The Goals That Never Happen: How to accomplish your goals in 2021.
By: Sam Maiyaki
Tags: Action, Goals, Planning, Strategy, Success

How to Structure your Goals

Visualization

The first and most important step is to visualize and understand what you want. The best way to get an idea of what you want from life in any given area is often to just visualize your future. That means closing your eyes and just calling to mind your ideal future. Where are you? What do you look like? What do you do for a living? Who are you with?

By picturing your future in this abstract way, you will be able to start analyzing what it is that you are trying to accomplish and from there you can begin to look at the more concrete steps you would need to take to get there. Some other strategies that can help with this are:

Looking at your role models and seeing what they have in common.

Thinking about the things that excite you, your hobbies, etc.

Thinking about the last time you felt truly happy, or truly alive.

From there, it is also a good idea to think about the actual reality and to visualize what it would be like to get there and to live that life.

2. Assess Your Situation Thoroughly

The next crucial step is to assess your current position versus the ideal one that you have visualized. This is where you are going to analyze the gulf between real life and your dream future and then try to find the best way to bridge that gulf.

Making an honest appraisal of your current situation is a very important way to assess your current position and get an idea of your strengths and weaknesses. In particular, you need to think about what advantages you have, what networks, what contacts, and what opportunities.

As the saying goes:

“There is no such thing as a lack of resources, only a lack of resourcefulness.”

3. Formulate a Plan

This brings us to the next step, which is to formulate a plan based on your current situation, where you want to be, and what options you have available to you.

This involves assessing where things went right/wrong in the past and what your lifestyle and personality will allow.

Also, you can then look for a training program or devise one that will work to your advantage. Maybe that means sticking to a diet that you will find enjoyable and convenient in case it is a fitness goal.

4. Phrase Your Goals in Small Steps

Now you know what it is you want to achieve and how it is you want to get there. You now know the ‘bigger picture’ and it is time to think about the smaller details. Your goal is fitness. You know that going to the gym is not viable for you and you know that working out from home makes a lot more sense.

Some of your broader goals are going to take multiple steps. For instance, if your goal is losing weight, then perhaps you should take the following steps:

Do some research on weightloss programs/training.

Save $15 a day to invest in in-house gym equipment or register at your local gym.

Daily Workout Routine of at least two hours in the Morning and Evening.

Cut down your consumption of junk food and concentrate more on healthier options as specified by your Dietician/Instructor, etc.

It is a long process but it is also a real strategy. It is a strategy that you need to succeed. It represents a cognitive shift where you are no longer daydreaming but instead looking at concrete, realistic and achievable steps.