To achieve anything non-trivial in life, you need to set goals. Your goal might be to become a doctor, pass a difficult exam, learn a language, run a marathon, or adopt a healthier lifestyle. These are goals because they are difficult. Making yourself a cup of coffee at work or tying your shoelaces are not goals because they are not difficult. You don’t need to aim, plan, and execute with discipline. Its just a daily routine. Goals are difficult decisions and hard choices. If they were easy, they wouldn’t be goals. They would be something you would simply achieve without much effort or a second thought.
Goals have to be reasonable and achievable. Otherwise they would not be achieved. A 65 year old cannot win the New York Marathon but he can run the entire marathon with sufficient training. Running the marathon is a reasonable and achievable goal for a 65 year old, winning the marathon is not.
Goals are written on paper and they have to be precise. “I want to lose weight” is a wish. “lose 10 pounds in 90 days” is a goal. A idea solely in your head is just a thought, not a goal.
Tell someone you trust and someone who cares you about your goal. Ask that person to encourage you and push you to start or continue progress towards your goal. This person can be your spouse, parent, or another close friend or family member.
There are so many things we want to be and so much we wish we could accomplish. However, we cannot do everything or accomplish everything. So prioritize your goals and focus on what is most important.
Find something you like that would help you get to your goal. If your goal is to learn French and you like movies, consider watching French movies instead of English movies.
Money is a means to an end. The end is life’s necessities and high priorities. If you goal is to become a accountant, spend all you time, money, and energy after your necessities for your education to get your degree and experience. Don’t let money, time wastage, or laziness get in the way of a high priority goal.
Remember, goals are difficult at first but their achievement becomes easier over time as you become more disciplined and get into the habit of striving for your goal day after day.
