Achieve your goals: 3 things to do

We all have goals or dreams. Something we want to achieve whether for personal or professional growth and development.

I know how difficult it could be when it comes to achieving your goals especially with all the responsibilities vying for your time.

For example, I’m a mum to an active toddler with a 9-5 and a side business with many responsibilities and that’s why I understand how difficult it can be to be productive, master your time, and achieve your goals.

I created systems that have helped me achieve my personal and professional goals without neglecting my family. I would be sharing 3 methods that have helped me to ensure I follow through with my goals so that I can achieve them.

There are 3 main questions your goal must answer to ensure you achieve them. They are “What”, “Why” and “How”. Your goal would answer these 3 questions if you do the following 3 things.

1. Be specific

Have you seen goals like: I want to read more or I want to get a professional certification.

That’s not specific enough. A specific goal would be: I want to read 10 personal and Spiritual development books this year or I want to get my PMP certification this year.

A goal needs to be specific and answer the question “what” so that someone else doesn’t have to ask the question “what”. Using the example above, I would have to ask what professional certification or read more what?

Being specific gives you a focus and makes the goal easier to plan, clear as well as less overwhelming.

2. Have a reason

When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable. This is a popular saying by Dr. Myles Munroe. This saying is applicable to any goal.

You have to know “why” each goal is important to you. What is the reason for wanting to achieve the goal. If you have no reason, then it shouldn’t be a goal.

Knowing your “why” for every goal you are working on, helps you to stay focused and committed to it.

I remember when I wanted to take the PMP exam, it was during a season when I had so many things changing. From single to married, being pregnant, moving to a new country and continent, making new friends, and getting a new job. So many things vying for my time that were important and could easily distract me. However, I knew my “why”, I wanted to grow my Project Management Career and I knew that being PMP certified would be an asset. So against all the odds by God’s grace, I prepared, studied, and passed the PMP exam at my first attempt with the above target in all domains.

Knowing your “why” is part of the Power of Focus and Commitment; a productivity superpower in my Free Productivity course.

3. Have a plan

As Benjamin Franklin said; if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Planning is a very essential technique and it gives you a roadmap or picture of what you need to do to ensure you achieve your goal. It answers the question of “how”.

Draw up a plan on steps you need to take to accomplish your goal.

Think through each goal; define & list all the activities you need to do to achieve the goal. That is breakdown each goal into activities. If you are not sure about all the activities you need to do, plan out the activities you are sure about now and plan out the remaining as you know more.

Attach duration, start and finish dates as well as resources needed for each activity you have listed and defined. Ensure that the activities are specific. When you have specific activities, it makes the action you need to take clear, measurable and less overwhelming.

For example, as part of your goal to read 10 personal and spiritual development books, you decide to read book 1; ensure you state what book 1 is, how many chapters/pages you would read each day/week. Yes, be very detailed.

Doing this helps you to develop a working/action plan that you can execute as well as monitor and control to ensure you are on track to achieve your goal.

You can use the Goals Action Plan template to create a plan (you get the Goals Action Plan at zero cost during the Goals Mastery Workshop)

Apply these 3 ways to your goals and you would be on your way to achieving your goals.

Get my free Goals Masterplan Worksheet. Use it to ensure you plan and follow through with your goals so that you can achieve them. It also includes strategies for beating procrastination. Get your free worksheet here.

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