How to Stay Committed to Your Goals
Learning how to set goals properly was a life-changer for me.
I knew I had a list of things I wanted to do or achieve, but I didn’t put them into writing, so they seemed obtuse and out of reach.
There wasn’t a game plan as to how I was going to achieve them.
But there’s more to actually achieving the things you desire than simply creating goals and writing them down somewhere.
You have to be committed to see your goals reached.
What are your goals for this year?
I want you to think of the one thing you want more than anything else in life right now.
It might be to lose weight, go back to school, have a baby, rekindle a broken relationship, start your own business, start exercising, take that bucket list vacation, etc.
Dream as big as you want. Just think on that one thing.
There’s no limit to how big it can be.
Now I want you to ask yourself if you’re making intentional choices on a daily basis that take you one step closer to that one thing, or if your choices are leaving you stagnant to progress.
If you feel you’re at a stand-still, I have 5 practices to show you how to stay committed to your goals.
How to Stay Committed to Your Goals
Renew Your Mind Daily
I spend 20 minutes every single morning reviewing my goals journal.
And I never get tired of doing it.
In fact, every morning I get excited to review them-even though I’ve already done it hundreds of times.
Why is that?
Because I’m renewing my mind to my goals and it jump-starts my motivation.
When I review my goals first thing in the morning, I’m much more likely to make choices that support them because I’m keeping them at the forefront of my mind.
If I were to keep my goals buried in my desk drawer, I’d forget about them and forget about making conscious decisions that inched me closer to achieving them.
In his book, Make Today Count, John Maxwell tells the story of when he made the commitment to the building program at his church. The church was expanding, and he needed something that would keep him on track for the duration of the 18 months of the project-even when things got stressful-so he put the following quote on the back of a laminated card:
“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way.” ~William H. Murray
He read this quote daily-sometimes more than once a day-and it served to renew his mind as to why he committed to the church building project in the first place and gave him the determination to see it through.
Related:
- How to Set Goals and Achieve Them
- Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow’s Success
- How to Set Goals the Right Way
- Grow You (coaching)
Anticipate Struggles and Difficulties
If you truly want something bad enough, you have to prepare for failure and disappointment.
Failure doesn’t mean it’s over-it just means you need to come up with a new plan and be vigilant to see your dreams come to pass.
In fact, failure is actually a helpful tool, as it shows you what doesn’t work, so you can try something new until you find something that does work.
You’re going to mess up or something outside of your control will happen, and you have to be ready to counteract that with the determination to remain committed.
Related:
- Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones to Success
- 6 Reasons Why People Give Up on Their Dreams
- How to Be Persistent in Achieving Your Goals
Talent Alone Isn’t Enough
“The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.”
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
What was this poet saying?
Talent alone isn’t enough to succeed.
You must have the work ethic to match.
If you want to get something out of your day, you have to put something into it first.
One of my favorite quotes ever is, “You can’t have a million-dollar dream with a minimum wage work ethic.”
If you want something extraordinary, you have to do extraordinary things.
The things that the majority of people aren’t willing to do.
Work on your dreams while others are sleeping on theirs.
Related:
Choices > Circumstances
“Your choices are the only thing you truly control. You cannot control your circumstances, nor can you control others’. By focusing on your choices, and then making them with integrity, you control your commitment. And that is what often separates success from failure.” ~John Maxwell
People tend to approach commitment in one of two ways:
- External approach
- Internal approach
Those who focus on the external approach rely on their current conditions to determine whether they keep their commitments or not.
You had a bad day at work, so instead of heading to the gym for your week night gym session, you’re heading home to down a bottle of wine and binge-watch the latest Netflix hit.
The next day at work is better, so, since you’ve recovered from your bad mood from the day before, you return to your commitment to the gym.
On the other hand, there are the internally-focused people who focus on their choices.
Sure, you had a bad day at work. But you’re determined to get into shape, and running on the treadmill is such a great stress reliever, even though it’s a mind-over-matter struggle to get started. While you’d love nothing more to drown your sorrows in a bottle of wine, you decide keeping your commitment to your week night gym session will lead to the best result for you and your personal mandates.
What’s controlling you-your circumstances, or your choices?
Related:
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- 5 Self-Discipline Tips for Success
- How to Set Intentions for this Year
Do What’s Right, Not What You Feel Like Doing
“When you’re interested in something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” ~Ken Blanchard
You have to make the choice to do what’s right if you ever want to see your goals achieved.
And you have to make this choice every single day.
Even when you don’t want to.
Let results be the driving force behind your decision to do what’s right.
You may not feel like waking up early to work out, but the end result of being in shape and down 20 pounds is why you do.
It may be hard to turn down happy hour with friends when you know you need to work on your business, but your desire for financial freedom is stronger than your desire for drinks and laughs at happy hour.
Whatever your desired end result, let that be the deciding factor in the every-day choices you make.
Related:
- 3 Morning Routines You Need to Stop Doing
- 11 Habits that Will Improve Your Life
- Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself
Before You Go
If you can’t commit to your goals, you’ll never see them realized.
Commitment keeps you accountable.
What are you working toward now that you need to hold yourself accountable for?
Try asking yourself these questions:
- Have I already made the decision to make and keep proper commitments daily?
- If so, when did I make that decision?
- What exactly did I decide?
- Based on the decision you made concerning commitment, what is the one discipline you must practice every day in order to be successful?
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This post made me realize that I need to get more serious about my weekly and daily planning. I keep a general list of what needs to be done, but I think blocking out time for certain projects will help me feel like my schedule is more under control.
Yes, it definitely helps! 🙂