12 Top Tips for Long Lasting Goal Achievement

How many times do you hear of people setting goals, only to lose sight of them in little or no time? Following are 12 top tips to ensure that you turn your dreams into reality.

1. Set specific and measurable goals – avoid words such as ‘some’ and ‘more’, as statements like “I will do SOME exercise” or “I will eat MORE veggies” leaves too much room for avoidance. Deal in measurable goals such as a body weight goal (E.g. 70kg)
2. Shoot for the Stars – Don’t settle for a “realistic” image because you don’t want to be disappointed.  Remember, the level you set the bar is the point for which you will aim.  You don’t want to undersell yourself do you?  Always step forward into growth and never pull back into safety. Most people never come close to actualizing their full potential simply because they do not believe it is possible.
3. Set realistic deadlines – There are no unrealistic goals so much as there are unrealistic time frames in which you set out to achieve them. For example, it is not unrealistic for someone to lose 50kg. However, it is unrealistic to lose that much weight in 3 months.
4. Set short term goals to help you achieve your long-term goals –The previous example of losing 50kg could become very realistic and achievable by establishing the following: The ultimate long term goal (2 years) – lose 50kg, A 12 month goal – lose 25kg, A 3 month goal – lose 12kg, A weekly goal – lose 1kg, Daily goals – Eat 5 small meals and exercise before breakfast.
5. Set secondary performance based goals to motivate you to achieve your primary body shape goals. If you do not have a compelling deadline such as “Looking great for your daughter’s wedding”, use events that occur at a set time as your secondary goal. For example, training to complete “The City to Surf” in a certain time often provides people with the motivation to exercise and eat well each day.
6. Understand the emotional reasoning behind your goal achievement – This will be that force that pushes you through when things are difficult.  Continually ask yourself why changing your body shape is important to you, and for each goal that you have set, ensure that there is an element of emotion attached.
7. Make sure your goals are not conflicting – Often, we find people coming to us saying they want to “lose weight and put on muscle”. The problem is that these two things fundamentally contradict each other. To lose fat you have to go into an energy deficit and to put on muscle you have to go into an energy surplus.
8. Write down your goals – Keep them visible so that you are forced to constantly look at them. Post them on the dashboard of your car, on the fridge, on your computer at work, or, on your bathroom mirror. This will ensure that they become imbedded in your subconscious.
9. Read your goals with faith – ACT AS IF! Read your affirmations in present tense as if they were already achieved. See mental pictures of yourself as if you have already achieved your goal.
10. Celebrate your success – Outstanding leaders reward the behaviour of their people if they want repeated high performance. You should do the same thing without feeling guilty when you achieve your goals.
11. Keep a list of your achieved goals. Success breeds more success. That is why you should start a collection of all of your successes. You will reach many, many small goals on your way to your ultimate goal. 
12. Set new goals continually. Goal setting never stops it is an on-going process. In truth there never really is an ultimate goal, because if there were and you reached it what then?  When the day arrives that you no longer have any goals, your life ceases to have meaning.