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Five key elements to achieving goals

Once you have finished setting your SMART goals, it’s time to focus on HOW you will achieve those goals. There are five key elements that have a significant impact on achieving your goals.

I’ve done a lot of reading and also have quite a bit of experience with setting goals. I have seen what works and what doesn’t.

Carefully thinking through and selecting our goals is just the starting point. The actions we take after setting our goals will determine whether or not we meet them.

Key elements to achieving goals

To have the greatest likelihood of accomplishing your goals, you need to have these key elements to achieving goals:

• Priorities
• Focus
• Commitment
• Consistentency
• Flexiblity

Priorities

In order to do the steps required to start working toward your goal, you need to prioritize it. Life can be crazy busy and if you aren’t intentional about prioritizing your goals, other things will take center stage.

If the goal is important to you, treat it as such. Schedule it prior to other tasks you need to do. Get it done first. Don’t push it off or avoid it. You and your goals matter.

Focus

Now that you have made the goal-related task a priority in your schedule, don’t let yourself get distracted. Turn your phone on silent, don’t check Facebook ‘really quick’. There are so many opportunities for our focus to shift to something else.

Suddenly you may notice housework that needs to get done and unimportant tasks may suddenly feel important. Reaching goals is hard work. Focusing on the task at hand takes effort and practice.

Commitment

There will be many times where your commitment level to this goal will be tested. In addition to other things competing for your attention, working towards a goal is often just that…work.

It isn’t all fun and many of us are adept at avoiding things that aren’t enjoyable.

In these moments, remind yourself why you set the goal. Go back to your SMART goals worksheet (which you can get by filling out the form below) and see why you are putting in the time and effort and doing the not always fun steps to make it happen.

Keep going even when it is tough because you know the end will make it worth it.

Want to make your goals clearer and more likely to be achieved this year?

Consistency

Being consistent with prioritizing the goal, focusing on it, committing to it and taking these steps CONSISTENTLY to work toward the goal is what will get you there. Quitters don’t win and winners don’t quit, right?

A goal is typically comprised of many small steps. In order to reach the end, you have to be consistent with taking each and every one of those steps.

Often when you are consistent, it will become slightly less effortful as you’ve created habits and routines. Starting can be a challenge. Consistently moving forward isn’t instantly easy, but it does get better as time goes on.

Flexibility

You are prioritizing, focusing, and are committed and consistent with your actions. Well, what happens when you are thrown a curveball and the routines and habits you’ve formed get messed up?

This is where flexibility is key. We don’t get to control every aspect of life. Unexpected things can happen with relationships, health, finances, or any of a number of things.

When that happens, give yourself some grace. Be flexible and do your best given the situation.

If you need to take some time off chasing your goal, be ok with that. Just work on getting back to it when you are able. Don’t make excuses but also let other things take precedence when needed.

It can be a great challenge once you’ve created some momentum and then you get thrown off. You may feel like you are having to start all over.

But getting back up and continuing is grit. Those who have it achieve more than those who don’t. Resiliency will serve you well in every area of your life.

When you combine the five elements of goal setting and make your goals a priority, focus, commit, and are consistent and flexible you’re set up for success. These actions will help you make significant strides towards your goals.