How to start to achieve your goals
The end of the year is fast approaching, and you know what that means: holiday parties. Now, as exciting as this time of year can be, it can also be a bit overwhelming. Between all the family, traveling, and new people you meet for the first time, it's easy to get off track or forget about your goals.
This article is all about staying on point with your goals. I'll give you some tips on how to stay motivated when life gets hectic, and also share some of my favorite reward systems that have worked wonders for me over the years. With these simple methods in hand, holiday party season will be a breeze.
The Basics of a Goal
Before we go any further, let's discuss the basics of goal setting. To accomplish anything you want in life, you need to clearly define your goal and have a plan on how to get there. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
First, define your goal clearly: what do you want? When do you want it? In what way will it make your life better? Make sure your definition is as specific as possible and that it is within reach for you. For example, if your goal is "become more confident," that might mean taking an acting class or starting a blog.
Second, make sure your goal is realistic: do you really have time and money to spare, or are you just setting an impossible goal? If you never plan on making the time to pursue your goals, they will never happen. So be realistic when defining your goals.
Third, write down your goals: this is the most important step in the process.
After writing down your goals, it's time to create a plan of action for how you're going to achieve them. You need to decide how much work you are willing to put into achieving each goal (both in terms of money and effort). Make sure you give yourself time to achieve all your goals — and don't let yourself get discouraged if it takes longer than you initially planned.
How to Stay Motivated with Rewards
If you've ever tried to lose weight or anything else, you know that keeping motivated is a big part of achieving your goals. When things start getting hectic, it's easy to lose sight of what's important: staying motivated. Fortunately, once you establish a good reward system, staying motivated becomes easier. By following these simple guidelines for creating rewards for yourself, maintaining momentum will be easier too.
Reward yourself
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to reward yourself for achieving your goals. Rewards can be anything from going out for a date night, to buying a new outfit, or even a nice trip. The key is choosing rewards that are within reach and keep you moving towards your goal. For example, if you want to lose weight, don't splurge on the latest fashion trend — go out for a $10 meal instead. If you want to start blogging, get at least one new post up every week; if you want to earn more money, put aside some money each month for travel expenses. This system allows you to stay motivated and ensures that you stay on track with your goals, making it easier for you to achieve them.
Be flexible
Free yourself from rigid rules and expectations. Instead of worrying about what other people will think, or whether or not your friends will like your new project, focus on the process itself. Be open-minded and try new things; if an idea doesn't work out, move on to a new plan. If people start asking questions about your goals or what they can do to help you (which is fine as long as they help), respond enthusiastically. The beauty of a reward system is that it's all based on each person's own perspective. Be open to ideas from your friends and family; if it works for them, then it may work for you.
Plan ahead
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to plan ahead. It's much easier to achieve a goal if you have a plan in place. Set goals for each week and each day. If you don't know where the week went, ask yourself how many hours you spent working toward your goals this week. If there's a negative number, then something is wrong; either your goals are too hard or you're not actually doing what you said you'd do this week. Reward yourself for accomplishing these short term goals and continue on with your daily/weekly plans.
Stay flexible
Again, plan ahead, but remember that life happens. If you have to miss a meeting or an event because of something unexpected, don't get discouraged! Just make up for it when you can. It's better to put in as much effort as possible than nothing at all; if you fall behind once in a while, just make it up later. Don't feel guilty about missing some events or letting your family down; this is your life we're talking about. Feel happy with yourself and do the best that you can do each day.
Focus on the process, not the results
Finally, focus on the process and not the results . Don't get discouraged if the process takes longer than expected, because it's normal to have setbacks. Just move on when they do happen and don't let them stop you from achieving your goals.
Now, back to the holiday party and staying motivated!
How to Stay Motivated at Holiday Parties: The Secret Is…
Staying motivated can be tricky, especially at holiday parties. There's so much going on — good times with friends and family, dancing with a crush, making new acquaintances — that it can be easy to end up with a hectic schedule that doesn't leave you a lot of time to work towards your goals.
For the most part, these kinds of situations are unavoidable. However, there are some simple things you can do to stay motivated and keep yourself on track.
First, keep track of your goals . By keeping yourself accountable for what you want to accomplish, you'll be more likely to make sure it gets done. After a few weeks, you might see that the goals seem a bit less daunting!
Second, put off any plans until later in the day . The goal with keeping track of your goals is that it's easier to stay motivated when you've already made progress; that doesn't mean it's impossible to stay motivated if you aren't working towards a goal when everyone else is heading out for the evening.
cONCLUSION
Staying motivated takes more than just sitting down, thinking about what you want to accomplish, and then executing on it. Even the most simple tasks require planning and attention to detail, especially if you want bigger things accomplished. This article builds on the concept of a reward system to help keep getting things done by providing some invaluable tools for staying motivated and accomplishing your goals.