How to achieve goals in 9 steps
Do you want to achieve goals? Do you want to know how to achieve goals? Achieving your goals is not science. In fact, we present you with 9 steps that enable you to achieve your biggest goals in life. It doesn’t require any money. It doesn’t require any skills or extraordinary capabilities. The only things it requires is to follow these 9 steps, and the motivation to achieve your goal. Below we introduce you to 9 steps to follow to find success in your goals.
You can achieve your goals in 9 small steps:
1. Define your goal – begin with the end in mind
2. Focus on one big goal at a time
3. Make the long-term goal very specific
4. Breakdown your goal into smaller pieces
5. Determine what resources you need to achieve the goal
6. Take consistently small baby steps for each day
7. Look for quick wins – and celebrate!
8. Emotional discipline
9. Never Give Up!
Learn how to achieve your goals in 9 steps with the free article below.
Step 1 Begin with the end in mind
To achieve goals you first have to define your goal. This sounds logical, right? Hence begin with the end in mind. Think about what it is that you want to achieve. What is your goal? Whatever it is, be sure you think about it very deliberately. Plan time into your agenda to think about your goal. One piece of advice on defining your goal is to dream big. Stretch yourself! Know that people overestimate what can be done within a year, and they underestimate what can be done in ten years. When you aim high, you might not 100% reach it. However, you will achieve more than when you aim too low and reach the goal easily. Also, by setting a big goal, you will motivate yourself to work harder for that goal.
You can ask yourself what your goal is. What does success looks like for you? This can be everything. This can be to build worthy social relationships. Or it can be to build passive income. Or perhaps you want to have total financial freedom. Regardless of the goal, you should define your success. And also think about when the goal is achieved. So what is your goal, and at what point have you achieved it? Start with these questions and define your goal before continuing to step 2.
Step 2 Focus on only one big goal
If you have that one big goal in life, then there is a need for absolute focus on this big goal. We encourage you to dream big. Although we are positive that all dreams are given and can be achieved, we do have to work hard for it. There is no easy way, but the hard way… And to absolutely achieve big goals, a 100% focus is necessary. So this means that there is no place for other big goals. You only can do one big goal at a time. Complete it, and continue to your next dream if applicable.
Note that we do not say you can only achieve one goal at a time. We say that 100%dedication towards a big goal is necessary. However, if you have multiple smaller goals, then that is a possibility as well. The judgment upon this is be made by yourself. If it is regarding smaller projects, you can do that of course. But to achieve your biggest goal you have to have clear focus and dedication towards that big goal. If you go for the big shot, then you have to be absolutely sure that this is what you are most passionate about. Otherwise, you face the risk of losing many of your productive years for working on the wrong dream. Think, before you act.
If you decide to work on a few smaller goals, which is possible, then you will need to follow all these steps for each specific goal. The process is important to achieve your objectives.
Step 3 Make the long-term goal very specific
The next step is to make your long-term goal very specific. First of all, you will need a pen and paper. Writing things down is proven to improve the quality of your work. So side aside your feelings and just do it if you want to achieve goals. Good. Now that you have pen and paper you will write down the long-term goal in a very specific way. One way to do this is by using the SMART method.
Make goals specific with the SMART-method
The SMART method stands for Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic, and Time-bound. This means that your goal has to be written down in such a way that the above elements can be found in it. To make it comprehensible, we will present the example of the individual who wants become financially free so that he can work less and use this time with his family. Exactly what the Happy Investors Mindset is all about.
In this example, he or she needs 2000 dollars a month to cover all the monthly expenses. A SMART goal could be: I’m going to make a monthly 2000 dollar passive income with blogging within the next five years. This goal is specific. It is also measurable with the 2000 dollar mentioned. It is acceptable because 2000 dollars of passive income is very likely achievable within 5 years. Perhaps they could stretch themselves by setting a higher goal of, let us say, monthly 4000 dollars passive income. You can learn more about this in our popular article about how to make passive income. Next to acceptable, it is also realistic. And the goal is time-bound as he or she wants to achieve the goal within five years.
Besides making the goal very specific with the SMART method, there is one final piece of advice. And that advice is to make the goal even more specific by making a picture, painting or any other form of visualization of it. Together with the painting of how your success looks like when achieved your goal, you will also write your specific long-term goal on it. I can hear you: why would I spend time doing such a thing? The answer is because it is a psychological game. You can look at the picture and the written goal every single day. This is necessary. Look at your goal every single day, so that you know why you have come out of bed. Work for it!
Step 4 Breakdown your big goal into smaller pieces
Now that you have determined your specific long-term goal with keeping the end in mind, we can start a breakdown of the big goal. We have to cut the big goal into smaller pieces. This is not only necessary for the psychological effect – when you break down things into smaller pieces it will become easier to do it. But not only that, but it also gives more guidelines about the things that have to be done.
So take the big goal that you want to achieve in five years. Look at the specific elements in it. Now think of what yearly goals you have to set to achieve the five-year goal. Going back to the 2000 dollar of monthly passive income goal we have given as an example: that is the goal in five years.
If we divide this in smaller pieces we could set ourselves the goal of making a monthly passive income of 200 dollars in year 1. In year 2 it will be 400. The next year it will be 800. And in year 4 it should be 1300. So that in year five we have achieved our goal of 2000 dollar monthly passive income. Break down big projects into smaller chunks will give you better insight in what has to be done, and how to achieve it. It also makes it seems more achievable.
Plan yearly, monthly and weekly goals
Now that we have translated our 5-year goal into 1-year goals, we can a step further. And that is to plan your first year into monthly and even weekly goals. Plan per month what has to be done and what key figure must have been reached, to achieve the 1-year goal. Also, you can break down the monthly goal into weekly goals. This is actually quite important. Weekly goals give you more direction and allow you to work more consistently on your goals by each day.
If we combine step 4 with step 5, then we will get a road map of weekly, monthly and yearly goals that need to be reached in order to achieve the big goal.
Step 5 Determine what resources you will need to achieve the goals
The Happy Investors Mindset is all about effective utilization of time, energy, and money. During step 4 we have made a road map of time. In step 5 we are going to determine the necessary resources along with the road map of time. With everything you start, the biggest investment is in the beginning. With achieving your goals this is not different. In the early phase you presumable need to invest more time and energy. Then when you are getting closer to your goal, you will need to invest less time and energy because the toughest work is already done.
One very important resource you will need to achieve goals is the resource of family and spouse. If you have a wife or husband, then they must 100% support you and your goals. Because when they will become a limitation, then you will be less likely to achieve your goal. The same is with friends. Surround yourself with like-minded friends that can support you in your goal.
Combine steps 4 and 5. Depict a road map with your monthly and yearly goals, together with the resources and key figures that are necessary. Also per year, you can make a road map including weekly and monthly goals.
Step 6 Take consistently small baby steps
Now you have done your research, we can finally start. Step 6 is a very important step. Because things do not change when you don’t start. You can make the best analysis of the world, but if you don’t start you won’t achieve anything. However, getting started is not enough. It is simply not enough. You have to get started with taking consistently small baby steps. Those who are consistently working on their goals will achieve them. The keyword is consistency. Of course you can take giant leaps, but it is not likely that you can do this in a consistent way. But you can take consistently small baby steps.
This is also why it is so crucial to break down your bigger goal into small goals within short time frames. When you set yourself weekly and even daily goals, you will enable yourself to take consistently small baby steps.
Did you know that if you work for one hour consistently every day on a specific subject, you will become a national expert in it within five years? That means if you read for one hour per day, into your specific domain, you will become a national expert in it within five years. Take consistently small baby steps every single day, and you will achieve your goals.
Step 7 Look for quick wins
The next step is to look for the quick wins and celebrate those quick wins with yourself and with your family or friends. The need for quick wins is essential to keep yourself top motivated. A quick win could be anything that is important to achieve your goal. An example could be to pass your first exam when your goal is to get an education. Or it could be a quick win if you contracted your first new customer for your new business.
To achieve your big goal implies working on a big project for a long time. If you don’t have quick wins on the road, you won’t last the journey. So, find for the quick wins and celebrate them.
Step 8 Emotional discipline
Now that you have started your journey, the real challenge begins. You have defined your long-term goal and specified this together with the needed resources on a road map to victory. You are now taking small baby steps in a consistence matter, and are in search for some quick wins to get boosted. The challenge has begun.
The real challenge comes in endurance, focus, consistency, and discipline. We call this emotional discipline. There will be many factors that try to prevent you from achieving your goal. These could be life-changing events such as death, losing your job, a financial crisis, and so on. However, the real danger lies in small events that disrupt your journey to success. One of the biggest is your emotion. Do not let your emotions control you. Control your emotions. You have to stay focused on the long-term goal. Otherwise, you will not achieve it.
If you have followed steps 1 to 6, then you made the perfect preparation to sustain emotional discipline. And now we have started, we have to take it one step further. We have to eliminate all activities that are wasting our time. Eliminate activities that don’t add value to your long-term goal. Make a list of all possible activities, and be ruthless in this. Think about the amount of time you waste on watching television, or hanging out with “friends” that you don’t actually like. Or what about having two parties a week. Is one party not enough?
Relaxing is important though. Your brain needs refreshment and your emotions need to have fun as well. Our advice is not to work 100 hours on your goal. But our advice is to eliminate activities that waste your time and use this time to take consistently small baby steps towards your goal.
9 Never give up – success is on the end of failure
Now that you have reached so far, it is very likely that you will achieve your goal. Our final advice is to never give up. Many people come far, but they just don’t make it. Sometimes it really is a matter of an extra month of work. When you give up, everything will go in vain. Realize that success is on the end of failure. If you truly believe in your cause. When that is your purpose. You have to follow it, even if nobody believes in you. Success is on the end of failure. There is a very thin gap between them. Never. Give. Up.
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