6 Essential Things To Do -To Successfully Achieve Personal Goals

“There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” —Michael Phelps

So you are great with setting goals but feel stuck because you do not know to successfully achieve personal goals.  You are not alone, sis. I have been there and so have others.

But failure is part of the process and it gives you another chance to start all over again.

This is why I have put together a quick guide for you on what you need to do to set and execute your goals successfully.

How to Successfully Achieve Personal Goals

1.     Write Your Personal Goals Down

I can’t stress how important this first setup to successfully achieve personal goals. Writing down your goals guides you in selecting specific goals and deciding what you want.

Why should you write the goals down? 

Well, Imagine attending a class and did not take notes. When it’s time to study for an exam, you will barely remember every single thing that was taught in that class without reviewing your notes, right! 

Or lets say, you attend this important business meeting and you boss asks you to head a major project. Wouldn’t you want to note down the essential things brought up in the meeting.  I bet you would, for future reference when it’s time to execute your project.

The same applies to goals. Some of the reasons why you need to write your goals down are; 1) It refreshes your memory, 2) seeing the plans on paper give you clarity of what should be prioritized and in what order and 3) it feels nice checking goals off your list, so you are more motivated to keep going.

Don’t forget to review these  personal goal setting questions before choosing goals.  Also make sure that your goal list includes specific and realistic goals you want to accomplish, reasons why you want to accomplish them, and realistic timeframes in which the goals should be accomplished.

2.     Be Realistic On What You Can And Can’t Do

Often, we fail to accomplish individual goals due to being overwhelmed and mentally exhausted. Consequently, the quickest solution is to give up.

This is why we should be realistic when setting personal goals. Let’s say one of your goals is to get a well-paying job, but you only want to work 2 days out of the week.

Realistically there are very few high paying jobs where you are working 9-5, 2 days a week.

Some jobs might require you to work extra hours within these 2 days, or you might need to quit and start your own company.

Not to say that unrealistic goals can’t be successfully achieved.  You have to be creative and innovative.

There as so many people who quit their full-time jobs to start building their open business, and in 2 years, they are millionaires. Why? Because they took time to be creative and stand out.

So you have to be willing to work hard, could be  enrolling in a course to gain new skills, and step out of the box, do something different. This is how you will successfully achieve personal goals.

If  one of your personal goals is to be in a healthy relationship, you must be willing to break out of your old habits and change your dating patterns. Otherwise, you will have a higher chance of dating the same people.

It is important to know what you want in life and what you are willing to sacrifice in the process. 

3.     Have An Action Plan         

If you fail to successfully achieve personal goals, you probably didn’t create an action plan that works. 

Your action plan should have detailed steps you need to take to get to your overall goal and time frame. Here is a few examples of what an action plan should look like.

 For a change of career goal:  

• The first step would be finding when you want to make this change, in a year, is it 6 months, 3 years?
• Then find the job title you are looking for
• What industry or company do you want to work for?
• What’s the salary range for that job title vs. what you are willing to accept?
• List new skills you should acquire and how long it might take to develop these skills.

For a Losing weight goal

• How much do you want to lose and in how long?
• List foods you want to stop eating as you start this process
• List activities you should do daily towards this goal.

Once you’re done with the action plan, look at the amount of time you have and the goals you want to reach, and then set a schedule with deadlines for each item on your list. Some will be daily, weekly or monthly tasks.

This will help you Keep track of your progress to know if you will achieve personal goals successfully.

4.     Stop Procrastinating

In case you are wondering what procrastinating is, it is deciding to disregard more challenging tasks. Instead, you take on a more straightforward task that seems more enjoyable at the moment.

Like sleeping in, when your goal was to wake up at 6:30am to finish an important project.

Or , postponing your daily exercise goals just because it is challenging and not enjoyable.

If you keep postponing doing something, it will not get done on time or even not.

This is another reason why most people fail to achieve personal goals successfully.

How many times have you set off your morning alarm clock each morning to enjoy your sleep instead of running? Maybe thinking about starting your own business, but you keep pushing the timeline for when you will be ready to begin the process.

The problem with procrastinating is that you end up losing motivation, which in most cases leads to frustration, disappointments, and eventually giving up.

Some people actually get depressed from procrastination because their emotions take over. They end up barely even doing what they are supposed to.

How can you stop procrastination ?

• Break down your goals in simple, manageable steps. If you are a last-minute person, instead of setting monthly goals, break them down into weekly tasks. One week at a time will help you reach your monthly goals. The goal is to eventually find your moment.
• Reward yourself after each task is done. I love catching up on a nice movie with a glass of wine after a long workday.
• Set the mood for your space. What stimulates your brain? For example, I love playing jazz music in the background when I need to focus. If you are working from home, organize your work desk for a clear working space, light a candle, and create your ideal working space.

5.     Believe In Yourself

We fail to successfully achieve personal goals because we fear failure or fear of the unknown.  But failure is part of the process. Embrace it because it teaches you what you are doing wrong and what need to change for you to achieve your goals.

Leaving a job to start your own business is scary because you are unsure how successful it will be. How will you survive the first couple of months with little or no income? Will there be enough and monthly income in the future to cover your expenses?

“Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” —Oprah Winfrey.

It is okay to ask yourself these questions so you can plan ahead.

Before you quit your full-time, research any business expenses you will incur and start putting that money aside. Additionally, set aside cash in your emergency fund that can cover you for about 3-6 months.

If you cannot save this much money, then consider starting your business as a part-time side job until you get enough clients and income to leave your job.

Know what you want or what you want to become and take action. Don’t be afraid to dream BIG. No matter what happens along the way, believe that your goals are valid and are possible.

As someone once said, dreams without goals are just dreams and lead to disappointment.

It’s crucial to start believing in what you are capable of and Take chances but remember to be consistent and work hard. 

The more goals you accomplish, the more confidence you will have in yourself.

6.     Get An Accountability Partner

It’s essential to get an accountability partner if you are not good at following through with your action plans.

The accountability partner should be someone you always go to when you need advice. Someone who is not afraid to tell you the truth, wants you to succeed, and supports your personal goals.

It can be your best friend, your business partner, wife/husband, your mentor anyone else who fits the requirements.

An accountability partner helps you successfully achieve personal goals because they will check up with you every now and then make sure you’re on the right path and you are doing what you planned to do.

You are more likely to take action on your goals if you have somebody else who knows what you’re working on. It will make you feel that you have someone on this journey with you who motivates and believes in you.

I hope you find this guide useful as you start planning on achieving your goals this year.