How To Stay On Track With Your Goals And Get What You Want

We’re over halfway through 2013, already. Can you believe it?

Everyone gets so excited about the New Year and considering his or her goals and ambitions for the next 12 months, whether they’re things they want to make happen, give up or improve upon. Everyone starts the New Year off super motivated and excited, and then, nothing happens.

Fast-forward six months, and not much has changed.

Let’s get real for a moment. It has nothing to do with the stars aligning, your energy being off or your karma. Although those things might be true, I think you actually hand your power over when you blame any external factor for your inability to reach those goals and ambitions.

I’m not one of those coaches that smiles and nods and doesn’t give advice or feedback. I think that’s a waste of money and keeps you from improving.

I changed my own life, and now I help other people do the same with my coaching programs and downloads. Whether you realize it or not, you don’t have to stay stuck where you are, and you can absolutely have everything you want. You just need to change the way you think about yourself and above all else, take action!

Whatever you are working on, here are eight ways to stop holding back and get what you want:

Be honest about what’s not working for you.

Get real with yourself, and look at where and how you have been holding yourself back. Do you say you’ll do things and then never get around to them? Are you easily distracted and lose focus? Or are you lacking self-confidence to take the first step?

Without judging yourself, just be really clear on where you are at right now, in terms of both the good and the so-called bad. Once you are honest with yourself about where you are, you can begin to change.

Find clarity on what you really want.

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It’s okay to review your goals and ambitions regularly. You might be in a very different place now than you were six months ago, and that’s okay. There’s no point in working towards something you aren’t passionate about.

Take some time to really find clarity on what you want. One of the first things I do with new clients is help them to discover what it is they really want to achieve because with clarity, comes direction and focus. Remember, setting goals is the start of achieving them.

Write up a plan.

Knowing what you want is one thing, but planning for it is quite another. Don’t waste time daydreaming about something. Sit down and create a plan for achieving it.

Give yourself a timeline that covers the next six months (or however long you think it will take to achieve these goals), and break down the actions you will need to take into manageable steps, as well as take note of the people with whom you will need to speak. Get a friend to hold you accountable to never, never waste time talking about what you are “going” to do. I find it really helpful to set goals with a friend and hold each other accountable.

Afterwards, ask yourself what one thing can you do right now to get the ball rolling on your goals?

Make new habits.

Carl Jung said, “We are what we do, not what we say we’ll do”

If your goal is to get fit and healthy, then make sure that your lifestyle is supporting that. If it is to start your own business, then make sure you are spending time with people who know more than you and can take you to the next level. These might sound fairly obvious, but it’s amazing how we sabotage our own efforts towards things without even realizing. The results of our lives are the results of our daily habits. What daily habits can you cultivate starting now that will help make your resolutions realer for you?

Evaluate the people you hang out with.

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Take a look at the people with whom you spend the most time. You might not realize it, but the people that you surround yourself with have a profound effect on your beliefs and actions. When you are working on making changes in your life, it’s of the utmost importance that you surround yourself with the right people.

Seek out happy, motivated people who are also working on goals and resolutions, and make it a point to spend time with people who know more than you do, embody what you want, and push you to be better.
You are unlikely to see Olympic athletes hanging around heavy drinkers and smokers, and you are just as unlikely to see successful entrepreneurs spending time with people who complain that life is out to get them. Which relationships can you invest more time in?

Immerse yourself in your aspirations.

Instead of keeping your goals and intentions as a separate part of your life that you have to “work on” later, try and get as much relevant information about your goal into your day as possible. You can use the commute to work for listening to audio books or study guides. Rather than reading through trashy magazines, choose a book that inspires you to make changes. Also seek out places that support the new you and where you can be around like-minded people. The key here is to get excited about the changes you are making in your life and to immerse yourself in material and
places that support you in doing so.

Alter the way you think.

Everything in your life right now is a perfect match to your beliefs and expectations about yourself and the world. I love discussing mindsets with people because it forms the foundation for everything that we do.

What would you need to start believing about yourself in order to have what you want? Some ideas are:

Actually, I CAN do it. I DO deserve to succeed. The past is over and done with, and it’s time for a new and exciting chapter in my life.
Give yourself the possibility of a new possibility! You really CAN do it.

Do all things you are putting off.

One of the things I get clients to do is make procrastination lists, I have them write down everything they’re putting off doing about a goal or project, and I have them go through it and take immediate and fast action.

I know this sounds like common sense, but despite the name, common sense isn’t that common! One of the best ways for you to keep yourself stuck in place is to say you’ll do things and not do them. Be a person who follows through and takes big steps.

Remember, baby steps are for babies!

Take action! What actions can you take right now to get back on track with your goals?

Top Photo Courtesy: This Is Your Conscience