The ways to achieve your goals

If you really want something, don’t just say it as a resolution. Promise yourself you’ll do it. Only when you truly want something yourself will you succeed. If you make a resolution, you must first be 100% committed to it yourself; otherwise, you shouldn’t start it YET. Last year I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions, and neither am I this year. If I want something, I have to be willing to go for it. A New Year’s resolution for me could be to start college, but I’m not 100% committed to that yet. I’m going to work on getting to that point where I’m 100% committed, and next school year—so around summer—I’ll start college. This might seem too passive, but if I make sure to think about my goals more often and really think them through, then once I get started, it’s not as hard as I thought, and it almost happens on its own. I achieved the goal I set two years ago, and I did it as early as January 9 :D even though I thought it would take me longer than 1.5 weeks. It’s too personal to say what that was about :P So, in short, think about your “problem/goal,” think about it often, seek help from friends or family if you don’t think you can do it alone, and tell them what you want to achieve. And only take serious action if you’re willing to go all in—100%. YOU are the most important person in YOUR life. So YOU decide what YOU want to do with it. Cheers, Danny

To add to that, here’s a very fitting quote from a very fitting person. It was Milton H. Erickson who once said, “A goal without a date is just a dream.” When you have a goal in mind, it’s a good idea to set a (realistic!) deadline for yourself. If you consciously work toward a specific date, your goal suddenly becomes much more clearly defined—and it also gives you that extra push you need. Dieting, for example (the most well-known New Year’s resolution), seems like an impossible task if you set a goal of losing 20 kilos. But if you promise yourself you’ll lose 5 kilos by a certain date, that’s much more manageable. After that (following a week-long break), you simply set yourself a new deadline for the next 5 kilos. I do this myself, too; after an accident last summer, I fell significantly behind in my (online) studies. I’ve now given myself two months to catch up. You can turn it into a challenge to achieve your goals within the timeframe you’ve set for yourself; this creates a sense of pride that leads to greater satisfaction and more motivation for the next goal. I’m now ahead of schedule with my studies, and that feels great!

Achieving goals requires preparation. For example, let’s say you want to lose 10 kg. To prepare yourself mentally, I recommend spending a month working on your mindset first. You can do this by using affirmations in combination with visualization. As often as possible each day, say the following affirmation: I am happy and grateful that I am now effortlessly at my ideal and desired weight of ... kg. Say this affirmation so powerfully that you experience the fantastic and elated feeling that comes with that achievement. Know that an affirmation without that feeling doesn’t work! Say this affirmation at least 100 times a day. More is fine, but less is absolutely not allowed. Just before going to sleep and immediately after waking up, visualize yourself as you are now and as you want to be. Bring that feeling into the visualization—how you imagine you’ll feel once your goal is achieved. End with a feeling of gratitude that your goal has been achieved. Once your one-month preparation period is over, start taking the actual steps required and reward yourself every day for the progress you’re making. Keep visualizing, because that will help you stay focused on your actions, and remind yourself as often as possible how easy it is for you. Success guaranteed! Have fun with your resolutions! Hans Oelen