5 Tips to Stop Putting Off Your Goals Until Later

You look at others who excel in their field and imagine that you’ll be just like them someday.

With these ambitions and hopes floating in your mind, you get to work, turn on the computer, and then…

You’re laughing at the latest viral video, browsing through your social media, and wondering what the latest gossip is for today.

What happened? Where did all your dreams and ambitions go? It was only moments earlier that you were all pumped and ready to work on your goals.

Why We Postpone Our Aspirations

Nearly everyone has goals they want to achieve.  But setting a goal and wanting to work towards it isn’t enough.

In order to get somewhere, you need to take action. Unfortunately, the goals we want to achieve usually aren’t pressing matters. There’s no urgency.

So, we end up putting off our goals and waiting until we’re ready. But we never feel 100% ready or know what to do in a new situation. So the perfect time to act is today.

Here are 5 tips for you to stop putting off your goals until later:

1. Plan an Interim Review – We like to make New Year’s resolutions to start off the year on a good note. But our motivation wanes gradually and we can easily fall back to our same old habits. Schedule a time later in the year when you can evaluate your progress and make plans on what to do to keep moving towards your goal.
2. Set Things Up the Evening Before – Mornings can be hectic and it’s easy to forget what you should be doing. Instead set up things the evening before. For instance,  pack your gym bag and put it near the door in the evening so that it’s ready the next day. Try the Page-Turner Technique to get to work right after waking up.
3. Set up Your Work Environment – Our surroundings can be distracting when there are non-work related items nearby. Consider where you do your work and the noise levels of your environment. Prevent small things from being big distractions.
4. Schedule It In – We often don’t feel like working on important goals immediately, whether it’s getting into shape, maintaining relationships, or starting a business. These things get pushed to the side because other things pop up, such as phone calls and meetings. One of the most effective ways to make time for your goals is to block off time in your schedule for it.
5. Make Goals Urgent – While the important things in life aren’t usually urgent, you can create a sense of urgency by breaking them down into concrete tasks. “Getting healthy” isn’t a concrete action. Instead, make plans to go for a walk and substitute sugary drinks for water.

Keep Moving

It’s hard to get going on your goals when you haven’t been doing anything about them for a while.

Once you start setting your plans into motion, however, it gets easier.

So take a small step in the right direction today. You might be surprised at where you end up in a year from now.

Question: What is one important goal that you want to start working on? You can leave a comment by clicking here.