Setting goals in life is just like setting a location on the map and it navigates us to the destination. In both cases, it is about how we want to go. Shall we take this long path or shortcut that will take us to the goal faster? Well, one thing we all know deep down in our hearts is that shortcuts rarely take us where we want, in short, it gives temporary happiness. But all this can be avoided if the goals are set in the right order and today we will learn the ‘how’ part of it.
Moving Forward in Life
Moving forward in life– these four simple words encompass many synonyms: growth, resilience, success, consistency in goal, and Improvement being some of them. Moving forward in life is about seizing a perfect opportunity that takes you closer to your goal. It is about navigating through a path while overcoming obstacles, reflecting on the setbacks from the past and trying to do the same.
What we can assure is & that even you all can figure out is– it cannot always be a smooth journey. But achieving goals and moving forward in life can be made a little smoother by following some steps that will ensure a growth and more fulfilling future.
10 Proven Tips To Set Goals & Move Forward in Life
1. FOCUS on One Goal
According to Brian Tracy, a Canadian-American motivational speaker, Focus is the primary key to achieving your goal. And it’s a no-brainer. Everyone knows that focus is the key to achieving anything and everything in life, whether that be small or big. What you can do to focus yourself is,
- Take a piece of paper
- Make a list of goals that you would like to achieve in the next year or twelve months. The goals don’t have to be the ones that might take one year to achieve. It can be a monthly or weekly goal. All you have to do is compile them in the twelve-month goal sheet.
- Read all of them
- Identify one big goal that would have a bigger impact on your life
- Write that one goal in another clean sheet
- Write down the actions that you can take to achieve them
- Work on one goal per day
This way, you are ensuring to work towards your goal every day and similarly all your goals will be achieved one by one without even you noticing. This is the power of focus.
2. Write Your Goals Effectively
We have been taught in life to write down the things we cannot remember. While goals are not like shopping for vegetables for dinner, it is often categorized as ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Just thinking about a goal is not enough, we need to write it down a piece of paper as instructed above and follow it every day. Some of the tips for writing goals effectively, according to Brian Tracy, are,
- Writing then in the present tense
- Writing them in a positive sense
- Writing them in a personal sense (I + positive action verb)
3. Structure Your Goals As Questions
In one interview where Brian Tracy shared what he believed to be the most effective way to achieve a goal– structure your major goal as a question. Either structure 20 open-ended questions or 20 answers to one open-ended question. This way, you will know the several options available for you to achieve that one goal.
As an example, if you want to increase your earnings in one year, write down- how can I increase my earnings? There can be several options, from working part-time to getting a book on how to increase earnings. This is more like a trial and error method which might be tiring but a sure shot way to conquer what you want.
4. Self-Confidence
This might seem odd to some as to how self-confidence is related to anything with setting goals. But dear readers, half of our things in life are a determinant of our self-confidence. If you don’t believe yourself to complete a task or overcome an obstacle, you cannot do so even after others push you.
As the famous saying goes, “If you believe in yourself, anything is possible”. Self-confidence is a power that makes things happen eventually because you believe that you can do it. Following all these processes or steps won’t yield anything if you do not have any self-confidence. So, believe in yourself, in your capabilities to grow, achieve your goal and move forward in life.
5. Take Action Quickly
Now, how many of us think of acting on a new goal or idea, the moment we think of it? Very less people. It has been found that people who take immediate action on their new goals or ideas have their chances go up by a hundred percent to be successful in that. And getting excited is not counted as ‘taking action quickly’. Avoid procrastination at any cost, because once the action for a goal is set for the next day, the next day never comes.
6. Reward Yourself
The system of rewards goes way back in time. But when it’s about your goal and life, it is best to reward yourself. Rewards act by motivating you to complete a task to gain and enjoy the reward. Set your tasks, and once you complete one set of tasks, reward yourself with food, a break or anything that you would like to get to be motivated. This system goes far and long with a positive impact.
7. Identify Obstacles
It is important to make amends with the fact that there will be challenges for you to achieve or complete your task in time. What we can do to avoid them or solve them quickly is to identify the kind of obstacles we might face during the tasks. List them down with their potential solutions. This way, you will have a pre-made solution that will save you time. It is essential because we all have an idea of how frustrating it can be to face challenges while smoothly completing your task.
8. Share!
It has been found that sharing your goals with your family or friends helps to boost your progress as they are there to support and encourage you, maybe also with feedback. Sharing with others helps to better shape your framework and approach to an obstacle or task. You can join groups who have similar goals to you so that you both can grow together and help each other in trouble.
9. Reflect
There can be times when you are unable to achieve your goal or complete your task in the stipulated given time. But it should not be taken as something to be disheartened about. This is the time, you reflect on that puzzle piece that went wrong while assembling them together in your task.
10. Be Realistic- Take Breaks!
Sometimes people can be adamant about achieving a goal in one single go. Maybe even skip lunch or any free time that they should and must get. This framework might be effective in the short run because this framework will only exhaust you and limit your speed to start with another task soon.
It’s best to take breaks– get up, stretch yourself, take a water break, eat something, talk to your family, get some fresh air or just lie down on your back, close your eyes, and relax with a timer on side to avoid sleeping by mistake. These breaks allow for a better amount of productivity which is effective in the long run. So when you plan a task, make space for your short breaks too.
Conclusion
By following these ten tips to set goals and move forward in life, you are ensuring to climb up the ladder of success in your life. The power to move forward in life and set clear-cut goals is upon no one but yourself. You are the only one who gets to decide what happens with your life, your goal. Never overlook the incredible potential that lies within you. We wish you success and lots of prosperity!