how to accomplish goals

We all have goals. Some are loftier than others and some are small and simple. Regardless, sometimes achieving our goals seems like a daunting task. How can we accomplish our goals and live a meaningful life? We can easily achieve our goals when we break them down into smaller goals, set realistic deadlines, and remain disciplined in putting forth daily hard work.

Because my goals often seemed daunting or far away, I created a graphic organizer to help me visualize, categorize, and organize my goals. I found a way to take small steps so I could arrive at far distances.

Creating this graphic organizer also afforded me the opportunity to take a step back and look at my life in both the big picture and the small picture and ask the following questions:

1. What do I value and how can I live a quality life?

2. How does every day add up to a lifetime?

3. What do I need to do today to get me where I want to be in 60 years?

4. By thinking about my major life goals, how can I enjoy the present and be grateful today?

When I first created my Goal Board, I was in double majoring in college, taking 6 classes a semester, working 20 hours per week, part of a dance performance group, and in a serious relationship. I was paying for college and saving to pay off debt. It would have been easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. But, then I realized that all large goals consist of small tasks, and looking at each day one at a time and completing small tasks helped me not only accomplish my larger goals, but also accomplish them with ease.

Here is an example of my 2016 Goal Board. I’ve added some examples of large and small goals/tasks someone might include on their Goal Board.

First, I start out with my Short Term Goals and Long Term Goals.

Short Term, to me, is between 1-5 years.

Long Term refers to my “Life Goals”; when I’m on my deathbed, what do I want to look back on and feel happy I accomplished? What do I value?

Short Term Goals:

I decide what goals I want to accomplish in the next one to five years. I decide on a deadline, and then the steps I need to take to get myself there. Over time, I can jot down my progress.

Long Term Goals:

How can I achieve a long term goal like a lifelong marriage? Well, I need to make communication, quality time, and dates a priority! How can I achieve a long term goal like remaining healthy and active? I can decide to focus on achievable goals like weekly exercise, yearly doctors visits, and daily veggies. These steps might seem broad and easily achievable, but if you don’t write them down, it’s hard to hold yourself accountable. And when you do write them down, they get done.

Breaking Down Long Term Goals Further

Work backwards by thinking about your long term goals–how do you want to spend your life and who do you want to be? Working backwards allows you to focus on what matters and eliminate what doesn’t. But you still need to further break down your long term goals. I then break down my goals from long term→short term→monthly→weekly→daily.

It might seem daunting to accomplish a goal of working out daily. But stretching daily is totally doable. And working out weekly seems easily achievable as well.

Notice I don’t have a never-ending list of goals for either my long term or my short term goals. There are a few reasons for that:

1. You don’t want your whole life to be about constantly conquering goals. Your life should include embracing fun, spontaneity, and laziness. Sometimes, you shouldn’t think so much or do so much. Sometimes, you should just be.
2. Having too many goals misses the point of living meaningfully. Focusing on what matters will make you happier and will be more easily achievable. Don’t overwhelm your life with goals just for the sake of accomplishing them. Again, decide on what you value, what matters to you, and how you want to spend your life. Who do you want to be? What is important to you, not what do you think you should/other people think you should accomplish?
3. When you try to do everything, you won’t accomplish anything. Your life will become more about accomplishing goals than the goals themselves.

 What to do after you list your goals:

1. Print your goal board!
2. Hang it somewhere you can see it every day, like above your computer, on your bulletin board, or near your bed.

Want the Meaningfully Organized Goal Board so you can start focusing on your life goals?

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