10 Powerful Habits That Make Achieving Your Goals Easier
Updated: Sep 4, 2023
Ever heard the saying, 'big goals start with small habits' ? It's true. Once consciously repeated behaviors turn into unconsciously programmed routines, we perform them on cue without effort — even while focusing on other tasks. Just think about all the things you can do while driving a car that you couldn't have imagined doing as you were learning. Multi-tasking while driving may not be the safest habit, but it should come as no surprise that having habits conducive to achieving your goals cultivates the mindset of success.
When working toward a goal it’s easy to develop tunnel vision where minor issues go unnoticed until they create major problems. Establishing habits that keep you positive and prepared reduces the risk of being blindsided by unforeseen obstacles. As intentional behaviors become second nature you won’t even notice you’re doing them, but you will be rewarded with less stress and a smoother path to accomplishing the things you want.
So what are the habits needed to be successful? Here is a list of my top 10, proven to help you achieve your goals and reach for your dreams:
3. Commit to One Action per Week
9. Journal
1. Establish A Routine
The most common habit of highly successful people is to have routine. Maintaining a routine helps you begin each day with clear focus and ensures you stay on track toward the things you want to accomplish.
To establish a goal-oriented routine, create a schedule tackling the most important work first so you start the day feeling productive. A sustainable schedule should be flexible and balanced, so be sure not to pack it tight just because you can.
An overambitious schedule could leave you stressed, burnt out, or feeling discouraged when things don’t go as expected. Instead, focus on one or two attainable tasks each day and make ample time for fun and relaxation. That way you create a routine that leaves you feeling accomplished and optimistic — key factors in keeping up the momentum you need to reach your goal.
2. Assess Your Risks
Any successful project manager can tell you the importance of risk management. Planning for problems before they arise means they don’t have to slow your progress and prevents you from getting discouraged if they do occur.
Risk planning should always be done before you begin working toward a goal to identify potential problems. But ongoing assessment allows you to key on on approaching obstacles which may be obscured, including personal challenges (more on that below). Write these potential obstacles down and brainstorm ways to overcome them.
Oftentimes, it’s our own fears that pose the greatest threat to reaching our goals. Fears and limiting beliefs can lead to procrastination, overwhelm, and poor decision-making. Despite the significant risk, personal challenges are easily disregarded or downplayed as less of a threat than they truly are. As a coach, I've heard countless stories of dreams derailed due to fears; but I also get to witness firsthand the satisfaction of those who are able to overcome them.
Pay attention to the parts of your action plan you dread the most and consider how you might react ahead of time. Understanding the feelings behind your fears can help you develop a plan to move beyond rumination, mental blocks, and other self-inflicted setbacks. Being responsive (rather than reactive) to the things that make you uneasy will help you to push beyond your comfort zone so that your fears don't stop you in your tracks.
3. Commit to One Action Per Week
Taking time away from your goals increases the risk of losing momentum and never getting back to them at all. It’s okay to take a break when you need one, but making one micro-commitment that aligns with your goal — while still allowing you to rest up —ensures your eye stays on the prize.
During your week off from the gym, for example, commit some time to stretching, getting a massage, or watching vlogs to learn new workouts. If a sprained ankle prevents you from going to dance rehearsal, watch a performance that will inspire you.
Recognizing when you need a mental break is especially important for holistic wellness and preventing burnout. Be sure to give yourself a break from the activities that drain you when you need it, but don’t lose sight of the things that give you energy. If you’re back in school because your end goal is to spend more time with the kids, plan some family fun over spring break to help you remember your 'why? '.
These tiny commitments may not seem like direct progress, but they are a simple way to keep up the momentum when your energy is low — an invaluable skill to increase your success. Build healthy habits and break negative ones using our FREE Habit Tracker Set.
4. Visualize Your Success
Visualization is a powerful way to improve your mental state and a key principle in the Law of Attraction. Recent studies have shown the neurons in our brains can’t recognize the difference between our imagination and reality. So if you envision it as though it is real, your mind will start to believe in your success as if you’ve already achieved your goal.
Visualization has long been used as a method for improving athletic performance. Track legend Usain Bolt, World Cup alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn, and Michael Phelps, the most successful and decorated Olympian of all time, are among the many elite athletes who attribute their success to the use of visualization. Outcome visualization involves imagining yourself achieving your goal and the chain of positive impacts it will have on your life afterward. Process visualization is the act of envisioning yourself taking the actual steps necessary for reaching your goal. Both types of visualization are equally important and should be used together. Imagery should be vivid and detailed including sights, sounds, smells, and physical sensations to help your brain perceive your success as if it’s actually happening.
5. Stay Inspired
As obvious as this one sounds, many people fail at their goals because they neglect to keep themselves inspired. Surrounding yourself with inspiration keeps your energy high and increases your drive to move closer to the things you want.
With so much content out there, finding the inspiration is rarely a challenge — it’s the commitment to engaging with it that easily gets overlooked. Reading just one article, watching a short vlog, or listening to a podcast for inspiration on a routine basis can immensely improve your chance of success.
Commit to finding some form of inspiration at least a couple of times a week, if not daily. One simple trick is to subscribe to emails or other content related to your goals or follow your favorite mentors and hashtags on social media.
6. Eliminate Negative Self-Talk
It’s that little voice in your head that tries to talk you out of things. For some, it speaks louder than others, but we all have it. And no matter how big or small, self-doubt and self-criticism can be serious goal killers. Don’t be so upset with it though — that cautionary voice is there to protect you. But if you are like many others who've given into it more than necessary, your unconscious mind may have learned to become overprotective about irrational fears.
The good news is you can retrain that voice to be more realistic and balanced. Go ahead and hear it out, but only for a moment. Acknowledging your fears is the first step to moving past them. For each point it makes, find a positive affirmation to counter the negative thoughts. For example, if the voice says, “you don’t have enough experience to get the job,” come up with a statement validating your qualifications such as personal traits and relevant skills.
Write down your affirmations, say them out loud regularly, and believe in what you are saying. Each time that little voice comes up, acknowledge the feelings behind it — but recognize that it’s not serving you — and use your affirmation(s) to silence the voice before it ruminates. Tell yourself something along the lines of, "It's okay to feel nervous about this career change, but it will change my life, and I know I can do it". The less you engage with negative thoughts, the quieter the voice will become. By reinforcing the positive, healthier thoughts that align directly with your goals, you develop the mindset you need to attain them.
7. Assemble Your Team
Involving others in your aspirations is a great way to stay motivated and a good trick for keeping yourself accountable. Look around you to find your greatest supporters — and don’t discount acquaintances and strangers.
When I worked in health care, I enjoyed finding common interests with my patients for conversational rapport building. Travel plans, health and fitness, and education were always easy topics to choose from. These conversations also created the opportunity to feed off each other’s energy and gave me an additional reason to hold myself accountable for the things I committed to out loud.
Think of those you interact with routinely or anyone you can engage with on regular basis. Surround yourself with those who are supportive of your dreams and happy to hear about your progress. If you know someone with a similar goal, schedule weekly check-ins to encourage one another and keep each other accountable.
Supportive groups are a great place to find like minds who share your dreams, understand the challenges, and know what it takes to overcome them. A personal coach offers an objective perspective and is an expert at accelerating your progress and enhancing your success. They guide you past personal challenges, push you to move forward beyond your comfort zone, and hold you accountable for the things you say you want to do.
8. Celebrate the Milestones
As you move closer to the light at the end of the tunnel, don’t forget to look back at how far you’ve come. It’s easy to gloss over small accomplishments but recognizing the progress you’re making keeps you feeling successful and motivated to push on.
Notice even the smallest wins and treat them like a big deal. If your goal is to lose thirty pounds, don’t just get excited with every five. Take joy in your personal evolution, such as making better food choices, developing healthier lifestyle habits, and feeling physically better. These small developments are indications of progress and the perfect opportunity to boost your motivation. Neglecting to acknowledge them could leave you feeling stagnant and discouraged when the pounds don’t appear to be melting away.
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9. Journal
Journaling is a powerful way to keep you working toward a goal — and in my opinion, one of the most underrated tools for personal development. Not only does writing bring out ideas and feelings from deep in the subconscious, but it solidifies abstract thoughts by bringing them to life in a physical form.
Journaling regularly helps you to harness positive energy, find creative inspiration, and work through negative feelings and stress. There are no rules or restrictions to what you journal but here are a few tips if you’ve never kept a goal journal before:
Identify your main goal as well as your smaller goals for the current time period. Be clear and specific, and ensure each goal is SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound).
Manifest your vision (see #3: Visualize Your Success) by writing about the outcomes you hope to achieve. Get detailed when journaling about your reasons for wanting to accomplish this goal.
Brag about your successes and vent about your challenges. Keep your energy positive and state how your challenges will help you to grow stronger (see #10: Embrace the Challenges).
Write about your feelings. Are you excited, proud, worried, or nervous? List the emotions you've been experiencing and what causes you to feel this way. Then write about how you would like to feel and what you need to do to close the gap.
10. Embrace the Challenges
When it comes to challenges many people experience a fight or flight response. While the “flee-ers” get discouraged and demotivated, the “fighters” become energized and driven to push through the obstacles. Whether it’s completing a puzzle or summiting Everest, everyone has a different model for the types of challenges that feel rewarding to them.
Highly successful people recognize that in every challenge lies opportunity. Rather than focusing on the negative as you encounter difficulties and setbacks, pay attention to what you can learn and seek the opportunity to grow. Staying optimistic through challenges will relieve undue stress and keep you motivated to persevere.
When reflecting on his 10,000 attempts to create the lightbulb, Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Though each attempt didn’t give him the results he’d wanted, focusing on what he’d learned led Edison to create one of the greatest innovations in history.
Why Should You Create Habits to Achieve Your Goals?
Good habits are the key to success, giving you the focus and momentum you need to persevere to the end. The right habits can ensure you are prepared for challenges and don’t lose sight of your goal. There are many positive habits that can help you succeed, but the 10 suggested here are sure to keep you feeling positive and confident to drive you forward.
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If you are already using any of these habits, I’d love to hear how they are working for you. Or, if you know of any others you think deserve to be on this list, please comment below. And if you found this post enjoyable, we kindly request that you utilize the social share buttons to spread the word among your friends and help support our blog.
Mentioned in this article: intentional, comfort zone, self-doubt, mindset, personal evolution, journaling
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