Life is full of details waiting to derail you from achieving your goals. It is often easy to get bogged down in the everyday chaos of life, and in doing so, forget the goals you have for yourself. It is time to take a breath, take a step back, and determine what it is you truly want out of life. Set down with a blank sheet of paper and a pen and draw two columns. Label one “short-term goals” and the other “long-term goals.” Just this simple exercise will help you see how close, or far, you are from achieving the important goals in your life. Now that you’ve written down what it is you want to accomplish, it is time to break it down into the steps that will take you where you want to go. Your short-term goals should be building blocks toward your long term goals, even if they are not directly related.
Now that you have your goals listed, give yourself a timeline. Whether these are days, weeks or years, you are committed to making them happen within that time frame. Remember, these are your goals, not your to-do list. You will probably have to adjust your time-line as you go, but that is okay. Break your list down into realistic steps. It is your starting point, and every journey starts with the first step.
It is also important to examine your motivation behind your goals. Why do you want to achieve these goals? Is whatever that is motivating you strong enough to overcome the obstacles you will encounter? Most importantly, are these truly YOUR goals? Not goals that you set because of someone else’s expectations or to prove someone wrong about you, but things that you want for yourself. If any of the goals on the list are about someone else, scratch them off. Leave yourself with a list of things that you want to happen. It is okay if they benefit those around you, that might even be a healthy motivation, but at their core, they must be things that you want.
Find things and people that inspire you. If your goal is to be a writer, seek out ways to network with other writers. If your goal is to start your own business, join an association for small business owners. Making contacts and finding inspiration to continue to pursue your goal will help keep you inspired. Put the following inspirational quotes in a prominent place, and genuinely let them take root in your mind. Any time you start to feel discouraged about reaching your goals, remember the quote that resonated with you when you committed to the goal.
- Stop waiting for the time to be just right. That will never happen. Wherever you are, this is the place to start. Use the tools, the connections, the knowledge that you have now and take the leap. Trust that what you need will be there when you need it.
- You cannot defeat a person who will not give up.
Do what you can with what you have. You will never think you have enough, but enough is an elusive target.
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