How Can You Achieve Your Goals When They Are Big?

From the outset, daunting goals may seem unattainable. You might have thoughts like, “There is no point in even trying” or “There is no way I can succeed”. Well, the good news is you can succeed. But how can you achieve your goals, especially when they are challenging? How can you achieve goals that may take months or years to reach?

In this post I present four keys that make “daunting” goals more attainable:

1.) Work on your mindset

Often times goals seem unattainable because of the limitations we place on ourselves. If we think we won’t succed then we won’t. Self-limiting thoughts set us up for failure. In fact, the thoughts we have influence our actions. If we imagine ourselves reaching our goals, our brain develops neural pathways that prime us to carry out the actions we imagine.

Therefore, it’s important to counter mental barriers. For example:

Barrier: I must execute perfectly.

Counter: I don’t need to do everything perfectly, the main thing is to just start. I don’t need to have an all or nothing approach. Just starting is already a success.

Barrier: What if I fail / I will fail.

Counter: It’s not possible to fail. No matter what happens I will learn something and grow. Also, there are many times when I was successful in the past. This shows I am not a failure.

Barrier: I am not motivated and just can’t start.

Counter: What is the smallest action I can take to begin this journey? I will just do that and keep going.

Barrier: I should be doing better.

Counter: I don’t need to put myself under so much pressure. I’m making progress and that’s something to be proud of. When things don’t go as planned it’s ok to learn and readjust. I won’t beat myself up because of it.

2.) How can you achieve your goals? – Make sure the goal is realistic

This point is hard to define, as “realistic” varies from person to person. The goal should obviously not be so farfetched or far from reality. However, goals should be ambitious.

In modern technology companies such as Google employees are encouraged to set ambitious goals and are expected to achieve 60% to 70% of their key targets.

This kind of approach helps to ensure that you are not limited to conservative goals that you will reach 100% of the time. By going beyond, you will truly be able to grow personally and professionally, innovate and discover new approaches.

3.) Consider your goal from a holistic point of view

1. Is the goal meanigful? Having goals you care about will increase your motivation, commitment and overal probability of success.

2. Break the large goal down into subgoals. By doing this, your goal suddenly becomes more manageable. Before you were stressed even at the thought of trying, but now you are motivated to proceed just one step at a time.

3. Consider the resources you need to reach your goal.

4. Work with deadlines. Making steady progress motivates you and makes the goal seem more attainable.

5. Identify your support network and make your goals transparent. Having those who support you in your journey and hold you accountable will make your goals more attainable.

6. Consider the environment in which goal setting takes place. This includes eliminating distractions. For example, if you need to work in a concentrated way, put away your phone so that you’re not tempted to check your messages too often. If you have a colleague that often interrupts with small talk find a way to set a healthy boundary.

Considering the enviornment also includes making your environment work for you, not against you. For example, you can keep an organized space so that you feel less stressed and can quickly find things that you need. You can also write down your goals and put them in a spot that is highly visible. In this way you’re constantly reminded of your goals and are motivated to work towards them.

7. Identify alternative pathways. This means that you consider potential situations that could stop you from reaching your goals and determine how you would counter them. In other words, come up with a Plan B, so that you can still reach your goals when challenges arise.

8. Revisit your goals regularly. If you keep envisioning yourself reaching your goals they remain present and you will work on them in a steady, focused way.

4.) How can you achieve your goals? – Just start

This seems so simple, but we often get stuck in the paralysis of analysis, meaning we overanalyze and end up not doing anything. It’s good to have a game plan, but overthinking things will lead to inaction. If you just get started, you’ll probably see that the goal is not as unattainable as you initially thought.

I wish you much success in reaching your goals. For more personal development insights, visit my FAQs page.