In this article: How to accomplish your goals faster, the system you need in place to achieve your goals, and why having an accountability partner can be helpful.
Setting a goal for ourselves can be exciting, but the process of accomplishing our goals can be a whole different story.
There can be lots of little hang-ups before we even get started.
When this happens, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
Feeling defeated can make it, so we don’t take any action.
So how do we tackle our goals if we don’t know where to start, have self-doubt, or don’t have the resources?
To accomplish your goals, begin with these ten things:
1. Write Your Goal Down Frequently
While it may seem simple, writing your goal down is extremely powerful.
One study tells us that you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down.
You can write them in a notebook or a planner, on a post-it, or whatever method feels best for you.
While I don’t think where you write your goals down matters, I believe putting pen to paper is far more important than simply typing it into your phone.
I remember one of the first times I wrote down a goal for myself as a teenager; I used a post-it and hung it next to my bed so I could read it daily.
If you want to try the post-it method, write your goal down and place it wherever you will be reminded: near your desk, the front door, or the refrigerator.
You can take it a step further and use multiple post-its in various places.
This strategy keeps your goal at the forefront of your mind, and your goal is never out of sight.
As it turns out, those tiny little yellow stickies (or whatever color makes you happy) can be pretty valuable when tackling your goals.
2. Act As If The Goal Has Already Happened
I want you to think for a second about what would happen in your life if your goal was already true today.
Would you act differently?
Would your lifestyle be affected?
Who would you surround yourself with?
For example, let’s say your goal is to get that promotion at work you have been eyeing for some time.
Would you get to work earlier?
Would you have to have further training in Excel?
Would you need to sharpen your leadership skills?
Make a list of all the things that would need to happen if your goal already existed. This strategy will prepare your mindset and provide big-picture thinking.
3. Start With A Plan
When it comes to our goals, we must always have a plan. Waking up and thinking that things in our life will magically happen isn’t going to help us.
Ask any successful person who has achieved their goals, and they will tell you that their dream or vision had to start with concrete, specific steps and a crystal-clear plan.
Think with intention about what it is you’re trying to accomplish. Write your plan down and have a discussion with yourself about how you’re going to make it happen.
How will you put this plan into place?
How will you navigate obstacles?
How will you handle failures along the way?
How will you stay committed over time?
Think about your end goal and then work backward.
4. Prepare As Much As Possible
If you are familiar with New York City, I am sure you have heard of or seen the Flatiron Building.
It’s an iconic skyscraper located at Broadway and Fifth Avenue in lower Manhattan.
The marvel cast-iron building, believe it or not, was constructed at a very fast pace.
Each floor only took one week after construction began, which was one reason the building was notable from the beginning.
By now, you may be thinking about how it was possible to build a whole floor each week.
The answer lies in preparation.
The steel parts were meticulously pre-cut off-site. As construction was underway, the pieces fit together seamlessly.
Preparation is everything. It gives us the foundation to set our dreams into motion and helps lay the groundwork for a better tomorrow.
Do everything you can to prepare your mindset, body, heart, and soul to achieve your goals.
Every aspect of what makes you who you are is connected. Therefore, addressing all aspects of yourself is important to making our goals happen.
5. Take The Plunge Before You Feel Ready
Going after big goals can be scary.
There is a lot at stake, and nobody wants to feel like a failure. However, it is important to remind yourself that failing is much better than never trying.
It is essential to go after your goals before you feel entirely ready.
You learn by doing, don’t forget that. A lot of what needs to happen to get to your goal can only come from learning throughout the process.
Experience brings forth confidence, which is indispensable to your success.
Expect that the journey will be challenging, but more importantly, it will be worth it.
Barack Obama tells us this, “Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it’s not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it, whether you choose to persevere.”
6. Don’t Wait For Others To Tell You That You Are Qualified
From experience, I will tell you not everyone will always understand your goals the way you do. Here is the best part, though, it doesn’t matter.
Your goals are your goals. It doesn’t matter if your friend doesn’t get it, your father thinks it’s a waste of time, or your colleague thinks you are crazy.
Self-reminder: I don’t need anyone’s permission to go after my goals.
But you have to be willing to go for your goals even when others try to challenge you.
To go back to the construction of the flatiron building, once it came to completion, many thought that it would blow over as soon as the first strong wind hit.
Yet, the structural engineers didn’t listen because they had already anticipated it happening.
They knew the building would be narrow and have less volume to resist wind load, so they strengthened the structure in preparation.
The steel bracing enabled the building to withstand more wind force than it was ever expected to endure.
When others try to talk you out of your goals and dreams, be sure not to listen.
Related: 12 Boss Babe Habits That Will Instantly Make You More Successful
7. Get Support With Your Goals
It is much harder to create growth in your life if you try to do it alone.
Many free resources are available if you are just starting out and don’t have a big budget.
Utilize as many free resources as possible, such as watching tutorials on YouTube, reading memoirs of the people who already accomplished the goal before you, and listening to TED Talks when you need additional inspiration.
Related: Powerful Life-Changing TED Talks For Women By Women
8. Eliminate Distractions To Make Room For Goal Growth
One skill you must learn to master is to try and eliminate distractions as much as possible.
Many of us can feel lost without cell phones, but the truth is many of us spend too much time scrolling or utilizing other time wasters staring at our screens.
If you are serious about making your goals a reality, be mindful if you constantly feel the need to check incoming text messages or other pop-ups and alerts.
Accomplishing your goals will require deep work.
Don’t fail to make your goals happen because you are too consumed swiping to see what everyone else is doing all the time.
9. Get Yourself An Accountability Partner To Accomplish Your Goals Faster
Going after your goals can be lonely, especially if what you are trying to achieve needs to be done in solitude, such as writing a book.
Do your best to find an accountability partner that will help to motivate you when you hit a wall.
It helps to find somebody trying to achieve the same goal as you, but I realize this isn’t always possible.
Instead, you can lean on a trusted friend, family member, or significant other.
Better yet, if you can afford it, get a coach.
No matter what, don’t go after your goals all by yourself.
10. Prepare to Move Forward Even If You Don’t Have The Resources
A lack of resources can be a big reason your goals can be hard to accomplish. Yet it’s important not to use this as an excuse.
For example, if you are trying to build a company and find it difficult because you don’t have a team, focus on the most critical aspects of starting your business. You can’t do everything.
Once you have the traction, you can always hire out later but don’t get hung up on a specific task because you don’t have the necessary resources.
Many people have found a way to reach their goals despite lacking resources.
The same goes for the excuse of not having enough time.
While there will never be enough time in the day to get everything, we must decide how to utilize our time best.
What other tips do you have to accomplish your goals? I would love to hear in the comments.
Other recommended reads:
7 Ways To Stay Motivated When Your Goals Aren’t Happening
I enjoyed reading this one. I didn’t know about the building. Very interesting.
I had no idea either. How fascinating right?