{"id":9461,"date":"2012-03-11T21:50:23","date_gmt":"2012-03-12T05:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=9461"},"modified":"2013-09-17T11:41:56","modified_gmt":"2013-09-17T19:41:56","slug":"how-to-stay-on-track-for-your-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/how-to-stay-on-track-for-your-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stay On Track for Your Goals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What big goals do you have at the moment? Perhaps you\u2019re trying to lose weight, get fit, write a book, redecorate the house, or start your own business. Maybe you\u2019re tackling several different goals all at once.<\/p>\n

Often, it\u2019s easy to feel motivated and inspired at the start of a new goal: we start new diets on Mondays, or begin new years\u2019 resolutions on January 1st, and things go smoothly for a few days. Sadly, that initial enthusiasm soon wanes \u2013 and it\u2019s easy to end up abandoning our goals.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how you can stay on track with your goals, whatever they are:<\/p>\n

Step #1: Focus on Fewer Goals<\/h2>\n

Any goal takes effort \u2013 and tackling more than two or three at a time is beyond most of us. Rather than trying to change everything overnight, focus on just a couple of key goals. Ideally, you\u2019ll want to choose goals that complement one another.<\/p>\n

For instance, if you\u2019re aiming to lose weight, you might have a secondary goal of getting fitter \u2013 the two goals work in tandem. <\/strong>If you\u2019re trying to write a book, though, it\u2019s probably not a good idea to also work on starting up a small business \u2013 you may not have enough hours in the day (or enough creative energy) for both goals.<\/p>\n

Step #2: Plan Ahead<\/h2>\n

One reason why goals get derailed is because we fail to plan ahead. It\u2019s all too easy to use a string of social events as an excuse to give up on the diet, or to abandon a fledgling side business during a busy spell in the day job.<\/p>\n

Take a look at your diary over the next month or so. Do you have anything coming up that\u2019s likely to cause problems for one of your goals?<\/strong> If you know you\u2019re going to be away for a long weekend, for instance, you might plan to do some work on your small business on weekday evenings instead. If your friend\u2019s going to throw a big birthday party, you may want to be extra-careful with your diet in the days immediately before and after.<\/p>\n

Step #3: Set Milestones<\/h2>\n

Your goal might seem a very long way off right now. If you\u2019re aiming to lose 100lbs, or get a novel published, or have a full-time small business, you might be looking at months or years of work. At times, it\u2019ll feel as though your progress is slow.<\/p>\n

Instead of focusing solely on the end goal, give yourself some milestones along the way.<\/strong> Celebrate every 10lbs that you lose, or each finished section of your novel. Give yourself a deadline to aim for with each milestone \u2013 and make it ambitious, but not unrealistic.<\/p>\n

Step #4: Build Good Habits<\/h2>\n

Much of what we do in life is habitual. You probably don\u2019t need to constantly remind yourself to shower or brush your teeth or eat lunch \u2013 it\u2019s just a normal part of your day. When it comes to your goals, though, it might be a constant struggle to find the time or energy for them.<\/p>\n

By developing good habits that support your goals, you\u2019ll find it much easier to make progress.<\/strong> For instance, if you struggle to find the time to exercise, try looking for a way to fit in into your day \u2013 perhaps by walking or cycling to work, or by doing some stretches during commercial breaks in the evenings.<\/p>\n

Step #5: Track Your Progress<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019ve been working on the same goal for a long time, it might feel as if you\u2019re not making much progress. If you look back to where you were a few months ago, though, you\u2019ll often find that you\u2019ve come a surprisingly long way.<\/p>\n

Tracking your progress could mean keeping a journal, writing a list of key achievements each month, or recording particular statistics (like your weight or body fat percentage).<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t matter exactly how you go about tracking things \u2013 what matters is that you have some way to easily see what you\u2019ve already achieved.<\/p>\n

Step #6: Get Support and Encouragement<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s much easier to stay motivated when you have positive, supportive, people around you. Hopefully, you\u2019ve got friends, family, or colleagues who can encourage you towards your goal \u2013 but it might be the case that these people don\u2019t understand why this is so important to you.<\/p>\n

Look for a group that shares your goal: perhaps a writers\u2019 circle, a meet-up of self-employed professionals in your field, a dieting club, or a local gym.<\/strong> This should provide you with the opportunity to meet like-minded people who can share your enthusiasm, and offer you advice, support, and encouragement.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What goals are you working on right now? Are you staying on track toward them, or are you struggling? Let us know your thoughts and tips in the comments…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Often, it\u2019s easy to feel motivated and inspired at the start of a new goal: we start new diets on Mondays, or begin new years\u2019 resolutions on January 1st, and things go smoothly for a few days. Sadly, that initial enthusiasm soon wanes \u2013 and it\u2019s easy to end up abandoning our goals. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":9462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[9,6],"tags":[63,91,4631,66,4639,4629,1244],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Stay On Track for Your Goals - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What big goals do you have at the moment? 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