Yes, You Can Set Goals and Reach Them
Whether you want to be more productive at work or make a change in your career path, you have to set your goals in order to reach them. A huge proponent in obtaining any goal is to stay focused and motivated.
Frame of Mind
In order to stay motivated, or improve your current level of motivation, your frame of mind has a lot to answer for. Evaluate why you want the goals that you do. Being able to write down specific goals will not only make them easier to achieve but it will help you to track the progress you are making. The key to listing your goals is to be specific. Don’t allow yourself to get lost with vague, blanket statements like “get healthier”, list exactly what you hope to achieve. Maybe you want to participate in a 5k in the spring or take the stairs at work without getting winded. If you state your specific goal, you will be able to recognize it when you achieve it.
Plan for Productivity
In order to have a productive day, you have to plan your day. When you are able to schedule the tasks of your day, it helps you to stay focused and to be sure that the smaller, more mundane chores are not neglected. Sometimes overlooking smaller necessities can be detrimental. Because, even though they are not cumbersome, they may still have a lot of importance.
Another effective approach to increase productivity is to decrease distractions. For example, if you’re trying to focus on obtaining your interior design bachelor degree and you often find yourself getting off task or sidetracked by notifications from your phone, turn it off. If turning your phone off is not an option, disable the notifications. These small steps will help you maintain focus by removing the things that are prone to taking your attention.
Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
Your environment and the people you surround yourself with can directly affect your focus and motivation. If you keep those who are also hard workers and like-minded near you, you are setting yourself up to stay on the right track with the task at hand. You will spur each other on and celebrate your successes. It is imperative to be surrounded by peers who encourage your hard work and push you to succeed.
Inversely, if you are around people who are encouraging you to procrastinate and don’t appreciate your goals and the work it requires to meet your goals, you will find yourself lacking the motivation and drive to do what you need to do.
The Power of Positivity
You have to eradicate fear. Worrying about failing can turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy and will absolutely be counterproductive. If you are worried about failure, you will become consumed with it and eventually do exactly what you are fearing the most. Change your approach; expect to fail. If you anticipate something not working out as you hope, but persevere anyway, you are better off than never even attempting. Not only are you in a healthier mindset to start, you just may surprise yourself by not even failing in the least. As the adage goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Reward yourself for meeting your goals. Every accomplishment deserves a celebration to reinforce the positive feeling of accomplishing something you set out to do. If you treat yourself with something you enjoy, you are more inclined to work hard towards the reward you promised yourself. The bigger the achievement, the more rewarding the incentive should be. Regardless of how large or small the task is, be sure to have an appropriate treat to celebrate your victory.
Any goal is attainable with the right approach.