Today we are going to discuss one of my suggestions to set long-term goals and constantly be thinking about your future. You need to set clear and realistic goals. According to psychologists, the greatest demotivator in the world of work is not knowing what is expected or not being clear about your long-term goals. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve in a long time frame, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You will also quickly spot the distractions and eliminate them. Know what your long-term goals are, clearly, before you start anything. If you aren’t sure what the end result is, the confusion will make it impossible to focus.
Now that you have chosen your major goal, I have an additional tip for you. Review and keep track of your progress. Writing in a journal is a great way to keep track of both personal and professional progress. Checking in with yourself and the progress you made towards a certain goal is the key to staying motivated. It may even encourage you to work harder. It’s also a good idea to make an appointment with yourself each week to review your progress. This could be done on Monday while commuting if you are on a bus or a subway. This could be when you get home on a Friday afternoon or when the house is quiet on a Sunday morning. Make it regular and stick to the schedule. It also helps if you can talk to family and friends about your goals and actions and ask them to follow up with you to see if you have made any progress. If you have not made as much progress as you planned to, don’t beat yourself up. Just reschedule the things you missed for the next week. Working step by step is the key. It may take time and perseverance.
You may need to sacrifice some social, TV, or internet time, but you will feel great when you see the progress you are making. Remember, if something does not change, nothing will change.