The ways to achieve your goals

If you really want something, don’t just say it as a resolution. Instead, 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 even start yet. Last year I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions, and I’m not making any this year either. If I want something, I have to be willing to go for it. A New Year’s resolution for me could be that I want to go to college, but I’m not 100% committed to that yet. I’m going to work on getting 100% committed to it, though, and next school year—so around summer—I plan to start college.This might seem too passive, but if I make sure to think about my goals more often and really think them through, 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 100% committed to it. YOU are the most important person in YOUR life. So YOU decide what YOU want to do with it. Cheers, Danny

To complement this, I have here a very appropriate quote from a very appropriate 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 you do well to set a (realistic!) deadline for yourself. If you consciously work towards a date, your goal is suddenly much more defined, and it also gives you a big stick.Dieting for example (the most famous Good Intention) seems an impossible task if you set yourself the goal of losing 20 pounds. But if you promise yourself to lose 5 kilos by a certain date, it is already much more manageable. After that (after a week of breathing space) you just give yourself a new deadline for the next 5 kilos.I'm doing this myself; After an accident last summer, I fell behind in my (home) studies. I have now given myself two months to catch up. You can make it a sport to achieve your goals within the time agreed with yourself, this causes a feeling of pride that gives more satisfaction and more motivation for the next goal. I am now ahead of schedule with my studies and that feels good!

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 combined with visualization. Repeat the following affirmation as often as possible each day: 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, picture 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 to achieve it and reward yourself every day for the progress you’re making. Keep visualizing, because that helps you stay focused on your actions, and remind yourself as often as possible how easy it is for you. Success is guaranteed! Have fun with your resolutions. Hans Oelen