Sometimes, the goal you’re reaching for can seem to take forever to be accomplished. You’re left drudging through the mud, facing the challenges, and beating the odds time and time again, but with nothing to show for it. Reaching your goals faster doesn’t have to mean you reach them with less ambition or that your goals are less meaningful. Instead, think of it as making the journey to the goal more efficient. Keep reading to learn how to reach your goals faster without sacrificing the vision.
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
No real progress ever came from living inside your comfort zone; that’s why it’s called a comfortable zone. It’s where things are most stable, familiar, and comfortable for you. There aren’t any sudden changes, shifts in mindset, or new heights to reach. Just comfort. While comfort is all well and good, where real progress is made is just outside the comfort of your walls in the wilderness of life.
The world’s greatest inventors, athletes, and business owners are so because of their willingness to step into and challenge the unknown. This is a courageous act and not one that’s suitable for everyone. Some people are more comfortable remaining within their comfort zone for life, and that’s ok; but if you want to reach new heights and get to your goals quicker, you’re going to have to leave the nest and try something new.
If your way of doing things is taking too long, try a different formula. Chances are, someone somewhere in the world has reached the goal you’re trying to achieve. Study how they got there. What did they do differently? What steps did they take? How do these differ from your own methods? What can you adopt into practice for yourself?
Be Specific
What is ambition? Ambition is the desire to obtain your goals, but without a specific vision, it means almost nothing. You can be incredibly ambitious and have no direction; in which case, you’ll likely putter out before you achieve anything. Goals should always be specific, especially if you’re trying to reach them faster. The more specific you are, the easier it is to carve a path to your goals.
Specifics include the details of what exactly you want to achieve and what steps you must take to get there. For instance, if you have a goal to start your own business, be specific as to what function your business will fulfill. What will you do? What will your role within the company be? What’s the company vision? What kinds of people will you hire? How much money do you need to start? Asking yourself important questions can help “trim the fat” so to speak and create a more focused goal for you to work towards.
Start Small
A common mistake that goal-setters often make is taking on too much at once. If you have a goal to start a small business, but you’re still working a nine to five, you’re not going to realistically be able to jump headlong into forming your business. You’ll need to start small and work your way up to the larger vision, reaching smaller goals along the way for a confidence and progress boost. There’s nothing wrong with starting small; with a business, you might just start with a name. That’s one goal down!
While it may seem tedious, starting small actually helps you reach goals faster than taking on a large goal all at once. Starting small leaves more room for improvement and less chance of failure, whereas taking on a large goal all at once can quickly become overwhelming. This can create stagnancy, lack of motivation, or even abandonment of the goal altogether.
No matter what your goal is, starting small ensures you’re taking it in stride rather than trying to run a marathon without any stops. It’s ok to be excited about your goals, and it’s ok to sacrifice time and activities to reach them, but remember that balance is the key to a happy life. Start small and work your way toward the larger vision for a more fulfilling experience.
Learn
Learning comes in many forms, whether it’s book learning, everyday life experiences, or the advice of a trusted friend, family member, or mentor. Whatever the case may be, in order to reach your goals faster, you’ll need to learn as much as you possibly can along the way. Learning will help you identify shortcuts and avoid potential mistakes. This is especially so when you’re learning from a mentor. This person has already achieved what you’re reaching for and can guide you through challenges and help you avoid costly mistakes and setbacks along the way.
Always take the time to learn new things. In fact, we should be learning up until our last day on Earth. There’s so much information out there, so many experiences and advice to be shared, and so much wisdom to take from experience to ignore.
Think Positively
Mindset is absolutely critical to success, make no mistake. How you view yourself, the situation, and your ability to reach your goals will determine whether or not you reach them. With a positive, goal-oriented mindset, reaching your goals becomes a matter of personal triumph and a requirement for happiness and fulfillment. Thinking negatively all the time or telling yourself you can’t do it will not only slow you down, but will also take a serious toll on your motivation and confidence; two keys to reaching your goals. Stay positive, believe in the vision and yourself, and keep reaching.
