Don't Have Goals - Achieve Them!

Whatever the mind can conceive, and believe, the mind can achieve. Napoleon Hill

It is completely possible to fulfill your goals. The first essential step is simple you need to know what you want. If you dont know what you want, if you dont have clear written goals Do That First.

For the sake of this article, Im going to assume that you have some goals you havent achieved. Maybe youve wished you were healthier, had more money, weighed less, had more harmony in your relationship, were in a relationship.

Im also going to assume you know some of the things you need to do to fulfill these goals. And Ill assume that youve intended to fulfill them, but you didnt have enough willpower." In fact, willpower is not enough. Willpower is a function of your conscious mind, and your conscious mind only determines what you do about 5% of the time. The rest of the time youre running on autopilot, otherwise known as your subconscious mind. So when you rely on willpower, you do get some results but its simply not enough.

If its not about willpower, then what is the key to achieving?

1) Create Support Structures

The structures in your life: what you do with your time, the expectations of the people around you, your agreements with others, what you have around you; all of these are structures that promote or interfere with different behaviors. For example, if you want to exercise more, and currently spend a lot of time in front of the TV, put the TV in a closet, and put exercise equipment (your walking or running shoes, as an example) in a readily accessibly spot. Schedule time for exercise. Get an exercise buddy, and exercise with them. Changing any one of these structures will greatly increase the likelihood that you will increase your exercise. Changing all three can ensure you do.

2) Get Into Action

Too often we simply dont make things happen with our goals in a timely fashion, and as a result, we get used to the feeling of the unfulfilled goals. Any goal that youve had for 6 months or more, and still have, you have likely gone numb about. When you think about it, if you still do, your motivation is likely very minimal. Youve developed a level of toleration for this unfulfilled goal that is itself keeping you stuck.

To break free of the weight of tolerating this goal, the key is to get into action. Ask yourself, What is one thing I could do to move toward achieving this goal?" The scope of the action is entirely irrelevant. Most important is that you ACT. Physics shows that an object at rest has something called inertia, which is the scientific name for the feeling of stuckness and resistance to even getting started. Science also tells us that with movement comes momentum an object in motion is easier to keep moving, and in fact even has a tendency to keep moving.

What could you do to get things moving? Perhaps you could make a list of people to call for help on your project. Or support your diet by rounding up and giving away all the sweets in the house. Or start your exercise program by borrowing an exercise DVD from a friend. When I wanted to kick start my diet and exercise commitment, I got a DVD from the library and committed to working out with it 5 or more times each week. It worked this practice helped me get into a new habit of exercising regularly.

3) Get Accountable

Perhaps youve noticed that the easiest person to break commitments with is yourself. In fact, for most people, there really is not such thing as a promise made to themselves. It just doesnt happen. So, if you know this about yourself, create outside accountability.

Sometimes its enough to just let another person know your commitment, and have a time to check back in with them to acknowledge that you have done so. However, if there is some inertia with a goal, it can be helpful to promise that you'll do something painful if you don't take your action. For example, you could agree to give money (to them, or a charity) if you dont follow through on your commitment.

So, how can you move from tolerating your unmet goals, to achieving them? The first step is to make the choice to apply what youve learned here. Start by changing the structures around you to support you in achieving your goal. Identify and take action to get in momentum toward fulfilling the goal, and set up some accountability to help ensure your success.

About the Author:
Dinyah Rein has been coaching people to win at their personal and life goals for more than 25 years. To move powerfully forward toward your own goals, sign up now for her weekly newsletter at http://coachdinyah.com

Don't Have Goals - Achieve Them!

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