MOTIVATION
5
ways to stay focused
on your goals
Do you struggle with reaching your goals? The reality is that most
people do struggle. When you set goals for yourself, you undoubtedly have the very best of intentions. You want to succeed with
your goals and reap the many benefits that come with making
successful and important changes in your life. However, there is
something that you may fail to account for in your goal planning
i.e. life itself
Strategies to stay focused on your goals
The good news is that there are a few simple measures that you
can take to help you stay focused on your goals. By implementing these steps from the outset, you will be more focused, more
motivated and more determined. You will soon see that you are
making progress towards your goals and so, you will be more likely
to stick with it and see it through to completion.
1. Narrow your list
Goals are great but if you have too many of them, you will soon
see that one goal is distracting you from working on another. Instead of trying to focus on too many goals, narrow it down to 1-3
major goals for any given period of time. Even on a daily basis, you
should have 1-3 goals which you are trying to achieve. These goals
should tie into your medium and long-term goals so that each day
will see you make progress. This ensures that you aren’t spreading
yourself too thin and, as a result, losing your motivation.
When you are setting goals, you will find that you come up with a
large number of goals. Identify the most important goals that you
need to work on and put them on a separate list. Don’t discard the
remaining goals. Instead, place them on a ‘Someday, maybe’ list.
2. Break down each of your major goals
make, you want to be seen to honour your word. Ideally, these
people will encourage you when obstacles arise and celebrate
your successes with you along the way. This support will help you to
stay focused on your goals.
4. Record, measure and document your process
When you set a goal, one of the first things that you should do is
decide how you will measure your progress. It is imperative that you
know how you are progressing. As you take action, you can measure your progress and see whether you are making the desired
progress or, whether you need to take corrective action.
Start a journal and write about your experience as you pursue your
goal. Writing down your thoughts is a great way to maintain your
motivation to the end. Your thoughts and feeling can provide you
with excellent feedback on your progress and, if you ever have to
attempt the same or a similar goal again, you will be able to review
your notes to help you create the best plan.
5. Create either a physical or virtual goal board
To help you stay focused on your goals, you can create a visual
reminder of why you created a pa rticular goal in the first place.
Take a poster board, bulletin board, or electronic platform (e.g.
Pinterest), and fill it with pictures and other images that help you
maintain your enthusiasm and focus. Your brain thinks in terms of
images so, if you choose the right pictures, it will serve as both an
enjoyable and effective method to stay focused on your goals.
In effect, it gets your subconscious mind “on board” with your plan
to reach your goal. You want your entire psyche working with you
to achieve your goal.
It takes hard work and consistent effort to achieve major goals. The
harsh reality is that most people will fail to achieve their goal. These
failures will rarely be due to a lack of knowledge or skills. It is far more
likely that in a hectic world, they struggle to stay focused on their
goals. If you do not want to be one of these people, you must find
a way to stay focused on your goals. When you set goals, you feel
energized and confident but this quickly fades away when you fail
to stay focused on your goals. You can maintain your passion and
motivation to make your dreams come true with these simple, focus-maintaining strategies. If you implement these strategies from
3. Have accountability partners
the beginning, you will stay focused on your goals and increase
As long as the goal is not too personal or confidential in nature; the likelihood of successfully achieving those goals.
telling people whom you trust about your goal will make you
more accountable. You value friends and loved ones and you
value the respect that comes with their friendship. When you inform them of changes that you wish to
You’ll feel less overwhelmed when you break up a large goal into a
series of smaller steps, each with specific, achievable tasks. Instead
of focusing on the large goal, you focus on the smaller tasks which
you need to complete. It will be less daunting and, with each small
task completed, you will receive a confidence boost as you realize that you are one step closer to your goal. This makes reaching
your ultimate goal that much easier. As you accomplish each step,
maintain your momentum and enthusiasm for achieving your goal
by celebrating your success.
page 30 | Issue #59