totse.com | 8 elements to achieving any goal

chilldo · #1 2008-07-25, 18:54

Here's something I've come to realize over time. How to achieve any goal broken down into 8 pretty simple steps that you can follow. I hope it'll help you achieve your goals.

To achieve any goal in life I believe you need the following 8 elements. It doesn't matter what the goal is. For example: loosing weight, becoming an actor, becoming a stock market guru, gaining weight, becoming more confident, learning to fly airplanes, starting a business, and so on. For demonstrations sake, lets use the simplistic example of loosing weight.

Goal
Reason why
Motivation
Education
Plan
Time management
Experience
Reflection

GOAL: A goal should be clearly defined.
WRONG: "i want to loose weight"
RIGHT: " i want to loose 80 pounds by january"
scientific research shows that a goal is much more likely to be
acheived when it is clearly defined

REASON WHY: If you dont have one, one week in you'll start asking yourself why you're doing this and give up on your goal.
EXAMPLES:

i want to look more presentable to the ladies
My family has a history of heart conditions and i dont want to die of a heart attack when im 30

MOTIVATION: You will also need something to push you towards your goal, and to stick to your PLAN when youre feeling lazy. Keep in mind that this entire 8 step process is completely useless if you cannot stay motivated to following each step. negative motivators are often the most powerful:
EXAMPLES:

that jerk in high school that called you fat all the time
that ex girlfriend who dumped you because she was embaressed being around you

EDUCATION: You need to conduct some research so you can form an effective PLAN based on proven methods.
EXAMPLE: one proven method of loosing weight is to cut down on calories and jog a few days a week.

PLAN: using this EDUCATION, you should be able to formulate a clearly defined plan. remember, use your motivation and reason why to make yourself follow this plan.
EXAMPLE: go out and jog for at least 20 minutes on monday, wednesday, and friday. Also try to consume no more than 2500 calories a day.

TIME MANAGEMENT: if youre a busy person (many of us are) you will need time management skills to slot your plan into your daily schedule.
EXAMPLE: create a weekly timetable or have a set hour on your workout days to go out and jog.

EXPERIENCE: by following your plan, based on education, you will learn what works and what doesn't and come upon more effective methods of getting yourself closer to your goal. With this experience you can adjust your plan accordingly.
EXAMPLE: elemination of certainf foods from my diet make me tired in the day, i will adjust my diet accordingly

REFLECTION: this is a simple, final step. Create a private journal to write your findings down on. I find that doing it in a Microsoft Word document allows me to put my thoughts down way faster than on paper.

that's it, follow these steps, stay motivated, and you should be well on your way to achieving whatever goal it is you want to achieve.