How to Achieve Any Goal

Make 2016 the year you achieve all your goals! Goals are essential to leading a successful business and living the life of your dreams. However, if you’re like most people, you may start the year motivated and ready to take on the world only to lose motivation a few months later. 

Here are six tips to help you get focused and stay motivated to achieve the goals you’ve set this year.

1. Visualize success. In order to achieve your goals, it helps to picture what your life will look like when you do. Close your eyes and imagine it’s December 31, 2016 and you’ve achieved your goals: What do you see? How do you feel? Write everything down—every specific detail. Not only does this exercise help you create clearer goals, it’ll also give you a surge of motivation later on when you refer to what you’ve written.
2. Set realistic goals. The more realistic your goal, the better your chance of achieving it. This doesn’t mean you should avoid setting challenging goals; it means that you should take your current skills, abilities and other data into account before you set your goal. For example, a goal of closing ten transactions a month may be perfect for an agent who closes eight or so transactions a month now, but unrealistic for an agent who generally closes two or three transactions a month.
3. Track your progress. Many people fail to achieve their goals because they don’t track their progress along the way. As a result, they’re unsure where they stand in regard to achieving the goal, and soon they forget about it completely. Tracking helps you stay on the path of achievement. You’ll see how close you are to achieving your goals, which not only provides perspective, it also boosts your motivation.
4. Make it a habit. A funny thing happens when you track your progress and focus on achieving your goals—your habits begin to change. That’s not to say that any bad habits will magically disappear. However, you’ll begin to develop better habits that help you achieve your goals. For example, when you commit to an hour of proactive lead generation each and every day, it becomes a habit. Over time, you’ll no longer have to consciously sit down and make your calls, etc. because you automatically do it, just as you automatically brush your teeth every morning. As a result, you’ll generate more leads, close more sales and get more referrals. And, what’s better than that?
5. Get inspired. Inspiration is the fuel of success; however, it’s tough to stay motivated long term. Keep an inspirational quote where you can see it daily. Read positive, motivational books and articles. Listen to positive and inspirational music. Most importantly, keep your goals where you can see them, whether they’re written on a sticky note or represented on a vision board. Referring to them often is sure to keep you motivated and on track.
6. Reward yourself. Once you’ve achieved your goal, a reward is a great way to celebrate your success. Knowing that there’s a reward at the end of the journey can keep you focused and helps you overcome any obstacles you may encounter along the way.

By Buffini & Company

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2016. All rights reserved.