How to Stick to Your Goal- The Most Difficult Step

As we enter the mid-stretch of January, this is usually the time when over 68% of the population who set goals/resolutions begin to falter. By day 32 of a new year 68% of goal setters have quit pursuing their goals.

Setting goals is the first step your “living the dream”. Whether it is personal goals or professional and leadership related, it is vital to achieving what you have always desired to have or desired to be. Although setting goals helps paint a clearer picture of your future, it only keeps you motivated for so long. You may get bored after some time, and eventually, completely lose your way around. If you want to be successful, that is something you should avoid. Here are a few tips so you won’t steer away from the goals you’ve always wanted to pursue.

Identify your goals. First, be clear about what you really want. Do not settle for others’ opinions about what you want to achieve. What matters here is what you want to do in life, how you want to lead others more effectively, and if it motivates you to become successful. By all means, stop listening to others who don’t really know what you desire, and start planning out your dream.

Break the goal into pieces. Some of your goals may look too big and impossible to accomplish and that’s another reason why you might take your eyes off your goals. When it already seems too impossible, analyze your goal piece by piece. See what you can do about it; sometimes, you just need to reset.

Ask us about our Goal Pursuing System if you need help.

Get organized. This part is self-explanatory but often neglected. I assume you have already chosen the top priorities on your list of goals. If you ever feel lost in the whirl of your responsibilities, grab a free app where you can look back to your original purpose with your goal. Apps like Google Docs or Evernote are helpful.

Get an accountability partner (Not a friend who holds you back). You know who to talk to when all else fails. Yes, that person can be your accountability partner in setting and realizing your goals. Telling someone about your goals will help remind you of what you need to do to get toward your dreams. That person will also remind you to work hard and motivate you to get back up when you feel discouraged. 

Avoid toxic energy. Toxic energy can be found everywhere — from people around you, your work, your environment, or even a Facebook post that stressed you out. You can always choose to ignore them. Remember the 90/10 principle by Stephen Covey. It states that “10% of life is made up of what happens to you, and 90% of life is decided by how you react.” Whenever you perceive anything toxic coming your way, avoid them as soon as possible.

Holding on to your goal can be very challenging; however, that is the only way for you to see your dreams unfold in front of you, one after another.

The next critical step is an absolute belief you must acquire.

Why Having Absolute Belief In Your Goal Is Necessary

When someone succeeds in life, people often ask, how did you do it? It’s the same old question from everyone aspiring to achieve something to everyone who already did it. Some would tell you it’s luck or hard work but when you listen to them closely, you’ll hear their enthusiasm about their dreams. I can hear you whisper in your mind right now, so what? These people believed in their dreams; they believed their dreams were not too much for them to reach or too weird to even propose to others. They believed in themselves and the goals they made and that’s how they did it. Let me give you some reasons why having faith in your goal has a great impact on achieving it. 

1. If you don’t, who else will?

NO one else will see your goals the way you see them. I often say goals are God inspired, and he doesn’t inspire me the same as He does you. You will have to start believing in your aspirations before anybody else will. Who would want to believe you if you yourself doubt your ideas? People will admire you and your pursuit when they see the sincerity in your confidence toward your dream. You’re responsible and obligated to believe in your goals — before anyone else — because that’s the only way you will find means to achieve them.

2. You are building your self-esteem.

I want to challenge you to study all the successful people you think made it look easy. Learn about Elon Musk, Colonel Sanders, The Wright Brothers, Martin Luther King, or Nelson Mandela. There will be thousands of obstacles along the path when you decide to pursue your dream. Sometimes, these challenges will break you, but you just have to keep going because it’s all part of the process. If you have enough confidence in your goals, you also have the same belief that you can surpass them all.

3. You mold yourself into positivity.

You, of all people, should know that a little bit of negativity will bring you and your goals down. If you really want to succeed in whatever you are aspiring to have or to become, you need to remain optimistic all the time. And that is not possible if you lack faith in your goals. You will have to keep the enthusiasm you had the first time the idea came into your mind to keep yourself surrounded with positivity. This will be a daily work of progress. There will be days when you just feel overwhelmed and unsure of yourself. This is the time to review your goals and recommit, not listen to the doubt and retreat.

4. You are ready to fail.

This is not intended to take your hope away from you. You will have to face the fact that failures are waiting along the way. They are there to make you stronger and to equip you to become the person you need to be when success is within your reach. If you don’t have enough faith in what you are pursuing, you will most likely get discouraged. But if you know the potential of your goals, you will not be fragile enough to break easily when discouragement comes.

Grit, perseverance, persistence, and resilience are all similar character traits, but are vital to not only setting big goals but achieving them as well.

Lastly, isn’t it nice to know how to answer the same old question, how did you do it? When that time comes, it will be your turn to inspire others.

Be relentless in your goal setting, but more importantly in your goal getting.

Check out episodes 313, 314, 315, and 317 on The Lead Up Podcast for more inspiring conversation.