How To Achieve Your Goals

There is, unfortunately, no set formula for knowing how to achieve your goals. Goals are funny things: although they are generally there to help make our lives better, they can soon become overwhelming and things we come to dread. This is why it's important to think carefully about the goals you set and the way you go about achieving them. Here are 5 steps to increase your chances of success.

1) Make Them Realistic - When you set goals, they have to be realistic. To help make sure that they are, make goals that are actionable and measurable. For example, instead of saying you will lose weight this year, tell yourself that you will lose x pounds by March, by walking to work every single day. This kind of goal is specific enough to achieve, and is the first step in knowing how to achieve your goals.

2) Make A Plan - Once you know what your goals are, you need a plan to make them happen. The last point touched on this fact: if you can make a solid plan for a goal then you know it's a realistic one. This may mean breaking down goals into smaller steps you can take every day or every week. For example, if you want to de-clutter, you might target one area of your home a week. This will help to prevent overwhelm.

3) Set A Deadline - If your goal has no deadline then you'll just keep putting it off. If you want to know how to achieve your goals, you're going to have to set a date by which you want to meet all of them. We all know things may eventually change, but setting a date in the first place is the best way to make sure you put in some real effort.

4) Take Action - Although it sounds obvious, a goal will never become a reality unless you take action. So many of us make goals every January only to forget them a few weeks later. Don't let this happen to you! Start working on your goals immediately, even if you're only taking small steps to make them happen.

5) Keep Track - Now you've started taking action, it's important to keep track of how you're doing. Keep yourself accountable by taking an honest look at how you're doing to meet your broken-down steps, and change the way you do things if you think it'll help. Realize that everyone does slip up from time to time! But measuring your progress can help you to keep going.

Knowing how to achieve your goals is one thing, but it's up to you to put things into action. Make this your year!