Want to Reach Your Goal This Time?

3 Questions That Dramatically Boost Your Chances For Reaching A Goal

Reaching goals isn’t just about know what steps to take. It’s also about how you handle discouragement, fear and stumbles on the way to goal. Research shows that the most successful people actually think differently on the path to success — and that mental toughness helps them to be resilient in the face of frustrations and obstacles. Here are ten ways to boost your chances of reaching your goals this year and the questions you can ask to coach yourself along the way.

1. Know Your “Why.”

COACH YOURSELF: What will this goal give you that you don’t have right now?

Purpose fuels perseverance. Have a strong “why” behind your goal and you are far more likely to stick with it when it becomes difficult.

2. Plan It On Your Calendar.

COACH YOURSELF: What will I need to put in place in order to support my goal?

Most people set goals, but don’t have a realistic plan to achieve them. Look at your calendar now and block some time (whether 15 minutes for a small goal or a whole day or more for a big goal) to brainstorm how you will achieve the goal and plan your timeline. Identify your potential obstacles and put plans in place to help you avoid them. Identify and put in place the things that will help you reach the goal. Is it a new, healthier grocery shopping list? An automatic withdrawal from your paycheck so you can boost your savings by 25% by the end of the year? Hiring a resume writer to make you stand out from the crowd?

3. Tell Yourself The Truth.

COACH YOURSELF: What’s the self-sabotaging habit you most need to conquer in order to reach the goal?

Fill in the blank of this statement, “I hate to admit it, but ….” Be honest about what’s held you back from the goal in the past. Then make the goal about addressing it. So for example, rather than simply, “I’m going to lose weight,” the goal becomes, “I’m going to find healthy ways to cope with my stress/insecurity/anxiety other than eating.” i

VALORIE BURTON is founder of the CaPP Institute and the bestselling author of a dozen books, including Successful Women Think Differently and her latest, Brave Enough to Succeed: 40 strategies for getting unstuck. For more strategies, visit www.valorieburton.com.