As Mark Twain once said, “Without dreams and goals, there is no living, only mere existing, and that is not why we are here.” Your goals are supposed to give your life meaning and purpose. They drive action and help you evolve.
But while it’s an essential part of everyone’s growth to set their own goals, many people have a difficult time achieving them. They could lack the time, resources, or inspiration to do so or they may easily change their minds and lose sight of what they want.
Regardless of the issue, letting these obstacles and shortcomings get in the way of your goals can hinder you from ultimately achieving them. If you want to avoid this outcome, you need to enhance your productivity, try to work smarter, and always be persistent.
Here are some effective strategies to help you achieve your goals faster.
Be Optimistic, but Realistic
You need to be realistic. As much as you want to reach for the stars and attain what may seemingly be unattainable, you need to learn how to keep your feet on the ground. As a human being, you have limitations. Acknowledging and accepting your capabilities as well as your limitations can help you set more feasible goals.
For example, your goal is to become a pro swimmer within the next two years. But if you’re just starting with no prior experience in the sport, this may be close to impossible to achieve. One way to remedy the situation is to extend your timeline or pick a different sport that you already have experience in.
Remember, it’s okay to modify your goals. Perhaps you need more time; perhaps you want to shift to a different hobby; perhaps you realize something about yourself that you didn’t know at the beginning of your journey. When you recognize these truths, you can create a more realistic and attainable goal suited to your capabilities.
Do Something That You Truly Believe In
Another tip: Set a goal that you’re truly passionate about, or, at the very least, something that you’re interested in. According to a psychologist named Jeremy Newcomb, doing something you like or love can give you the encouragement you need to keep pushing forward. Without any level of curiosity or interest, you’re more likely to lose motivation and end up giving up the entire project.
Divide Tasks Based on Level of Priority
One of the reasons why people sometimes give up on their goals or take a long time to achieve them is because they get overwhelmed quickly. A great solution to remedy this issue is to divide your tasks.
Identify which tasks need most of your attention and energy, then mark them as urgent and important. Then, find out which ones are equally important, but not necessarily urgent. These tasks can be your second priority. The list continues until you can determine which tasks are not important and not urgent — which you can leave for last.
If you need extra help making this practice more efficient, here are some useful tips you can try.
Put Thoughts and Ideas onto Paper
It’s good to have a mental note of what tasks are important and what tasks aren’t. But the thing with memory is that it can get lost and forgotten. When ideas come to mind, make sure to jot them down. Then you’ll be able to access them later, instead of having a vague memory that you had a good idea or a task you needed to complete.
Schedule Your Activities
Another tip: Be sure to set clear schedules for your activities. Add tasks to your digital calendar and always give the software permission to notify you. In doing so, you will have no more excuses if a task needs to be done.
To avoid making the mistake of overwhelming yourself, try not to overfill your schedule with to-do lists. Give yourself some time to rest and unwind. This is an essential part of productivity and will help prevent the possibility of burnout.
Let Others Help
Sometimes, the only way to achieve your bigger goals is to let someone help. You’d be surprised at how much faster you can accomplish your tasks when you have people on your side to help you out.
Tell Them About It
One of the greatest things people can do to help you is to support your vision. Just by knowing that you have people who believe in your goals and want you to succeed, you can become more motivated to do what you need to do. Your family and friends can be the support group you need to propel you in the right direction.
Get Professional Help
In case you’re entering uncharted territory, perhaps support is not the only thing you need. Maybe, you’ll thrive better with a little professional help.
For example, your goal is to start your own business. The problem is: You don’t have business acumen and, therefore, don’t know where or how to begin. In such situations, hiring an agency with expertise in your chosen field may be the best course of action to guide you through the process.
The same goes for sports. If you’re trying a new sport, for example, getting a coach to lead you can help you excel at a much faster pace.
Achieve Your Goals
Whether you have big or small goals, these tips can help keep you on track so you can achieve your goals faster. Remember, this is a journey. The only way for you to succeed is to stay motivated and consistent. With the right practices and strategies in place and an optimistic mentality, you can transform your visions into reality.