Three Things That Help Me Reach My Goals

Usually, when we set goals, we do it to see them to completion. But sometimes that doesn’t happen. This can be for several reasons, such as losing motivation, life circumstances, or just deciding that the goal wasn’t that important.

I’ve experienced all of these. But usually, at some point, I find myself back at square one, wanting to accomplish that same goal again, and so the cycle continues: set a goal, start strong, lose motivation, and give up. There came a point where I was tired of giving up on my goals, so I made a plan of action to help me stay on track. Please keep reading to find out what I did.

Set Goals With A “Why” In Mind

When I set goals these days, I know the why behind them. Having a ‘why‘ gives me the motivation to keep showing up to the process it takes to reach my goals. For you, the goal could be: “I want to declutter my home”, and the why could be: “Because I want to have a peaceful, organized environment for myself and my family to live in.” 

Envisioning yourself coming home at the end of a long day to a clean, organized home, where everything has its place, will help motivate you to stick to your decluttering process and your minimalism journey. 

Believe In Myself And Think Positively

There is power in positive thinking and believing in yourself. I’m learning to become my biggest hype woman. When I find myself slacking off on the goals I set for myself or beginning to adopt a defeated mindset, I try to quickly reframe my thinking and tell myself I can do it, and I try not to delay taking action on what I need to do to achieve my goals.

If I have a goal to write a blog post a week and I start feeling unmotivated, I’ll remind myself of my goal and my why, and quickly get up, make a cup of coffee or tea, and head to my laptop and start typing. This is usually enough to get me started and helps me stay committed to my writing goals.

Write A Pros And Cons List

I love a good list! I’ve used pros and cons lists many times in my life, and I always feel clearer about my decision or goals and motivated to take action after writing one. The next time you feel like giving up on your goals, sit down with your journal or notes app and write a pros and cons list.

On the one side, write down all the pros of sticking to your goals. If we stick with the example above, some pros of decluttering could include having a more organized home, knowing where everything is when you need it, or relaxing in a clutter-free environment at the end of a long day.

On the other side, write the cons of giving up on your goal, which could be continuing to accumulate clutter, feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the clutter, and not being able to relax because of it. Once you create your pros and cons list, refer back to it whenever you feel like giving up on your goal.

I hope this has encouraged you to stick to your goals and given you practical, intentional ideas for what to do when you’re about to give up!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  - Galatians 6:9