Six ways to achieve goals

Everyone has goals. You probably have several different ones for several different areas of your life. The single woman has a goal to be married before she hits 35. The athlete has a goal to beat her best game. The heavy smoker has a goal to quit smoking before his doctor tells him he must. The middle-aged woman has a goal to fit in her best outfit again, before she can wear it on New Year’s Eve.

But how many people achieve success with their goals? Not many. I’ve read that only about 20% succeed. So how can we increase our odds? Try some or all of these techniques:

Visualize the desired outcome. See it, hear it, and smell what it will be like when you have achieved success. Don’t worry about how to get there, just imagine the end result. Draw it, sing it, or cut out a picture from a magazine that represents what you want. You can put this in a dream book or on a vision board, or just hang it up where you will see it every day!
Persevere. In order to succeed, you must remain committed to your goal. If you give up, you are guaranteed to fail. On the other hand, if you say, I’m going to keep trying until I make it, then you have to make it. A mistake is just another event on the way to success. You many not get it down the first or second time. But don’t give up. The third time is the charm (or maybe the fourth or fifth). They say it may take someone 7 attempts before they succeed in quitting smoking. But you know what? Practice makes perfect. If you have quit for a week or even a day in the past, you can quit permanently. It’s a good idea to keep trying different methods. Cold Turkey doesn’t work for everyone (it actually doesn’t work for most). Your local hypnosis consultant can teach you ways to reduce stress, so that you won’t be tempted when stressful events come into your life.
Ask for assistance. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your friends and coworkers can help you if you tell them exactly what you need. And having a buddy, someone who shares a similar goal can really help with resisting temptation, motivating you to exercise, or to giving you an alternative to lighting a cigarette. Being able to call and tell someone when you feel weak helps keep you strong! The buddy system is very effective, and if you want more than 1 buddy, join a Master Mind group to help you achieve success. These are most helpful for career or financial goals. They help you get organized, set goals and give you resources or advice for everything you need.
Be your own best friend. Reward yourself for small successes along the way. It’s a great idea to reward yourself. It reinforces the new behavior, and keeps motivation high. Break your goal up into smaller bites. It’s easier to digest that way. For example, if you want to lose 25 pounds, reward yourself after each 5 pound adjustment. Make sure it’s an appropriate reward, not a hot fudge sundae for losing weight. You don’t have to give yourself food, how about jewelry instead? Too expensive? How about a new running suit, or renting a favorite video? Maybe just some candles and music to accompany your next bath.
Use self-hypnosis to stay motivated. There are many books and CDs available or you can take a self-hypnosis class, like the one offered by Enlightened Hypnosis.
Expect Success! You know, in most things you get what you expect. So make sure you intend and expect to succeed.

Good Luck! Sorry, you don’t need luck. Bon voyage! You will surely boost your self esteem by following these techniques, and this helps you to achieve one success after another.