How to achieve your goals

We all have dreams but many of us either think we can never achieve them or are unsure how to do so in the first place.

Follow these simple steps to help you in the path of achieving your goals.

Write it down

Most people always have vague dreams floating around their head for different areas of their lives. You may see a promotion at some point in your future, for example.

Actually writing down the goal makes it more solid. Instead of being an abstract idea, the goal is now a plan on your to-do list. This will help you to focus on exactly what you want when you consider the phrasing of it.

Regularly reading a goal you have written down keeps it in your mind and you will consciously and subconsciously work toward it in your everyday actions.

Set deadlines

Life is unpredictable and you can’t always control your circumstances. Consequently, it is difficult to set exact dates to achieve your goals by.

What you can do is set deadlines for smaller parts of your plan. For instance, if you want to change careers, you can set a date by which you will have done necessary research or training to give yourself a good chance in the job market in the future.

You can also set a general, long-term timeline of when you will complete each aim. This may be along the lines of having opened up your own business in five years’ time and then the business achieving a specified turnover in ten.

Setting realistic short-term deadlines will provide you with a path to reach your overall dream step-by-step and also not put too much pressure on you to simply meet your main goal straight away.

Mindset

To have the motivation to begin your journey, it is key to have the right mindset. A growth mindset, meaning one where instead of giving up when you reach an obstacle you think of ways to get over it and do better, is useful when seeking a goal.

Being able to see past the negatives of going after your goals (such as it is too difficult, it will take too long or it just won’t work out for me) allows you to think practically of how you will get there. You will get over hurdles by thinking of hardships as learning experiences, and keep on trying.

Essentially, believe in yourself and don’t lose hope easily.

Have an open mind

It is true that not everyone achieves their dreams and this is even the case among those who tirelessly work for them. Just look at how many people devote their life to becoming successful actors compared to how few people make it in the end.

This is why it is important to have an open mind. Your end result might not look how you envisioned. Your goals might change along your path as you grow as a person, discover new interests and happen upon new, unexpected opportunities.

It might be the case that a different route to the one you planned actually turns out to be the best one for you. Have an open mind in the face of different options and allow yourself to not rigidly stick to one plan.

Develop skills

If you aim to one day become an interior designer, for example, developing new skills in the meantime doesn’t just have to just be learning about the processes of interior design itself. Other skills that are free to learn about and will come in useful are networking, marketing your business and building a website.

Every day there is room for self-improvement, even in small, easy ways. Try and think outside the box of what you can learn and do to prepare for achieving your future goals.

Jump in

Your dreams will not come true if you do not, at one point, begin them. This might require a big leap of faith and that can be scary.

If your goals involve changing careers, you need to one day exit your current job. This is a great, brave first step and will truly motivate you to make moves on your goals. It is important to remember, however, to be practical as well. It is okay to delay achieving your goals if you cannot afford to begin just yet or it is unsuitable for your current circumstances.

Persevere

Now comes the hard part: keep on going! Things might not work out how you hoped they would immediately and you will encounter setbacks.

Remember that achievements take time. When something goes wrong, don’t look at it as a failure but instead as a moment to learn from and a new opportunity to grow. After you have reconsidered how to approach the thing that set you back, dive back in!

Treat yourself fairly

During these moments, do not punish yourself for not doing things differently. You tried your best and you cannot control your circumstances or how life works out.

Instead, look at what you did well, recognize these actions and reward yourself as you keep moving forward.

Take the first step in working toward your dreams with an online degree from Eton University.