6 Steps that you can take to achieve ANY goal that you have (10 min read)

Goals are extremely important for us. They give us purpose & direction. They motivate and excite us and they challenge us to become better versions of ourselves. 

The hard part though, is that some of them take a long time and a lot of hard work to achieve. Especially in the world of health & fitness. 

We only feel like putting in the work today, if we can see some results tomorrow.

Unfortunately for us, it doesn’t always work like that. Some of the greatest achievements we can, have or will ever reach come from continuing to do the work, when nothing seems to be moving forward. Or when the effort that we’re putting in seems to outweigh the rewards that we’re getting. 

So what do we do? 

Do we just stop setting big goals? Do we stop challenging ourselves? Do we just settle for what we have and can do right now? 

No, we won’t. Because it’s not in our nature. 

It’s natural human behaviour to want to challenge ourselves and push boundaries. It’s natural to want more and to be more. 

And so you should. You deserve more, you deserve to be the absolute best version of yourself each and every day. And you should never let anyone tell you otherwise. 

So how do we do it? 

What can we do to increase our chances of achieving all of our goals? Because you know just as well as I do, that we set goals that we don’t achieve and then get disappointed when we don’t achieve them. 

Here are 6 things that you can do to make sure that you achieve any goal that you set.

It’s important to note that there is a very simple science to goal setting, and to achievement. However, there is no simple formula to measure or track human emotion and interaction. So remember, the formula works, but only when you have control over your own emotions. That is something you need to work on yourself. 

1. Set yourself a specific outcome to achieve.  

As obvious as this one might be, most people don’t do it properly. They set a goal that has some give to it, usually because they don’t truly believe they’re capable of achieving it. We set goals that are broad and can be interpreted in different ways, so that If we fall short, or go off track we can mould it into a “non failure”, even though it was not a success either. 

If you want something, you have every right to go and get it. Don’t be afraid of that. The reason we set broad, non specific goals, is because we are afraid of what we might have to change or sacrifice, and we are afraid that we might actually be capable of something greater than what we have right now. 

Have a think about your goals, right now. What are they? Are they broad or are they specific? If they’re broad, make them more specific. It’s the difference between entering the street and street number into a gps or just entering the state/suburb. One gets you to exactly where you want to go, the other sends you in somewhat of an ok direction, but you never reach the thing that you want. 

2. Create and implement MASSIVE ACTION TASK (MAT)

This is the slimy green frog. The hardest thing that you need to do to start your journey that will give you the greatest push forward. The goal here is to create momentum. Because everything feels a hell of a lot easier when we have momentum. 

Imagine that before you could reach your goal, you had to eat a slimy green frog. It would be gross & disgusting and makes you feel extremely uncomfortable. However, if you can get it done first and out of the way, you can get rid of the taste and know that the hardest is behind you. 

Once you have set your specific outcome, create a plan and identify your slimy green frog. And then, go out and eat that big old thing. Get it done, get moving and build the momentum that you need to get things rolling. 

3. List and understand your current skills, level & barriers

The age old saying of “Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance” has stood the test of time, because it’s true. When you prepare yourself, you can achieve more. 

It’s best to understand what our current position looks like (our strengths & weaknesses), what skills we have and what barriers we may potentially face along our journey. 

By listing all of your current strengths, advantages and skills you create a really strong and positive image of who you are wand what you can do to achieve your goals. 

The next step is to write down any potential barriers, fears and doubts that will have a negative impact on your journey. 

Read through your barriers, fears, doubts and weaknesses and match your skills, strengths and daily routines to them and you’ll see that a big chunk of what you already have and do everyday can and will prevent them from stopping you. 

With the barriers that are left, you can create a plan to overcome them in advance. 

Now you know what you have to do everyday, or whenever one of these negative circumstances step in your way so that you can continue to move forward with fewer surprises. 

4. Make a vision board

The number 1 rule in taking your goals seriously is to write them down. 

It creates a visual representation of the idea that you have created in your mind and by adding it to a vision board that you can see every day (or multiple times per day) it gives you a constant reminder of why you’re doing what you’re doing. Especially on the hard days. 

Have a think of how many times you have told yourself you’re going to do something or achieve something, and you never did. Did you actually take it seriously? Or were you too afraid to commit to it and write it down? 

Find a wall in your house, at your work, in your garage, etc. and turn it into your vision board where you can put all of your goals and dreams, and make sure it’s somewhere that you can see a lot. All of the most successful people in the world have a vision board of some sort. If you’re going to follow in anyones footsteps, it should probably be therm 

5. Build a support network & find a mentor

Nobody ever did anything great on their own. And if they say they did, they’re lying. 

They had mentors and training partners, and coaches, and family and friends and people whispering support in their ears. 

They did the work, of course, but they were never truly alone. 

The stronger your support network, the less scary the task will seem. 

Start your support network with the people closest to you, then find yourself a mentor. Someone that you trust, that has the knowledge, the passion and experience to help you get to where you want to go. 

We have this story that we tell ourselves, that “I have to do it on my own” and we justify it because it’s supposed to be better that way. But, really, you’re just making it harder for yourself, you’re making more work for yourself and you’re probably going to make unnecessary mistakes that a great coach/mentor will be able to guide you through.

6. Play the long game 

I am a big believer in taking your time to achieve great things. Of course the scale that you measure your achievements on will differ from goal to goal. The timeline is going to be different for someone who wants to get there first push-up compared to someone who wants to run their first marathon. And of course the timeline differs again based on how far away that goal is for that person to begin with. 

Regardless of the scale, play the long game. Don’t rush. Move with speed not haste. 

I’m not saying to move slowly, I am saying to move smoothly. Because when you rush, you are highly likely to make a mistake or miss some very important details. When you move smoothly, you can still move fast. You’re just in more control. 

Anything that takes a long time to get is usually worth keeping forever. Anything that you can get quickly, will usually be taken away just as fast. 

Conclusion

The one thing that prevents us from achieving our goals, in health, weight loss, fitness, business, etc. aren’t the lack of resources (Time, energy, money), it’s ourselves. We get in our own way, by not committing to doing things the best way. 

Our ego tells us we have to be lone rangers, our fear tells us that we shouldn’t be too specific incase we fail, our doubt tells us that we shouldn’t ask for help because others won’t and our impatience makes us give up because we haven’t got there yet. 

Be the smartest worker in the room, use all of the strategies above and DTFW (Do The F’ing Work). And you will be amazed at how quickly that vision board grows.