6 Steps to an Achievable Goal
By Chandra R. Ellington
“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” ― Mark Caine
How many times have you heard that being successful all boils down to you setting a goal? But, I’m sure that it may not come as a surprise to you to learn that there is a lot more to success than just setting your goals. In this post, I explain how to be successful with whatever it is you want to achieve in your life.
1. What is a goal?
A goal is more than just a desire/wish or need. A desire/wish or need is less tangible. Who doesn’t wish to win the lottery? A goal is a target which is achievable by actions you can take in measurable steps.
2. How to set a goal?
Setting a goal is a process which starts with an achievable need or desire. You must decide what you want. For example, I want to be a book editor, a book narrator, a chef, a coach, etc.
You then break down the goal into small action steps to take in order to reach the goal. An achievable goal is a goal where you can influence its realization and measure your progress towards attaining it. Achieving a long-term life changing goal is a process of achieving, step-by-step, short-term and medium-term actions.
3. What actions are required?
This is a time when a pen/pencil and paper are required, because it gives your goal an existence of its own. First, write your goal down. Next, decide what action steps are required to achieve the goal.
Writing down all the actions that are required in order to achieve your goal is an essential step – without it, over time, you will eventually reduce the goal to a wish, and wishes only come true by chance.
For Example:
Order | My Goal | Done “ X “ |
Write a book titled … | ||
Order | Sub Goals | Done “ X “ |
Write 10 chapters | ||
Create a Table of Contents | ||
Google a 5×7 book template | ||
Create an introduction page | ||
Create an author page | ||
Create a reference page | ||
Create the cover and back pages | ||
Go to Kdp.amazon.com and contact support for a call back to get help on any questions I have regarding uploading the book on Amazon | ||
Announce the release of the book on social media | ||
Etc. | ||
Order | Today’s Tasks | Done “ X “ |
1 | Decide on a chapter title | |
3 | Decide on 3 points I want to cover in the chapter | |
2 | Do some research on the subject and write what you learned in your own words; make a note of all your references | |
5 | Write the chapter intro paragraph and conclusion paragraph. | |
4 | Etc. |
4. What steps do I take daily?
Every day ask yourself “What steps do I need to take today?”. By now it should be all planned in advance so check your sub-goal list and make sure that you take steps every day towards completing a task on the list. If you discover additional steps are needed, add them to the list. Figure out how many available hours you have in the day and decide on the amount of time that you’d like to spend on the tasks. Some examples are to wake-up 30 mins, 45 mins or 1 hour earlier each day. Spend your 15 min break at work doing some tasks. Spend 1-2 hours after work on it. Be sure to set the timer on your phone and work diligently on the task during that allotted time. The timer will provoke your mind to think faster in the same way it does when you take a test.
5. Review your achievements every week and month
At the end of every week, review your progress for that week. Assess what you’ve done and what you missed. Afterwards, revise your plan as needed for the next week.
You need to analyze and work out in detail in your mind how you are going to accomplish the task. If you can’t get clarity in your mind, then write your thoughts down in detail and make sure that you’re in an environment where you can concentrate. I create various environments for myself. I go on YouTube and lookup ocean sounds, rain sounds, fireplace sounds, lofi music, etc. and let it play while I work on a task. Put yourself in whatever kind of environment that helps you to relax and concentrate on the task at hand.
Before bed, write down the tasks you plan to complete the next day. That way, when you wake-up, you have a reminder list of what you’d like to accomplish so you don’t forget and wonder off-track doing other things. During the day, revise your list as needed.
6. What if things go wrong?
Goals can be challenging because they move you outside your comfort zone and cause you to do things differently. To be successful, you have to face your own fear of failure and take a risk. There will be setbacks, expect them, they are part of the process. Just set your mind that you’re going to accomplish the goal and don’t give up doing what’s required to get you there. Time is going to pass by anyway, so it might as well pass by with you striving to get what you want out of life. It’ll all be worth it when the day comes that you’re able to say, “It’s done.” Afterwards, create a new goal. Never stop striving to be the Best Version of Yourself.
“My hope is that tomorrow will be fine, but, if tomorrow doesn’t go well, I shall still hope to be fine tomorrow!” ― Ernest Agyemang Yeboah
CHOOSE HAPPINESS CHALLENGE
This mental exercise will help you make a paradigm shift.
Practice Visualization of Your Goal
I want you to create clear, exciting, lifelike, emotional pictures of your goal as if it was already a reality. What would that area of your life look like?
The daily practice of taking about 3-5 minutes to visualize your goal as already accomplished can quickly speed-up your achievement of that goal. Once you have accepted an idea in your mind, everything necessary for the fulfillment of that idea begins to happen. Your visualization (your belief) will go before you and lead you to all the ways and means of manifesting that goal.
Go through the following 3 steps:
STEP 1. Imagine that you’re sitting in a movie theater, the lights are dim and the movie begins. It is a movie of you doing whatever it is that you want to do better. Create as much detail as you can, including the kind of clothes that you’re wearing, the expression on your face, small body gestures, the environment and other people that might be around. Add any sounds you might be hearing — traffic, music, other people talking, or cheering. Last, recreate in your body any feelings you think you would be experiencing during the scene (e.g., gladness, satisfaction, cheerfulness, eagerness, hope, optimism, relief, enthusiasm, excitement, surprise, joy, confidence, triumph, etc.).
STEP 2. In your mind, get out of your chair, walk up to the screen, open a door in the screen and enter into the movie. Now experience the whole thing again from inside of yourself, looking out through your eyes. This is called an “embodied image” versus the afore-mentioned “distant image.” This step will deepen the impact of the experience. Again, see everything in lifelike detail, hear the sounds you would hear, and feel the feelings you would feel.
STEP 3. In your mind, walk back out the door of the screen that is still showing the movie of you performing exactly the way you want to, return to your seat in the theater, reach out and grab the screen and shrink it down to the size of a cracker. Then, take this miniature screen and put it in your mouth, chew it up and swallow it. Imagine that each tiny piece — just like a hologram — contains the full picture of you performing well. Imagine all these little screens traveling down into your stomach and out through your bloodstream into every cell of your body. Then imagine that every cell of your body is lit up with a movie of you performing exceptionally well — just like an electronic department in a store where 25 TVs are all tuned-in to the same channel.
When you have finished this process — it should take less than five minutes — you can open your eyes and go about your business. If you make this part of your daily routine, you will be amazed at how much improvement you will see in your life.
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