3 ways to achieve your goals
Regardless of whether you take on one of our fun ideas or have some specific goals of your own, action coach Suzzanne Laidlaw has the following tips to converting your to-do list to reality.
1. Have a vision
What does your goal look like? Whether it’s crossing the finish line of a triathlon, losing weight or completing a yoga course, picture yourself at the end of the journey and work backwards from there. Imagine how you’ll feel and look, who is around you, and details of where you are.
“If you read Anthony Robbins’ Awaken the Giant Within, he was living on the streets in a car in his early 20s and decided he was going to live in a castle one day,” Laidlaw says. “Ten or 20 years later, he lived in a castle that fitted that description exactly. It’s so important to visualise and imagine a goal being realised.”
2. Schedule weekly goal revisions
If you want to achieve a goal, write it down, work out a plan and do your homework.
“Plan the right food, schedule in your exercise sessions and figure out how you’ll avoid alcohol and junk food,” Laidlaw says. “Go over your goals every week and have them somewhere you will see them every day to remind yourself. If they change, adjust them. You might achieve above and beyond your original goals so perhaps your goal posts need moving.”
3. Get support
If you have someone invested in your goals who will also benefit when you achieve them (like a friend with similar goals, or your partner who wants to see you healthy and happy), ask them to keep you accountable.
“Sit down with your friend and write down your goals together, then commit to a regular catch up to keep each other on track,” Laidlaw suggests. “It really helps to have someone else’s positive energy to help you stay on track towards your goals.”
