A positive mindset can work in all facets of life: from relationships to careers, to physical fitness, to finance. Here are four practical steps to get you started on the road toward completing your goals.
Have you ever had a moment where you daydreamed about achieving a life goal? We have all experienced a desire to reach a particular milestone. Life goals can range from owning a Jeep Wrangler to owning a farm to learning Japanese. Or maybe all you really want to do is master the lyrics to “6 Foot 7 Foot” by Lil Wayne.
Whatever your life goal may be, the very first thing you can do to set your life goals is to get in the right mindset. A study from Stanford shows that children who have a positive attitude toward math tend to excel in the subject. If a positive mindset can work in 10-year-olds, surely it can work for adults.
A positive mindset can work in all facets of life: from relationships to careers, to physical fitness, to finance. Here are four practical steps to get you started on the road toward completing your goals.
Mindset tip No. 1: Write out what you want to accomplish
It’s one thing to think of a goal, but it’s far more powerful to write it down. Psychology professor Gail Matthews conducted a goals research study and found a positive correlation between writing out goals and accomplishing them.
This technique can work for a variety of goals. In the same study, participants wrote down goals including writing a chapter of a book, increasing income and securing a contract. More than 60% of participants who wrote down their goals accomplished them or were halfway there. If you write out your goals, you could significantly accomplish more than if you didn’t write them out.
Written goals could push you to take action, too. First, write down every single goal you want to accomplish. Next, narrow down your goals to what you most want to achieve. Create a summary statement of your goal, write it on a piece of paper, and put it in a place where you can see it every day.
Mindset tip No. 2: Take baby steps and revisit your goals periodically
Break down a larger life goal with mini goals that you can tackle bit by bit. Suppose you have a goal to build up an emergency fund in a savings account. Rather than worrying about hitting the full amount by some far-off point in the future, start small by telling yourself to save $20 this month.
As you get used to the process of saving, you can increase the amount and ramp up to your final goal. Perhaps you’ll start saving $20 every two weeks or save $40 by the end of the month instead.
Mindset tip No. 3: Draw from humbling experiences for inspiration
There is a point in time where humility can serve you in accomplishing a life goal. Yes, getting knocked flat on your face actually helps you achieve a goal. When we choose to go after anything: paying off student loan debt, getting a promotion or purchasing your first home, there will come a time when things get tough.
One of my life goals was to run my own marketing business. I created a website, built a short list of leads and started pitching my services. Yet the business didn’t grow immediately. I attracted the wrong type of client. It took me a moment of humility to learn who my ideal client was and figure out how to could change my sales approach. Soon after, I was hitting five-figure months because my setbacks showed me a new path forward.
If you have faced obstacles, remember to draw from humbling experiences. Humility can help you find the inner strength to keep pushing forward.
Mindset tip No. 4: Partner with a friend to tackle goals and keep each other motivated
Ever felt scared to tell your friend about what you really want to accomplish? Fear of failure can stop you from ever admitting your goals — let alone achieve them. But it’s a great first step to achieving anything. When you share a goal with a loved one, the goal becomes more tangible.
You can hold each other accountable to your respective goals. Have a goal to lose weight? Your friend is going to take notice when you order a cheeseburger versus a salad. Does your friend want to save for a new car? You can help by checking in on their savings goal. And while it may be painful in those moments, two people can accomplish twice as much when goals are shared.
If all else fails, do this
Try this very simple trick: Write out an inspirational quote and stick it to your bathroom mirror, and every day as you look at it, force yourself to recall your goal and the reason you wanted to achieve it so badly. Author Napoleon Hill conducted a study of more than 500 people on how to build wealth and success. In his book, “Think and Grow Rich,” he writes, “Practical dreamers do not quit!”
“Practical dreamers do not quit!”
Napoleon Hill, “Think and Grow Rich”
The words are simple but effective. Dreaming of living in Costa Rica is far less effective than practically creating plans to visit the country. Take one concrete step toward achieving your goal each day.
There is something outrageously powerful behind visuals and optimism. It can help you push past fear. And on that note, here’s the thing about fear: It never truly goes away. It takes courage to strive toward your goals despite fear still there along for the ride. It’s up to you to create the right mindset and tell it to move to the backseat.