6 Ways to Help You Stay Goal-oriented

Being a truly goal-oriented person is not something that just happens. Whether it’s a diet or a business opportunity, you need to have the strength of will to stick to the plan — and it’s never easy. Of course, there are a few ways to make things just a little less harder than normal.

While we can’t claim that these suggestions will work for everyone, they can certainly help make a huge problem become more manageable to the average person. Here are six ways you can make being goal-oriented a little less difficult.

1.) Keep your goals to yourself

While this goes against conventional wisdom, there is strong evidence to suggest that announcing your goals to other people can make it less likely that you will achieve them. American entrepreneur Derek Sivers cited research dating back to the 1920s in a very popular TED Talk, where he explained that announcing your intentions to others can work against you by causing your brain to reward itself before the goal is even met.

If you have a major life or professional goal, you can articulate and define it to yourself, but avoid sharing it with everyone you know. This can motivate you to do more and talk less.

2.) Concentrate on developing discipline

Passion is necessary for reaching any goal you believe in. But it can be unreliable and it relies on you making emotional decisions — something that can work against you in the long-term. 

Long-term success involves developing hundreds of different positive habits and turning them into second nature. You may rely on passion to get started on those habits but you’re going to need discipline to continue them. And to get to any difficult goal, developing these habits through discipline is likely non-negotiable.

3.) Avoid “empty inspiration”

Let’ face it, most motivational posts on social media and so-called inspiring stories on TV and will only inspire you while you are viewing them and will do very little, if anything, to help you reach your goals. There’s nothing wrong with being inspired by other people’s successes, but it’s important to not fool yourself into living vicariously through them.

 4.) Wear a daily reminder of your goal

Symbols can be very powerful and you can harness this power by wearing something that helps you contextualize what you want to achieve. Some people wear tattoos to explicitly or symbolically remind themselves of their long-term goals. Other people, like the late Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, resort to wearing the exact same things every single day to affirm their commitment to something greater. If you’re not interested in doing something so drastic, even something like special pairs of socks or shoes with some attached symbolism can still work. 

Custom silicone wristbands with a design of your specific goal or something that represents them can also be an excellent way to help you keep your eye on the prize, especially for goals that may be long-term, but not something you want to commit the rest of your life to. Wristband Creation is a good place to start, offering customized wristbands, lanyards, pins, and other small wearables that can help you stay focused.

 5.) Learn to prioritize 

We have to recognize that some things are less important than others. We have to learn when it’s important to do the bare minimum or even not do something altogether. Perhaps more importantly, we have to know when to delegate important things to those who might be able to do the job better.

You’re not superhuman. If you try to do everything yourself to the best of your ability, you might find that your progress towards your specific goals might become much slower. 

6.) Understand that sacrifices and comprises may have to be made

You can’t have or do everything. If your goal is worth reaching then you will have to understand that it may have to involve a few sacrifices. Try to reflect on what you are willing to give up to achieve what you want. Only then can you find out if you really are interested in the goal, or if you only like the idea of it.

Conclusion

Reaching worthwhile goals isn’t is always easy. Rarely are they achieved with one  or even two big leaps. More often, it may take thousands of small steps and missteps before you even come close. Be prepared for the challenges ahead and take them on a little at a time. Good luck!