Three Key Mindsets for Achieving Your Goal

When on the journey towards achieving your goal, it will get hard. If your goal has no difficulties on the way, you have probably chosen a very achievable goal. If this is the case, you may find that these tips are something you do along the way. If you feel like you're hitting a wall, plateauing, or just lost, then these pieces of advice could be what you need to refocus on your goal.

#1 Take One Step at a Time

After we have decided on a goal, it is easy to get carried away. Planning for massive change, restricting yourself across many aspects of your life, and significantly changing your daily routine are a lot for people to take at once. Even people who are the best in their field likely didn't become that way overnight. Like us too, they likely took a step towards their goal, then took another, and another until they had reached their goal.

Imagine walking down a path. We step off, then take another step. If we feel confident we might run and jump, bounding towards our goal. Now imagine you had a backpack, and in that backpack you carried the "weight of your goal". A small goal might be a 5 pounds, while a big one could be 100 pounds! You're loaded up, now on your journey you walk forward, with the weight of your goal. Now to run, jump, and bound down your path becomes more difficult. You may have to slow down. If you pass the limit that you can handle you could become injured, fall, or take wrong turn.

Taking one step at a time is about being consistent, deliberate, and patient. While we may be tempted to find shortcuts or make big jumps towards our goal, this is riskier and not recommended.

#2 Keep a Positive Mindset

When we have thoughts of doubt, worry, or fear along the path towards our goal, it can shake us, even stop us dead in our tracks, or make us turn around a run the other way. These thoughts are normal and happen to everyone, especially the more difficult or far away your goal is. There will be many instances where these thoughts will creep into your mind. What happens next is crucial.

Choose to identify with your effort towards your goal. Identify with the person, you, who is taking on this journey and value them. Encourage yourself for starting, cherish what you have already accomplished. Your effort is what's important, not necessarily where you are right now.

Affirmations are a perfect tool for this. Along the way, when thoughts of worry come in, listen, then respond.

"I can't do this. It's too hard"

"I have come so far"

"I don't know if I can do this"

"I will give it my all"

"This feels pointless"

"What I do has a purpose"

Celebrate each step you take along the way because you're one step closer towards your goal.

#3 "Eyes on the Prize"

Your focus on a goal can blur, or you can can just completely lose sight of it. If you're looking off to what's behind you or what's off to the side, keep it short, because you make fall off the path to your goal. Try walking in a field towards specific point on the other side. Begin walking forward now look to the left for 20 seconds, then look backwards for 20 seconds, then look to the right for 20 seconds. Now look back forward to the point you aimed at. You probably made a zig-zag line that was not directly to where you wanted to go.

When we are in the execution phase of achieving our goal, if we are distracted in this way, then we will also take a less efficient pathway. I don't know about you but wasted energy on an inefficient route to my goal will take longer, be harder, and be more likely to fail. We don't like those odds. So when you do get distracted, get caught in looking back, refocus on what's ahead because your next steps matter more than what's over there or behind you.

Stay on track. Look forwards towards your goal. If you stumble, get your balance, and then continue on. Stay focused.