3 Unique Tips for Making Sure You Hit Your Goals

Have you set a lofty goal lately?

Have a big goal that’s been on your list for a while – months or even years? And now you’re ready to re-commit and make it happen this time?

Take it to the next level and give yourself the best chance at achieving what you’ve set out to do. If you’ve already made your plans using the “5 musts” we talked about in Episode 33, use these three additional techniques we culled from a Daily Mail article for extra help.

1. Find your why

Some reasons for setting goals are pretty basic. You want to lose weight so your clothes fit better. Or you want to spend your money more wisely so you can amp up your retirement fund.

But sometimes there’s a deeper meaning behind your goals. What if your goal of losing weight is more tied to not feeling bad when you take your kids to the beach? Or what if your spending is out of control because you go shopping when you’re a little blue?

A Harvard psychology professor, Dr. Ellen Langer, told the Daily Mail Online: “‘If you don’t know what leads to the behavior in the first place, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll break [your resolution] in the second place.”

Whether it’s a simple resolution or a serious goa, ask yourself, “Why am I choosing these plans?” Then take some time to genuinely think through your rationale and understand your thinking. You may find some new inspiration in truly committing to your goal “no matter what,” or you may even discover that you’ve set a pointless or wrong goal.

2. Accentuate the positive

Negative thinking associated with your goal makes you less likely to push on through when the going gets tough.

Instead of setting a goal to quit a habit, consider replacing the “quitting” with something positive – even if the results end up the same.

For instance, if you’re trying to stop yelling (at your kids, at your spouse, at your old computer…), create your goal around being more calm and handling things sensibly instead of the yelling aspect.

Harvard’s Dr. Langer says, “Recognizing that everything we do is meaningful in some way – and if we start off from a place of self-respect – we’re more likely to accomplish many more of the things that we’d like to accomplish.”

3. Use the buddy system

Accountability partners help for executing all kinds of tasks, including goals.

Setting a goal may be a solo task, but if you want to stick with it, consider getting someone else involved.

While we couldn’t find stats on accountability partners and goal setting, we did find something that proves things can change when you don’t try to achieve results on your own. A study conducted by Indiana University showed that couples who worked out separately in a year-long fitness program dropped out almost half of the time. But when couples hit the gym together, only 8% quit.

And if you do bring someone along for your accountability, don’t forget to help them with their own goals, using what you’ve learned here!

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