A recent conversation with a dear friend on goal commitment made me realise some people’s acute difficulty in staying committed to their goals. Even the simplest ones, such as clicking on a newsletter button to read the whole essay or article. Staying committed to your goals takes work. It doesn’t have to be a struggle, though.
I am goal-oriented, for goal-setting gives purpose to my life and defines my plan of action. Surely, this can be both a burden and a blessing. Although, I have been trying to find ways to turn goal-setting into a realistic way of living. But the conversation with my friend highlighted the great inner battles some people give daily to stay committed to their goals.
To be honest, maintaining a commitment to my goals is a damn hard task. For the simplest and most obvious reason of all: it’s freaking tough work. It can be tedious, mentally and physically exhausting and requires decent time management skills. Staying committed to your goals requires constant self-convincing in your actions.
Why do I need to stay committed? Because it feels nice, and the result is worth all the hard work.
How can you stay committed to your goals?
Set realistic goals
Goal setting and achievement means stepping out of our comfort zone. Moving beyond our comfort zone can often be a frightening and stressful experience, which can hinder our reaching our goals. Therefore, we need to keep our goal-setting real. If you decide to lose twenty kilos in a month in a healthy way, chances are that you will quit, for this goal is not realistic and possible. But if you first aim to lose seven kilos, you will probably not only reach your goal but also feel so proud of yourself that you will want to continue working hard.
Visualise the goals
By writing our goals down and keeping them in sight, we can stay committed to them better. If you have a calendar, let’s say in your kitchen, split your goal into subgoals and allocate them to specific days of the week on the calendar. That’s a helpful way to maintain focus and purpose.
Celebrate small achievements
One grave mistake we often fall into is to be very hard on ourselves. This demotivates us from committing to our goals. On the contrary, celebrating small milestones is an excellent way to give a pat on our shoulder for all our laborious efforts, dedication and perseverance. Celebrate your little achievements and refrain from harsh self-criticism.
Establish a routine
I can’t stress the irrefutable role of routines in life enough. Integrate your goal into your daily routines and make it part of your life. I have completed writing new essays for the blog part of my weekly routine and schedule; hence, it is customary to sit down at seven pm and work on a piece. It is a natural part of my life. Routines help us make things happen.
Cultivate good habits
Good habits set the ground for good results. Good habits support our goals and endorse devotion to achieving them. An unhealthy diet, for instance, will undoubtedly affect the energy levels and emotional stamina the goal commitment requires. If I sleep late every night, how can I have the energy the next day to sit down and work on my blog? Slowing down during the day is an excellent way to redirect your focus on essential things.
Create a pleasant environment
Creating a pleasant environment where the hard work towards the goal-achieving happens encourages us to keep going. When I use my treadmill to exercise, I always put on my favourite tv show or podcast to keep me company. When I work on new essays, I keep a cup of hot coffee close to me, and often I light a candle. Such as, a nicely wrapped present cultivates excitement for the actual gift.
Keep yourself accountable
Reveal your goal and action plan to your good friend, partner, mentor or psychologist. Be accountable for reaching your aims to someone else. Have them check your progress weekly to ensure that you keep going.
Ask for support
Many people hesitate to ask a specialist to guide them in setting and accomplishing their goals. Nevertheless, a psychologist, life or work coach or counsellor can show us the right path to manage the targets we have set but fail to complete. One should be aware of the beneficial contribution of a specialist in maintaining the commitment to our goals.
In moments of frustration, doubt, exhaustion and inclination to give up, remembering the feeling of completing a goal help us continue fighting. And fight we will do because that is life, after all.
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