GOAL DIGGER: 7 Proven Ways to Achieve Your Goals

A woman by the name of Jill Koenig once said this: “If a goal is worth having, it’s worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” But when you’re trying to balance your marriage, kids, work, errands, cooking and keeping your house at least some definition of clean, finding an extra couple of hours in the day may seem close to impossible.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Everyone has 24 hours in the day. The reason why some people reach their goals while others don’t is because the ones who do are intentional when it comes to how they manage their time.

Whatever goals you have, you can reach them. Follow these tips and you’ll get closer than you ever thought was possible.

1. Clearly write out your goals

There’s a reason why things are more effective when they’re in print. They hold us accountable. They remind us of what we said. And if we put a date on them, they even light a fire under us so that we’ll get things done without procrastinating. That’s why you should always write your goals down. You should have weekly, monthly and yearly goals, along with “small steps” that will help you to achieve each one along the way. (P.S. You should have them in your phone and also posted up somewhere in your house for extra encouragement.)

2. Create your own mission statement

Do you have a personal mission statement? If not, why not? Yes, they are traditionally used for companies, but lots of people are applying them to their own ambitions. A mission statement is simply the overall objective of what you’re trying to achieve. Someone once said that if you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it yourself. That explains the need for a mission statement perfectly. (Click here for tips on how to write one.)

3. Download an app

Do you basically live on your phone? There are apps that can help you to keep track of your goals too. Finally, a real reason to keep your notifications set to “on”! (Click here for several goal-setting app options.)

4. Assemble your cheering squad

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn was onto something when he said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. If you want to reach your goals, you need to be around positive individuals who will encourage and support you. Try and have at least one of them serve as a mentor---someone who has already accomplished something similar to what you’re setting out to do. They will be able to provide practical and sound advice along the way.

5. Take baby steps (at first)

Sadly, some people never reach their goals because they are overwhelmed by them. They are more focused on the destination than the journey. The way to avoid this pitfall is to take baby steps along the way. If your goal is to start a company, do research this week on how to begin a business. Next week, look up how to get funding. The following week, research branding and marketing strategies. Then think about having a website designed and meet with a tax accountant and attorney. This is just an example. There are lots of benefits to baby steps. It’s one of the best ways to be thorough in your approach to achieving your goals.

6. Reward each achievement

If all you ever think about is how much more you have to do (because there always will be more that needs to be done), that’s a recipe for discouragement. You can avoid feeling this way by celebrating every achievement. It can be something big like a party with friends or smaller like treating yourself to a pedicure or your favorite scoop of ice cream. Just make sure to make rewarding yourself a part of your goal reaching plan. You’ve earned it.

7. Rinse and repeat

Our only other tip is to keep doing these things over and over again. They are the ideal formula for getting you well on your way to all that you want. We would know. Good luck!