While it's important to set and achieve goals, don't forget that you also need to be able to maintain them. Setting a goal is the first part of the journey, but once you've reached it and realize it isn't nearly as comfortable as you'd originally imagined, there are some steps that can help you maintain your newfound achievement. Here are 7 steps for achieving new goals.
1) Take baby steps: We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day or even a week, quickly becoming overwhelmed by our own confidence when we should have more patience. It's important to start small in order to get used to the lifestyle of being in a new place, going to a new job, or learning something new. Set smaller goals so they aren't as daunting and, more importantly, they don't seem so unpractical.
2) Ask for help: Sometimes it's hard to ask for help because we already feel like we're a failure. Many people are good about asking their friends and family for help but don't know how to go about asking strangers who have influence over their lives. If you are asked to go to a new place and are unsure how to get there, ask someone who knows. If someone asks you a question at work or school, go ahead and ask them for clarification instead of dreading the answer.
3) Focus on your strengths: As we progress through life, it's easy to get caught up in the things that went wrong or didn't turn out the way we wanted them to. We have a tendency to focus on our flaws instead of our strengths and, in this case, they're two different things. It's important that you see yourself as others see you because they're looking at your positive attributes while we tend to be very critical of our own faults.
4) Seek out like-minded people: As you begin a new phase of your life, it's easy to become disappointed and discouraged by the negativity that can surround you. While this may be unavoidable at times, it helps to put yourself in a more constructive environment. Consider socializing with people who have goals similar to your own so it seems easier and more achievable.
5) Stay organized: It's all too easy to lose track of what we have going on in our lives when we're busy all the time. If you have a tendency to lose things, try keeping everything in one place. It can be as simple as putting all of your paperwork in one spot or organizing your photos so you can easily find them when you need them. This will help you stay organized and relieve some stress.
6) Focus on the future: It's easy to live in the moment when we're in a new place or doing something new but it's important that you put yourself into a mindset of what the future might look like once you've achieved your goals. It helps to view your success as something that is wide open and limitless rather than something that is tied up with how long it takes for it to happen.
7) Weigh your options: Sometimes the best thing that we can do is to simply not make any decision at all. You may feel that you need to make a choice, but sometimes the best option is not making any. It's important to weigh your options and let your emotions guide you. We often want what we can't have, which often leads to heartbreak, while sometimes it's better not to take it at all because of the regret that follows.
There are many ways in which one can help achieve their goals but there are also many ways in which a goal can be set but not maintained as well. If you find yourself struggling to maintain the higher level of success that you've achieved, try some of these steps to help you get there.