How to set a goal in life and achieve it. Achieving the goal - How to always achieve goals: a step-by-step algorithm Proper goal setting to achieve them

08.07.2023

Every person has a goal. For some, it is small, like buying a new phone or going on vacation. For others, it is larger: for example, to create a business with a turnover of one million rubles a month or build a house for a family. Still others are guided by the global and practically unattainable: to become president, solve the problem of poverty in the country, establish peace throughout the world.

What is a "goal", how to achieve the goal?

Very often people confuse the concepts of "goal" and "dream". Although they are similar to each other, they are very different in meaning.

A dream is a hypothetical object or phenomenon, upon reaching which a person will, as he believes, feel happiness.

A goal is an ideal or real object of a person’s aspiration, towards the achievement of which the thought process and actions of a person are directed.

The difference between these concepts is that the "goal" is measurable and creates a direction - a vector, the achievement of a goal. It has direction, and the dream just exists. A dream pleases the mind with its presence, but the goal has a very real framework, and most importantly, to achieve it, you can draw up a step-by-step plan. As the saying goes: “A goal is a dream with a definite deadline”.

We are working on the principles of setting and achieving goals more fully in the project "". Connect and achieve your goals easier and faster!

Most people make goal setting too easy. Think about it and that's enough. But its setting and goal achievement are inextricably linked. The more precisely it is set, the easier it is to achieve.

There are several methods of staging it, all of them are similar to each other like brothers. But the most common is the S.M.A.R.T. When setting a goal, it is necessary to take into account 5 main components that allow you to specify it as much as possible, making the steps to achieve it clear and consistent.

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting system:

Specific- specificity. Determining the need for a goal is too vague a perception. It is necessary to get to the bottom of the real reasons why you want to achieve this particular goal. Maybe you want to gain respect in the eyes of others or assert yourself. There can be many reasons. But only after you understand the true reasons for your desires, it will be possible to build a real plan to achieve it.
Measurable- measurability. A clear criterion is needed by which it will be possible to determine that the goal has been achieved. For example: “Make $100,000 in 12 months” or “Create an online store with 500 visitors and 5 product sales per day.”
Agreed- Consistency. Your goal should not directly intersect and affect the interests of other people. This can make it much more difficult to achieve your goal. If it is impossible to avoid the intersection of interests, it is necessary to improve the original plan, taking into account these nuances. For example, before opening your own store, you need to check if there are competitors in the district, and if there are, how to get around them.
Realistic- realism. Great ambition is one of the important traits and many people call it "", but it is important to understand that they (ambitions) must be balanced. Naturally, the goal of “make a million dollars in a week from scratch” is impossible to achieve, no matter how much effort and enthusiasm there may be. “Making $10,000 from scratch in a month” is hard enough, but possible. But “In 2 years to create a business that brings $ 10,000 monthly profit” is quite real and achievable.
Timed- time limited. Deadline is a very important method of achieving the goal. It is the limited time that will allow.

Only after it has been fully worked out according to these five criteria, it is possible and necessary to create a plan for its implementation and break it down into specific tasks.

Now some important points. Do not confuse "goal" and "objective". A task is a specific action, the implementation of which brings us closer to the achievement of the goal. For example, “Create a business plan for an online store” is a task. And “Get a stable monthly income of $10,000 for your family” is the goal.

It is also important to clearly define what you really need. Buying a car for a certain period of time is the goal. The desire to ensure comfortable movement in the city is more like a task or a wish.

IMPORTANT!

Determine what you really want. Many goals can be imposed by society, so it is worth sorting out your desires. You need to think carefully, and if you really want to achieve it - then go ahead! If it corresponds to your deepest values and desires automatically.

A dream, a cherished desire, a life goal - at first glance, these are similar concepts. In fact, these words mean completely different things. A dream may be unrealistic, and a desire may be impossible. In order for what you dream of to come true, you need to move from wishes to goal setting. However, the goal can also remain unattained if you formulate it incorrectly. Correct setting of goals and their achievement. This logical chain is the path to success.

How to set goals correctly

Goal setting is the process of setting a goal. This concept is devoted to many popular science books. According to psychologists, a correctly formulated task is a 50% guarantee of its achievement. Many do not know how to set goals correctly. Therefore, it is not surprising that trainings have become popular, where professional psychologists teach the basic principles of goal setting. Unlike desires and dreams, the goal is a definite, clear concept, since there is a specific result behind it. This result must be seen. You have to believe in reaching your goal. Only then can it really be achieved.

Wordings: “I want to expand my business”, “I want to increase my income” are examples of desires. To translate them into the category of goals, you need to specifically define what it means for you to expand the business. Open new branches? Expand your range of services? Attract more customers? Increase production? How much to increase or expand: by 20% or 2 times? The result you are striving for must be measurable.

The result you are striving for must be measurable.

It is best to write down a specific goal in a diary. To formulate it, use active verbs, such as "make", "earn", "achieve". Do not use the words “must”, “necessary”, “necessary”, “should”, as they carry a semantic connotation of coercion, overcoming internal barriers. This is your goal. You want to achieve it, no one is forcing you to do it.

Achieving too simple goals is not interesting. The task must be difficult, so that on the way to it you have to overcome difficulties, only in this way you can develop. But the goal must be real. Therefore, before formulating it, it is necessary to analyze the current state of affairs and assess the available resources and opportunities. Opening 5 new branches at once or increasing income by 10 times is unlikely to succeed. Achieve more modest goals first. Over time, you will come to what you did not even dare to dream of at the beginning of the journey.

The correct setting of the goal necessarily contains an indication of the time of its achievement. For example, goals to expand the customer base or increase production volume should be specified in terms of percentages (by 30%) and a period (1 year).

If you learn to correctly and specifically formulate goals for yourself, you will be able to clearly and clearly set them for others. The head of the organization must know the basic principles of goal setting. Then he will require his managers to correctly formulate the goals of their work. And this is a guarantee that they will actually fulfill their tasks.

How to achieve goals

The methods for achieving the goals are as follows:

The goal leads to a result. If it is very important to you, then it will be easier to achieve it. Imagine all the benefits of achieving the end result. Anticipate in advance the sensations of joy and success that you will experience in that moment. Then no fears and doubts will interfere on the way to your goal. Psychologists call this technique the visualization method. It helps to update all external and internal resources to achieve the goal, attracts the necessary ideas, people, and means. For example, think about the benefits you would get if you increased your income by 50%. You will be able to afford more expensive real estate, a car, vacation, gifts to loved ones. Raise your social status. Which of these benefits do you most desire? Imagine that you have already achieved it. And let this picture inspire you. When you set goals for your employees, help them see the positives in their overall accomplishments. Salary increase, bonuses, career growth, obtaining additional funds to the company's budget for corporate events.
To go a long way to achieve a big and important goal, you need to divide it into stages. To do this, the global goal is broken down into smaller goals. These, in turn, can also be broken down into smaller tasks. If all this is schematically depicted on paper, then we get a real system of goals and subgoals. Try to formulate each of them clearly with an indication of the timing of achievement, and then this scheme can be easily turned into a step-by-step plan for moving towards the main global goal. Such planning will become the basis for compiling a clear instruction for action for your subordinates. For example, the goal to expand the range of services can be divided into subgoals: to study the specifics of new services, purchase the equipment necessary for their provision, select specialists or train your employees, find an additional job.
Close people can help you achieve your personal goals. And when it comes to business-related tasks, you can't do without the help of employees and partners. After breaking the global goal into specific sub-goals, consider which of the subordinates can cope with each of them most successfully. But remember, you set the initial goal for yourself, it is important for you, therefore, the responsibility for achieving it also lies, first of all, on you. If you do not reach your goal because one of the employees did not complete the task assigned to him, then the blame for this will lie with you. It means that you overestimated the resources of this worker. Perhaps he needs more time to solve his problem or needs to improve his skills. Or maybe a completely different specialist is needed to achieve this subgoal.
Try to assess in advance the obstacles that will arise on the way to achieving the goal. Think about how you can overcome or eliminate them. Not all at once, but gradually, one at a time. Of course, it is impossible to predict all problems. But you will have a plan to eliminate at least some of them.
Look for additional resources. New information, new knowledge and skills will help overcome obstacles that at first may seem the biggest. You may have to hire new specialists (marketers, analysts, content managers, business coaches) or your existing employees will need to take training courses, trainings, seminars.
Make a general plan of action for the period of time that you have given yourself to achieve the goal. It reflects who and in what terms will solve intermediate tasks, what resources and additional investments will be attracted to overcome obstacles. Based on the overall plan, make more detailed plans for each quarter, month, and even week. Of course, during the execution you will have to adjust a lot in the plan. After all, on the way to the goal you will have new knowledge, experience, and circumstances may change. Most likely, during the implementation of the plan, you will see mistakes made in the preparation. So along the way, you will need to work on the bugs. You may even have to adjust your goals if you realize that so far your resources are not enough to achieve the original ones. But it's not scary. Anyway, you will already go part of the way, gain new knowledge and experience that will help you adjust your goals and move on.
Periodically review your goals, methods to achieve them, and resources. This is useful for further rational planning of your path.
Consider the price you will have to pay to reach your goal. Financial investments will be required to train employees and purchase equipment. Additional time is needed to supervise the work of the new branch. You may need to cut back on your private time or spend less time with your family. It takes time and effort to complete the training. And involving a partner in business will make you give up the habit of solving everything yourself. Assess your willingness to sacrifice all of this and get out of your comfort zone.

The goal always leads to action, because if you do nothing, then you will not achieve the goal. And vice versa, in order to start acting, you need to set a goal for yourself. There is no better motivation for action.

In this article, we will look at the main rules for achieving the goal. Let's highlight 10 basic practical steps to get what you want.

We all see such a picture in life, when some people have everything, while others have nothing. Often we think that there is a certain caste of people whom we call lucky. But is it really so? Do you know what path they had to go through to achieve outstanding results. Examples of the success of famous people prove that luck has nothing to do with it. This is hard work on yourself, your perception of the world.

If you learn the 10 practical steps that will be discussed in this article, then you will certainly begin to get what you want. So, let's begin.

Step 1. Define a goal

You need to understand what you really want. How badly do you want it and why?

“Realize that the clearer you are about what you want, the easier it will be for you to get there.” © Richard Templar

Imagine that you have already received what you want. How will this change your life? Do all aspects of achieving what you want satisfy you? For example, you wanted to get a higher position. Imagine that you received it. But at the same time, your salary has not been increased or you will have to work 2 times more and bear more serious responsibility. Then you can say that you have achieved your goal?

Now give yourself the answer to this question: “Why do I want this?”. Let's take a look at the same example. Do you want your parents to be proud of you or your friends to respect you more? Or is it really an important item for you personally to become happier?

Get your priorities right. Sometimes when you achieve one goal, other more important aspects of your life suffer. For example, you dream of opening your own business, for this you need to work hard, but your family will rarely see you.

You must clearly understand what your main goal is and what you are willing to sacrifice for it. How strong is the desire.

There is a great "rocking chair" method described by Adam J. Jackson:

“This is a very simple exercise in which you imagine that you have lived your whole life and now sit in a rocking chair and reflect on how you lived and what you achieved. What would you like to remember? Was there anything that you are proud of? What kind of relationships with people have you managed to create? And, most importantly, as you sit here in this rocking chair, what kind of person would you like to be?

Do this exercise as soon as you wake up, during the day and before bed at least twice a year. Write down all your goals. It is they who give life meaning and become what we should get out of bed for.

Step 2. Understand how to get what you want

Once you figure out what you really want, start taking action. First you need to make a list of how to get what you want. What knowledge, skills or means do you lack to achieve the goal. At this stage, you should think about advanced training, retraining, courses, trainings and seminars. Or do self-education, read the necessary literature.

Also at this stage, you need to think about which of your acquaintances could help you on the way to the realization of your desire. Or maybe you need to make new acquaintances and connections. Do not forget that you are not alone in this world and you do not need to take everything upon yourself. Think about who and how could help or assist you. Who do you need to attract to your side, who to interest.

Step 3. Divide the steps towards the goal into stages

If you have set yourself a global and, in your opinion, difficult to achieve goal, then divide the path to your goal into small steps. At each stage, learn to rejoice in your achievements, celebrate success. Also at this stage it is important to learn to set yourself a time frame. They should be real, but not too long, so as not to lose motivation. Set deadlines will help you move decisively, step by step, toward your goal.

Step 4. Think positively and believe in yourself

You need to learn to think positively. And for this, you need to stop listening to skeptics who will only sow uncertainty in you, and undermine faith in yourself and success. You need to stop making excuses. Be decisive, because even at the first stage you determined how important it is for you to fulfill your desire. You need to believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who can support you.

Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player, said: “I have not scored more than 9,000 goals in the basket in my career. I lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I was given the responsibility of scoring the winning goal and I missed. I failed again and again and that is why I have been so successful.”

Any defeat, loss or collapse should be taken as an experience and steps on the ladder leading you to success.

One of the best tips for believing in yourself is to “act as if”! Act as if you are sure to succeed, act as if you can achieve the goal, act as if whatever you do will be right. Act as if your efforts cannot fail. Then nothing can stop you on the way to achieving the goal, self-development and personal growth.

Step 5. Be prepared for ups and downs.

One of the rules for achieving the goal is to be ready for anything. Yes, you can fail at something, and you should not be afraid of it. Treat every failure as an experience. Experience cannot be positive or negative, experience is a life lesson that you need to learn, draw the right conclusions and move on.

J.K. Rowling is a globally recognized genius behind the 7 Harry Potter books that have become a $15 billion brand. This is the first time a billionaire has made a living from writing. Her manuscript was rejected by 12 publishers!

The fact that a person did not give up after so many refusals, first of all, speaks of faith in himself and in his project. When you believe, then nothing can stop you from achieving your goal. Believing in yourself means acting as if your efforts simply cannot fail.

Rules for achieving the goal: engage in self-development

This step involves not only knowing yourself, but also understanding the psychology of other people. As well as the principles of successful negotiation, healthy communication and the foundations of the right motivation for people to act. You need this knowledge to be successful.

So what should you definitely learn?

Be confident;
Speak to people in a language they understand;
Think before you say something;
Learn to defend your point of view;
Control your emotions;
Treat people with respect;
Try to please, make a good impression;
Develop a sense of humor;
To be honest;
Be grateful. Learn to express gratitude
Be attentive to others, praise and motivate;
Learn to adequately perceive criticism and admit your mistakes;
Make new friends;
Learn to listen, understand, empathize with other people;
Know how to properly present yourself;
Work hard, share responsibilities and be part of a team.

The rules for achieving the goal cannot but include the rules for relationships with other people. After all, the quality of life is determined by the quality of relationships with people. As Adam Jd.Jackson said:

“No one lives on a desert island. Each person needs others. Close relationships make good times more enjoyable and difficult times easier. The joy that is shared is a double joy; the problem shared is half the problem.”

Step 7. Attitude towards people

You need to learn to treat each person as if you will never see him again. What does such an attitude imply?

You need to learn to listen to the person. Objectivity is very important. Any mistake or mistake can be justified. Try to understand the person, explain this or that behavior, put yourself in his place. Having understood the reason, help to cope with his problem. You also need to learn how to properly motivate people and strive to be a good role model yourself.

When talking to people, choose your words so as not to hurt the person. If you want to ask for something, then just tell the person directly what you need. Don't beat around the bush, don't give hints. Each person can interpret any hint in his own way. And then you will be dissatisfied with the result.

Feel free to ask questions. Questions are necessary not only to understand something yourself, but also to make sure that your interlocutor understands you well. Don't be afraid to tell the person that you need them or need their help. Everyone appreciates sincerity. You, in turn, try to give in return to the person what he needs.

Step 8. Accept responsibility

« Our only responsibility on Earth is our own evolution. In other words, the ability to make choices, make decisions and be responsible for their consequences. As long as you have doubts about taking responsibility for everything in your life, you will not be able to transform it. You must understand and accept that only you are responsible for your life, for your success, for your health and well-being. If you don't like the outcome of your decision, think about it and make another decision.
Nobody can live for you. In the same way, you don't have to be responsible for the consequences of other people's choices. If someone in your environment feels unhappy, then you should not spoil your mood and there should not be a feeling of guilt or pity. The more joy and happiness we bring to others, the more we gain ourselves. Every day you can create your own happiness by finding ways to give it to others. Feel the difference? To give happiness and joy, and not to regret and perceive everything as if we are responsible for someone else's life ”© Liz Burbo

Step 9. Ability to negotiate and negotiate

Prepare for a conversation. Choose the right moment, make an appointment. Rehearse your speech, think over the answer of the interlocutor. What would he tell you and how would you react to it. Write down for yourself the main points that you would like to discuss. If you want to ask for a favor, be as specific as possible. In the event that you offer your services, then initially ask for more than you would like to receive. Set a low bar for yourself and learn to stop in time. No matter how the negotiations progress, be sure of yourself. Do not stoop to the level of threats, manifestations of aggression and negative emotions. Be prepared for the fact that it may be necessary to make a quick cardinal decision.

Step 10. Don't give up

The difference between those who succeed and those who don't is perseverance. These people never give up. Despite failures, failures and defeats, they know exactly what they want and continue to pursue their goal.

Sometimes we are all afraid of failure, we lose faith in ourselves. But it is worth remembering the main thing that failures are an important component of success. The more failures along the way, the more experience you have and the more success you can achieve. Failures are stepping stones on the way to a goal.

Don't back down!

When everything goes badly, as it sometimes happens, when it seems to you that the road you are plodding along is always going uphill, when there is little money, and there are many debts, and you want to smile, but you have to, sigh when worries crush upon you, rest if you need it - but don't back down!

We all know what turns and changes life sometimes brings us, and if we stand to the end, many defeats will turn into victories; do not retreat because progress seems slow - the next blow may bring you victory ...

Success is the other side of failure, a silvery reflection on the clouds of doubt - and you never know how close you are to the goal, maybe much closer than it seems from a distance; and the harder it is for you, the deeper you dive into the struggle, no matter how bad things go - do not back down . © Edgar A. Guest

At the end of December 45% New Years Resolution Statistics . people set optimistic goals for the coming year. But 25% It’s a week into January and a quarter of us have already abandoned our New Year’s resolutions . throw the idea into goal setting during the first week of the holiday break. And only 8% . achieve what they want. This guide contains the quintessence of the experience of these achievers.

1. Choose the right goals

First, make sure the target is yours. Not your parents, partner, or you ten years ago. Then check if the path to the goal is related to the activities that make you happy. If you love making money, you won't be whining every morning, "Oh my God, go back to making those damn millions as much as you can!"

Those who love physical activity do not need to kick themselves to the gym. They reach many times faster than those who, with a sincere hatred of physical education, train according to the same program.

Set only one goal for each area of your life. Otherwise, they can compete with each other. For example, opening your own business and promotion is better to spread over time. It is optimal to have two large goals at the same time. This way you won't get stuck on just one target or mindlessly spray on several at once.

2. Focus on the process, not the results

Do you know why most of the dreams never turn into realized projects? The problem is the result orientation. It's one thing to want to be a rock star and stand on stage in the spotlight. And it's quite another thing to want to rub your fingers into the blood on the strings, rehearsing the same solos every day.

Ted.com

Study Setting goals around tasks, not outcomes, is the best way to improve performance, a study shows . shows that people are more likely to achieve their goals when they focus on the process rather than the results.

Formulate the goal as a process.

Not "publish a bestseller" but "write 1,000 words every day." Not "lose 15 kilos", but "train three times a week and count calories." This will give an effect, because for everyday work on the way to the goal, a detailed action plan is required. In addition, these actions will force you to focus and move forward little by little - instead of reverently looking at a lofty goal from afar and wondering how to approach it.

3. Connect the resources of the subconscious

You can set yourself the goal of earning 500 thousand rubles a month as much as you like. But if you have the belief “Big money - big problems” or “I don’t deserve big money” in your head, then your efforts will be wasted.

Before you start climbing a mountain, check whether you consider yourself entitled to stand on its top.

It will be embarrassing if you stop in the middle of the ascent and drop your equipment, deciding that this mountain is for climbers from more affluent families.

The probability of achieving the goal will increase dramatically if you replace contrary beliefs with helping ones. Write a list of all your fears and worries about the current goal, and then make an opposite statement for each of them.

For example: "I have a small salary" - "I am constantly increasing my income." The formula should apply only to you, not to your boss. He may not know that he should promote you. Dictate positive affirmations into the recorder in a cheerful and energetic voice and listen for 20 minutes a day.

4. Plan every day

From the evening make up for tomorrow. So in the morning you can immediately get involved in the process, avoiding painful thoughts about where to start, scrolling through the Instagram feed.

Try to bring even small household chores under the denominator of your goal. For example, you are waiting for negotiations. When you take your suit to the dry cleaners, think about how it will help you make the right impression and add confidence.

Structure your to-do list in such a way that procrastination works in your favor. Put the most frightening tasks in the first paragraphs. And at the end, add simple, but also useful things for the purpose. Thus, pushing the implementation of primary matters, you will do secondary ones. And also move towards the goal.

5. Prioritize according to biorhythms

If your peak productivity is in the morning, which is typical for early risers, do the bulk of your important tasks during this time. Leave less energy-intensive tasks for the evening: answering letters, shopping, communication. If you and your peak productivity is late at night, do your most important work at that time. And in the morning, while you are of little use, you can sort out the mail and do a simple routine.

In pigeons, the time of highest productivity can vary depending on lifestyle. They will have to listen to themselves and keep track of what time of day energy, concentration and motivation are maximum. You will become an expert at what you do during peak productivity much faster. And don't waste that time on YouTube if you don't want to become an expert viewer of motivational videos.

blog.doist.com

6. Use the Paperclip Technique

Story How to Stick With Good Habits Every Day by Using the “Paper Clip Strategy” . a young broker named Trent Dyrsmid made the whole world use this trick.

Dirsmead, 23, took a job with no experience at a provincial bank and soon reached an income of $75,000 a year. In the morning he placed two cans on his work table, one empty and one with a set of 120 paper clips. Each time he made a call, he moved a paperclip from a full can to an empty one. That's all the technology. 120 calls a day, one paperclip at a time. Visualize your progress!

Do you want to do 100 push ups a day? Take 100 paper clips and divide them into 10 sets. Do 10 push-ups 10 times a day and move paper clips from one jar to another each time. Need to send 25 emails daily? Throw a paperclip at the target jar every time you click on the "Submit" button.
James Clear, Personal Effectiveness and Self-Improvement Expert

7. Take stock

Waste of time if you don't sum up your work. William Arruda, Forbes bestselling author, personal branding consultant, advises The One Thing Successful People Do Every Day.: summarize the events of the day. This is what many successful people do.

Don't try to do it in your mind, there will be no effect. Only in writing. It is very useful to write down 5 achievements and 5 joys of the day. Let it be a list of the steps, even the smallest ones, that you have taken today towards your goals. And also 5 things that inspired you or made you smile.

Positive emotions on the way to goals are serious motivators. If you re-read these notes in a month, you will find that it is a lot of fun to move towards a goal step by step. This will help to find a second wind in case of a decline in enthusiasm. In addition, the technique helps to quickly summarize the results of the week and month.

8. Create a ritual

It's easy to waste your best years waiting for inspiration, especially if your goal isn't survival. Save time: train the body to enter a working state with the help of a ritual. Start a series of motivating actions that you will perform every time before starting work.

It doesn't matter if you make umbrellas or write code. Before you sit down at your desk, listen to a certain song every time or brew coffee according to a special recipe. The body will remember the ritual and make it a command to turn on concentration.

This technique was used by many prominent. Victor Hugo, for example, before starting work, ordered the servant to take away all his clothes. This eliminated the temptation to leave the house until the page norm was written. Before work, Leo Tolstoy chopped wood and carried water from the well. Friedrich Schiller couldn't write until he stuffed his desk drawers with rotten apples. These tricks are not for everyone, so come up with your own unique ritual.

9. Stop in time to rest

Many believe that a large-scale goal can only be achieved with titanic efforts. Thanks to exhausting work to the detriment of sleep, food and the nervous system. This is wrong. Super effort is appropriate only when you need a quick result. But it is impossible to achieve great results quickly, and overexertion, extended over time, always leads to depression.

You don't need super effort to achieve a super goal. Regular daily activities are required.

In 1911, travelers Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen raced to the South Pole. Amundsen had a rule: every day, both in the sun and in a snowstorm, his team walked 20 miles. In clear weather, when it was possible to walk 30 or even 50 miles, Amundsen stopped people after crossing 20 miles and arranged a halt. As a result, each morning, his team members were ready to move on.

Scott's team hid in tents when the snowstorm started. And in sunny weather I tried to walk as much as possible - 30-40 miles. After such marathons, people fell down, and the night's sleep was not enough to recover. Naturally, Amundsen's people came to the South Pole first. Robert Scott's group died on the way back.

Forcing yourself to do something when you don't want to is not the most difficult thing. The hardest thing is to stop when everything works out, when you. Use all your willpower to stop on time. To walk only 20 miles when you are able to walk twice that. For every extra mile you go, you will pay for two missed miles when your body gets sick from fatigue.

10. Create a helpful environment

Find people who believe in you instead of being skeptical that you are a bullshit. Life is too short to waste it on haters and couch critics. It is good if your loved ones go to their goals themselves. The example of the environment is contagious.

If there is a stupor, find a person who goes to a similar goal. Help him achieve it. Changing your perspective on a problem will have a huge impact on your productivity.

Reevaluate yours. Look at people who are 5-10 years older than you. Especially those with whom you see weekly: with a high probability this is your future. Are you satisfied with this state of affairs? On the way to new goals, the old, albeit beloved environment is often eliminated. This is fine. Just go ahead, your like-minded people are already there.

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Many people have already become convinced that in order to achieve a goal, especially a long-term one, it is not enough just to give yourself a word and decide to work with gritted teeth. In the process, laziness and a lot of excuses will certainly appear, old thoughts and beliefs will return. As a result, the case will be idle for weeks. What to do? It is necessary to change dramatically and adhere to a step-by-step system for achieving goals, which we will talk about today.

Of course, there are people who know how to achieve everything they want. And they are very surprised that others cannot do this. They even write books about how easy it is. But most of these authors forget that a person is a very complex matter, that hundreds of various factors influence him. You need to work very seriously with your psyche and thinking, one desire to achieve the goal is not enough. At least because it can disappear the very next day.

Therefore, we will not only present a step-by-step plan for achieving goals, but we will also try to approach the issue in a comprehensive manner, realizing that a person is always very passionate about returning to a past state. It's very hard to change. Therefore, you need to carefully study yourself and adhere to some rules.

Let's start with the excuses that almost all of us have excelled at.

What kind of apology do we invent for ourselves?

Goals, especially long-term goals, make us feel very uncomfortable. For various reasons: we have not felt progress for a long time, the path seems endless, and much more.

Therefore, we often come up with excuses. This is our way of explaining to ourselves why we do not cling to every chance to succeed in life. Here are the most popular ones.

I'm not well educated.
I do not have enough money.
I have no time.
I'm not confident enough.
I just don't have enough experience.
I'm not ready yet.
I don't know where to start.
It's too difficult.
I'm afraid to make a mistake.
I'm afraid.
It's too risky.

All these excuses keep us in one place for a long time. Therefore, before learning to set goals, you must work with yourself and clearly decide that you will no longer accept an apology.

Any time you catch yourself having these thoughts, immediately label them as excuses. You can immediately sit down and write about it in your diary. Consciousness in our business is extremely important.

Excuses are also generated by laziness, so we will consider it separately.

How to deal with laziness?

Those who indulge in laziness lose huge sums of money, time, prospects and opportunities. Perhaps this is the key difference between a successful person and a loser. Great people are not afraid to work, and they do it smartly, while average people look for excuses and stop thinking as soon as they leave the office.

To get rid of laziness, you need to take four important steps:

Determine why laziness occurs

Think of all the possible reasons why you fall into the laziness trap and ask yourself:

Why do I indulge my laziness?
Am I bored, tired, lacking inspiration?
Am I afraid to achieve something and therefore use laziness as an avoidance mechanism?
What am I specifically afraid of and trying to avoid?

Explore long-term effects

We often indulge our laziness because we don't cause enough pain in ourselves. It turns out that it is better not to reach the goal than to achieve it.

Therefore, you must convince yourself that if you are lazy, then this will lead to great pain in the future. Make a list of all long-term effects.

Challenge yourself

When you challenge yourself, you feel alive. Ask yourself the question: “Am I really weak?”.

Remind yourself every day that only by setting a serious goal can you build character and become a truly strong person.

Take action right away

It is dangerous to engage in self-reflection without action for a long time. There is a risk of lingering in oneself for a long time, withdrawing: then the study of personality will only bring harm.

Study and, but already in the process of achieving goals. Move in small steps, develop your personality and learn along the way.

Step-by-step system for achieving goals

The process of achieving goals must be divided into several successive steps, that is, to create a system.

Step One: Build Your System

To do this, go through five mandatory steps.

Be clear about what you want

The goal you set is only limited by your imagination. Therefore, it is necessary to allocate enough time for this stage, without getting off with the banal: “I already know what I want, what's next?”.

Goals can be different: career, family, financial, as well as in the field of health, self-development, public service.

In this case, the goal itself, in fact, does not matter. It is only a product of your true desires. Answer three questions:

What exactly do I want?
Why do I want it?
When do I want it?

These questions will help you not to concentrate on the goal, but to look, first of all, inside yourself. It may turn out that many desires were not real and did not reflect the real state of things in your soul.

People don't reach their goals because they don't answer these questions. And they are very important, because they allow you to draw motivation for every day. For example, today you desperately wanted to learn how to play chess. This wish is sincere. But in a few days it will disappear, and time will be lost. Better ask yourself why this is necessary.

And of course, set deadlines. Without it, you will not create a sense of urgency within. Without a deadline, you will not push yourself, become lazy and eventually give up on the goal.

Decide if the goal matches your personality

To understand what kind of person you are, you need to understand what it consists of: values, standards, beliefs, lifestyle and priorities.

We know it sounds pretty depressing. But do not skip to the next section, because this one is also incredibly important. Many people simply do not pay attention to what kind of person they are. They set excellent goals for themselves and even start to go towards them, but in the end they give up. These goals simply did not fit with the key features of their personality.

In psychology, there is the concept of congruence. This is the consistency of speech, ideas and beliefs among themselves. In a broad sense - the integrity, self-consistency of the individual.

You must have had periods when you did everything right, but felt miserable. Have you wondered why? The psyche feels the inconsistency of actions and personality parameters, therefore, it transmits this information with the help of a bad mood and the feeling that you are “out of place”.

Knowing yourself is a long process. But you can start it with simple but correct questions:

Does this goal align with my core values?
Do I sincerely believe that I will achieve this goal?
Does this goal fit my lifestyle?
Can it arise here?
Perhaps I need to adjust my priorities to make room for this purpose?
Does this goal conflict with my other goals?
How can this contradiction be resolved?
When I reach my goal, will I become the person I am trying to be?

The reality is that if your core values, beliefs, and priorities are not in harmony with the goal, then there is little hope for the outcome. But if you set aside a little time and set the right goal, then everything will go like clockwork: you yourself will feel that you are doing everything right.

Consider external consequences

When we set a goal, we think about how it will affect our life, personality and amount of time. But we rarely analyze what will happen to the environment and other people. And this can lead to big problems and conflicts.

Every goal you set has a number of consequences, both good and bad. Ask yourself the following questions:

Who is potentially affected?
How exactly?

Don't be presumptuous in thinking that you will easily handle conflicts in the future, or that this is not something worth paying attention to. Such ignorance can be costly. Better take steps to minimize the damage. In the end, if you decide to go to the gym every day, you will spend less time with your loved ones. It will inevitably affect your life in one way or another. So consider a variety of scenarios.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What's good about my current situation?
By achieving this goal, will I be able to keep all the good things that are now?

Now you have a lot of time to spend with your children. But if you start working more, then it will not be enough. How will this affect the family? It is not necessary to give up on your dreams, but it is important to understand that there will inevitably be consequences.

Ask yourself:

What sacrifices will I need to make to achieve this goal?
Can I really make these sacrifices?

Such is the price of success. To make the right decision, consider the following:

What are the consequences of giving up this goal?
What's at stake?
What can I miss or lose?
How will I feel?

Now you can see that even if you spend less time with your family, it will only make things better in the end. You can earn more money, provide children with a good education. As a result of the described analysis, you may well understand that it is worth choosing a completely different goal for yourself.

There will be many questions:

What will I get if I achieve this goal?
What will my loved ones get if I achieve this goal?
How will this change me as a person?
How will I feel?

You probably were looking for some simple five-step system that you can write down on a piece of paper or study in 10 minutes. But we suggest that you first learn a lot about yourself, as well as learn how to predict the consequences. With this approach, the chances of achieving the goal will increase significantly.

Create a plan outline

It's time to make a plan to achieve your goals. It will help you understand what obstacles you may face. It's also helpful to think about the resources you might need.

First, let's think about obstacles. They can take many forms in the form of people, events, circumstances, fears, limited beliefs, lack of experience or knowledge. Not everything can be prepared for, but remember that you always choose your reaction. Ask yourself:

What potential obstacles might stand in my way?
How can they interfere with my progress?
What should I do to successfully deal with them?

Resources can be in the form of tools, skills, knowledge, acquaintances, and more. It may take a little time to get the information you need.

Every obstacle you encounter is nothing but a problem that can be overcome with the right resources and resourcefulness.

To learn how to plan for the future, ask yourself:

What resources do I have?
What resources might I need?
How can I get them?

Remember also that you don't have to have all the skills and knowledge. Other people may be useful for this. So, you must learn to find useful connections.

Take a sheet of paper and start creating a rough plan. Take into account all your answers that have been given before.

Make a plan of action

Many experts argue about whether the action plan should be overly detailed. The answer is: try both options.

And best of all, create two plans at once. The first is detailed, and the second is in general terms, which only points in the right direction. In a month you will be able to understand which one is better. And perhaps you realize that both are good and in harmony with each other.

An action plan is a step by step guide on how you are going to achieve your goal. A simple example: you want to sign up for a gym. Moreover, one attempt was already made, but in the end they abandoned it after two weeks. Action plan:

Earn money for a subscription.
Get a side job (which you can then quit to free up time).
Buy a few books about sports and fitness.
Buy a subscription and sportswear.
Create sports affirmations in order to keep the level of motivation at the highest level.
Get to know like-minded people.
Create a new diet.

Step Two: Use the Visualization Technique

The visualization technique helps to get a solid share of motivation every day. Each of us has experienced the fact that when we wake up, we have no desire to achieve our long-term goal. This state of affairs is discouraging.

Sit in a quiet place where no one can disturb you. Start imagining your goal. Throw yourself into the future and feel that everything worked out. How are you feeling? Who is nearby? What are the thoughts in your head?

Now think about the last action you took to achieve such an outstanding result. Next, move in the opposite direction: the penultimate action and so on.

"Be" in the present. Now you know how to reach your goal. Moreover, they morally survived all the difficulties and coped with them.

Step Three: Create a Morning Schedule

Everything is decided in the morning: once you give yourself an indulgence, after a few hours you will feel laziness of such strength that it will kill all desire and enthusiasm. Create the right mood with some repetitive actions.

Right after waking up

No matter how difficult it is, immediately smile. Probably nothing special will happen after this action. And this is normal, because no one promised a magic pill. But a start has been made.

Ask yourself some good questions while you lie in bed:

What am I proud of?
What am I happy with?
What am I grateful for?
What do I expect from today?
What do I intend to do today?

Drink a glass of water. This simple act will help make up for the lack of water formed overnight.

20 minutes after waking up

Take up meditation. Set aside at least 5-10 minutes for this. With this exercise, you will put your brain in order.

Get a diary and write down your goals for the day. If they're already there, just check it out. It will only cost a few seconds, but it will allow you to tune in.

Read an inspirational book. It can be about self-development, about achieving goals, about dreams. The point of all this is to get enough motivation. Without it, it will be very unpleasant to get down to business.

Use the Brian Tracy Technique

If everything written above seems too complicated, then try something simple that you can use right now.

Brian Tracy does so much work in the area of Goal Achievement Consulting that this technique can be tried:

Arouse a burning desire within you.
Believe in yourself.
Write down the goal.
Analyze your starting point.
Determine why you want to excel in this area.
Set a deadline.
Identify obstacles.
Determine what additional knowledge you may need.
Determine what kind of people you might need.
Make a plan.
Visualize.
Never give up.

Books

If you think that the methods and tips presented in the article are not enough, there is always the opportunity to read several books on this topic in addition. Reading large amounts of information helps the brain get used to (and it will resist) the fact that a change will come very soon. Here is a list of books to get you started. Just do not forget that the main thing is action.

"Achievements of goals. Step by step system” Marilyn Atkinson, Rae T. Chois.
“A whole life. Key Skills to Achieve Your Goals Les Hewitt, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen.
“This year I…” M. J. Ryan.
How to Get Things Done by David Allen.
"Focus. Achieving Priority Goals by Stephen Covey.
52 Mondays. How to Achieve Any Goals in a Year by Vic Johnson.
"Try it - it will work!" Seth Godin.
The Psychology of Achievement by Heidi Grant Halsworth.
"The Habit of Achievement" by Bernard Ross.