We all desire to become more than we are.
We dream of reaching higher pinnacles, achieving greater success, experiencing the thrill of accomplishment. And so we set goals, having perfect intentions of sacrificing whatever it takes to reach them. The truth is, setting goals is the easy part; however, paying the day to day tolls necessary to see them realized can prove trying and discouraging. To help make the journey less daunting, I've outlined ten points of advice combined with a few original quotes―motivation for anyone up to the challenge of chasing their dreams.
We dream of reaching higher pinnacles, achieving greater success, experiencing the thrill of accomplishment. And so we set goals, having perfect intentions of sacrificing whatever it takes to reach them. The truth is, setting goals is the easy part; however, paying the day to day tolls necessary to see them realized can prove trying and discouraging. To help make the journey less daunting, I've outlined ten points of advice combined with a few original quotes―motivation for anyone up to the challenge of chasing their dreams.
#1. Take on less.
In the case of accomplishing any task, less is best. If you're serious about reaching a goal, a single objective needs to be your focus. Pick only one (maybe two) and keep it at the forefront of your mind. Once you attain your goal, then start another!
"Just pick a goal and stick to it―no big complicated secret."#2. Post your goal(s).
~Richelle E. Goodrich
Write down specifically what it is you want to accomplish and then display it in a spot where you will see and read it everyday―perhaps on the bathroom mirror or on the refrigerator door or above your computer monitor. This posted note is a visual reminder of where your thoughts and energies should be concentrated. 'Out of sight, out of mind', they say; whereas...
"In constant view keeps mightily true an honest resolve to do."
~Richelle E. Goodrich
#3. Ask for help.
You have multiple resources for support, advice, and assistance at your disposal; take advantage of them! First of all, research the subject. Use the internet, libraries, chat groups, and forums to hunt down helpful hints as to how to accomplish the set goal. Secondly, talk to friends and family and request their support and encouragement. And third, don't forget to pray. Asking for divine guidance and assistance―believing that there are powers outside your sight and understanding that can and will help you―provides added strength and confidence.
"Prayer, faith, and vision, plus real effort too. Blend them together for one potent brew; the magical spell to your dreams coming true."
~Richelle E. Goodrich
#4. Step forward daily.
Vow to do something―anything―everyday to get you closer to reaching your goal. If time is short, your schedule insanely busy, don't allow it to prevent you from moving forward with your aspirations. Write at least one sentence in your journal. Jog in place for sixty seconds. Make a quick phone call. Read one page of that book. Sketch a line on that masterpiece in progress. Get the picture? You don't have to make bounds and leaps each and every day, but you do have to move forward, even an inch at a time. You must do SOMETHING daily because...
"Doing nothing accomplishes nothing, gains nothing, changes nothing, and wins nothing. You have to make a move."
~Richelle E. Goodrich
#5. Make seconds count.
Yes, I know, life is busy. It is. For all of us. And yet it seems that the busiest people find ways to accomplish more than those who possess the time to do things. Therefore, don't be lazy; use rather than waste those precious scraps of time. It takes only seconds to write an additional sentence in a developing novel. In just a minute you could fit in a set of push ups. A phone call could be made while walking to the mailbox and back. Find ways to use those small chunks of time, and you'll be astounded at how quickly a-bit-here and a-bit-there adds up!
"An accumulation of pennies is a fortune. Day-to-day practice is perfection. A dream realized is nothing more than many steps taken toward the borders of once-impossible."
~Richelle E. Goodrich
#6. Accept failures as stepping stones.
The difference between people who succeed and those who don't is largely their understanding of the process. Success isn't entirely constructed of a bunch of minor successes. The truth is, success normally includes many little failures. Learn from those flops and bungles. Don't allow them to discourage or defeat you. Stop seeing failed attempts as brick walls barring your progress. Instead, view them as stepping stones on the road to ultimate success.
"The key to success is having no qualms about failure."
~Richelle E. Goodrich
#7. Focus on the Goal
One of the greatest enemies of success is distraction. Life requires your attention, pulling you in diverse directions. And in order to be a responsible individual you must attend to those various demands. Often, though, this allows personal goals to be shoved aside, eventually pushed to the rear where ambitions dwindle until entirely snuffed out, forgotten. The next New Year's Eve then finds you reflecting over past resolutions, regretting lost opportunities. In order to achieve a desired goal it must remain in your constant focus. That doesn't mean making it a priority over imperative issues, but it does mean giving it daily thought and attention.
“Goals are my north star. My compass. The map that guides me along the road I wish to travel. Goals are motivations with wind in their sails—they carry me forward despite the storms.” ~Richelle E. Goodrich
#8. Don't envy.
Get out of the destructive habit of comparing yourself to others. You are you. You will travel your own road to success, and the journey will be uniquely yours. The best way to avoid discouragement, disappointment, and loss of confidence is to never compare yourself to anyone else. Look only at how far you've come from where you started out. Chart your improvement day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month. So what if so-and-so runs a mile in 5 minutes? That's none of your concern. The fact that you performed better today than yesterday is what counts. The only reason to spend valuable time looking at others' accomplishments is to learn from them. Learn, then move on. Celebrate when others succeed as you will when you succeed. Don't succumb to envy!
"The only ship you can steer in this ocean is the one you're sailing."
~Richelle E. Goodrich
#9. Believe in yourself.
You can do it. This is true, period. Don't wait for someone to tell you you're good enough. Don't wait for outside assurances. Don't listen to the critics or so-called experts. This is about you―your goal, your dream. You can do it.
"What do you mean I have to wait for someone's approval? I'm someone. I approve. So I give myself permission to move forward with my full support!"
~Richelle E. Goodrich
#10. Never, ever, ever give up.
Understand right here and now that quitting is not an option.
It's not.
Don't even think about it.
"Don't ever give up. Don't ever give in. Don't ever stop trying. Don't ever sell out. And if you find yourself succumbing to one of the above for a brief moment, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, whisper a prayer, and start where you left off. But never, ever, ever give up."
~Richelle E. Goodrich
#richelle #goals #resolutions #newyear
