing, the same way, in a logical order over time. Therefore, it is important to repeatedly perform tasks the right way to achieve your intended goal. For instance, you could make a timetable, use a planner, google calendar etc to allocate and correctly execute daily tasks relevant to your goals.

Be realistic in the amount of work or tasks you can accomplish in a day. Like the saying goes “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time”. Meaning, don’t take on too many tasks which can lead to sloppiness or feelings of being overwhelmed.

Don’t give up

Keep at it and don’t give up. If you miss an action to meet your goal, don’t beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself, pick up where you left off and continue. Adjustment throughout the course of your journey to your goal is necessary. As you learn and grow, your plans may change, but the goal remains in focus.

Benefits of pursuing and achieving goals

Goals build onto each other and make us better. For instance, after losing weight, you’ll most likely want to maintain a healthy weight, eat a balanced diet, continue being active etc These are lifelong pursuits.  Achieving a diploma or certificate doesn’t mean that you are done with learning; Learning continues indefinitely. 

Following the above concepts to successfully pursue goals, encourages us to be more organized and productive. Achieving goals builds our self confidence and the belief that we can achieve whatever we set our minds to. Looking forward to the future with positivity and enthusiasm.