Effective Ways To Stay Focused On Your Goals

Setting goals is easy. Staying focused on them is much harder.

How many times did you find yourself setting the same yearly, monthly or weekly goals over and over again?

Been there, done that!

Sometimes small goals that shouldn't take more that a couple of weeks take us months simply because of our lack of focus.

Staying focused on goals means that we never lose track of the actions we need to take to make them happen. It mean achieving our goals sooner and more successfully!

Since there is really no point in having big goals and dreams if we can't learn how to stay focused on them, here are five tips to help you stay focused on your goals (the first and last being my personal favorites!!)

Having A Purpose

Science has shown us that people who have a purpose in life are more successful than those who don’t. A study by University of Wisconsin showed that people who have a greater sense of purpose in life are more likely to be happy and successful than those who don’t.

Having a purpose gives you direction. It helps you set goals and focus your energy on what’s important. It also gives you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when you reach your goals.

Having a purpose also gives you a sense of meaning in your life.

So before setting your goals, take time to sit down with yourself and ask yourself "why"?

Why are you setting this goal for yourself? Why do you want to achieve this? What is the purpose behind it?

When you have a strong purpose and reason for the goals and dreams you set for yourself, you're much more motivated and willing to stay focused on them and put in the necessary work.

Every morning and night, remind yourself of your "why" and your purpose.

Remind yourself of it whenever your will gets weak and motivation low.

Planning

One of the most important things that you can do to stay focused on your goals is to have a plan. A well-planned strategy can help you stay on track and reach your goals faster. Planning can also help you stay organized and make sure that you are taking the appropriate steps to achieve your goals.

Having an idea of all the actionable steps and tasks you need to follow in order for you achieve your goals makes the entire process less daunting.

There are many different ways to plan your goals. You can create a detailed plan with dates, deadlines, daily and weekly to-do lists, or you can create a simple plan that outlines the big steps that you need to take to achieve your goals. You can also create different plans that focuse on specific areas of your life.

For example, you can create a plan to lose weight, plan to get married, a plan to get healthier. I like this technique because if you have a lot going on in your life or, if there is much you seek to improve, by creating only one plan, it tends to look so full and messy, you don't know where to start with your daily tasks. You tend to get lost and can't decide which area to prioritize.

Creating specific plans by area allows you to focus on every goal in every area in your life and track your progress more easily.

Set Up Your Day: The Night Before & The Same Morning

It's great to have a general plan with all the steps and tasks you need to follow.

The problem? As human beings we really have a very short attention span in everything and we tend to get very easily distracted. So much, that often, unless we have things shoved in our faces, we tend to completely forget about them.

What I suggest is to make it a habit of looking down at your plan and your goals written down the night before, but also the morning before you start your day. This way, there is little chance that you forget your goals or the tasks you need to tackle in order to achieve them.

Don't Multitask

Multitasking makes us lose focus.

Our mental and physical energy gets distributed between so many things that it often results in burnout or a messy job.

Learn to "block" when it comes to your goals.

What I mean is if there are certain steps or actions you need to take to achieve your goals, learn how to block your space, time and energy to solely focus on doing that step the best way possible.

You're allowed to multitask in other areas of your life.

But learning to avoid multitasking when it comes to achieving your goals in a specific area of your life is a great way to learn how to prioritize.

Let's say for example that you want to publish a book this year and you've set for yourself the challenge of writing 1000 words everyday.

You're also a mother and you have your other writing assignments to tackle.

Pick a time and a calm place. Close the door on yourself and make it known to everyone in the house that you are not to be disturbed.

Block at least a couple of hours for yourself everyday to write these 1000 words.

Don't allow anything to interrupt or distract you. And more importantly, don't allow yourself to stop and jump into something else!

If your day is super busy, consider waking up a couple of hours earlier to do your challenge in the quiet and distraction free.

Don't forget to put on your phone on airplane mode!

Plan A Reward For Yourself

Apart from your purpose and your "why", promising yourself a reward can a be a great motivation.

So you've set yourself a goal, you've worked hard at it and you've accomplished it. How are you going to celebrate this achievement?

Visualize it. Feel the joy and pride in yourself and imagine rewarding and treating yourself with something you've been denying yourself or just something you've been wanting for a long time.

Could be a club night with your girls.

A trip to your favorite country.

Or simply an indulgent night at your favorite restaurant!