There our many points in our lives when we decide we need a change. Whether it's starting a business, changing jobs, losing weight, the list goes on...it’s the thing we fear the most and what we have to go through to achieve our goals.
Whatever the change, we set goals and work toward them. And for awhile there is some progress. Then we start to slip, and before we know it we are back where we started.
This happens all the time. The source of the slipping isn't that people lack self-motivation or willpower. The primary reason that so many people don't achieve their objectives is that they think goal achieving is a conscious brain function, when in fact goal setting is conscious and goal achieving is a subconscious function.
Successful people are masters at setting and reaching goals. If you interact with people who have "made it," you will see patterns that anyone can apply. Here are five goal-achieving steps to help you achieve your goals.
1. Write out goals in detail
The act of simply writing down goals sets the process in motion and provokes emotion, which is an essential key to activating a new belief system—so be very specific. Instead of writing, "A new home," write, "I am enjoying a 5,000-sq ft home on three acres of lakefront property with vaulted ceilings, five bedrooms, three baths and a private boat dock." The more detailed information you include the more you can associate yourself into the probability of that outcome. By being emotionally detailed you will activate your subconscious brain to work for you in the most efficient way possible. After all, your brain is the most powerful resource available to you in the universe.
2. Make your goals consistent with your values
Most people don’t do what they value first and therefore find themselves out of alignment and lacking motivation. When you create a list of your highest values and then align your goals with them; you will have a sense of being on purpose and are more likely to be motivated naturally and become more consistent.
3. Every goal must have two things
First, you need a detailed plan to achieve your goal (conscious brain), and second, you need the right beliefs and mindset (subconscious brain). It’s the combination of both of these that will help you achieve your goals verses just setting goals. To get your subconscious brain working for you consider, meditation even 5-10 minutes a day of focusing on your indented goals. Visualization is when you imagine a vivid picture in your mind’s eye of what you will be thinking, feeling, hearing and experiencing having achieved your goals. Lastly, positive affirmations stated out loud daily “as if they already are true,” will further support overriding the subconscious brains old defaults. All of these methods individually or together will help you rewrite your old beliefs into new ways of thinking that are in alignment with your goals.
4. Review goals daily
This is an important part of achieving your goals, and it must become routine. Review your list every morning when you wake up. Visualize your completed goals and how your life will look and feel as a result. At the end of each day, repeat the process. This is a great way to train your brain to expect your goals to materialize. A good example is when you set sales goals, you first create your sales plan and then review the plan each day to make sure you're on target. This process sets your subconscious brain in motion through visualization to move you towards your goals on a daily basis.
5. Finally, don't get discouraged
You will either achieve your goals as you imagined or receive the insights into what may be necessary to reach your goals. This is not a setback; rather, its feedback of what you may need to do more of, less of, or not do at all. That insight is all part of your forward progression. Stay focused on what you want to achieve and you will find ways to solve difficulties or break through barriers. Celebrate every success and memorialize your accomplishments so that you can begin to see how you are moving towards and in fact achieving your goals. This supports anchoring positive emotions that are the glue to changing the subconscious.
No one knows for sure how long it takes to incubate an idea or a goal. Applying these five steps to your goal achieving process will help you better understand how to develop the right mindset and strategies to help you realize your goals and dreams sooner.
