It is already February and probably by now most people don’t even remember their New Year’s Resolutions. This is because the “resolution high” has finally passed, life has returned to normal, and priorities have shifted once again. How about you? Have you really given up on your goals so soon? Have you even tried to accomplish something, or were you just hoping that things would magically change? Well, if that is your case, you probably want to take some time to reflect on your mindset.
First of all, ask yourself how important this goal was for you. Rate it on a scale of one to ten, one being not important at all and ten being very important. Be honest – no one is judging you. The point is to understand what went wrong. The truth is that if your original goal was not meaningful enough (between one and three on the scale) in the first place, you won’t feel driven to pursue it. Thus, you should replace this goal with a more significant one. For example, many people set goals based on other people’s expectations, such as “I want to lose weight to please my husband.” There are two problems with this goal. First, it is not your goal; it is your husband’s wish. Second, weight-loss depends on several factors, many of which are not under your control. A better choice would be “I will exercise three times a week for 30 minutes.” It is a good way to start, and it may bring you closer to your “desired weight” than just slouching on the couch. But make sure that’s what you really want; otherwise, it won’t work.
However, if you rated your original goal between four and seven, maybe the problem is lack of confidence. Therefore, rate your confidence in accomplishing that particular goal using the same scale. Once again, if your confidence level is low (between one and three), it is very likely that you won’t pursue it because you are afraid to fail. In this case, you should work on building confidence. Let’s say that your goal was to exercise regularly, and that you’ve considered it very important. However, even though you have a new club membership, you’ve only managed to use their facilities a couple of times this month. Why did that happen? Were you really that busy or were you just finding excuses not to go to the gym? In reality, many people find a gym environment very overwhelming, especially for beginners. They are afraid of embarrassment. Consequently, they give up before they can start enjoying the experience. To overcome this obstacle, you may want to invite a friend to exercise with you or hire a trainer to help you with your program. You could simply exercise at home. Discover what would work for you right now, and you will see your confidence improving as you progress.
Now, if your confidence level is moderate (between four and seven), but you still don’t seem to be any closer to your goal, the problem may lie on lack of planning. Keep in mind that things won’t change by themselves. You have to make it happen. You must put time and effort into achieving your goal; otherwise, it will be just a dream.
When you think about successful people such as athletes, what do you believe they have that you don’t? The difference between these people and the rest of us is that they invest in their dreams. They work hard to achieve their goals. They don’t sit back and wait for things to fall into their laps; they go for it. They don’t whine about their setbacks. Instead, they use obstacles to motivate them to go further. Most importantly, they enjoy the journey.
So, if you want to become an achiever, you should stop wasting your time thinking about the magic pill that will change your life in a second. Such a thing doesn’t exist. I truly believe that you can be whoever you want to be, but you’ll have to work at it. Anyone is capable of greatness, but you have to believe in yourself and be ready to do whatever is necessary to succeed. It is a matter of having the right mindset. Now, I ask you: “Do you have what it takes?”