6 tips to take you from dreaming to doing

Big goals are scary. They are intimidating. They stare you down. It still the beginning of another year. Our eyes are fixed on a big goal, whether it’s getting healthy or writing a book. You could start tomorrow, you tell yourself. ‘Tomorrow’ is a comforting friend that promises a fresh start, where your future-self will make a better decision.  So more ‘tomorrows’ pass, and eventually the well of motivation runs dry. Suddenly, your goal has quietly slipped into a dream deferred. But here is where we need to take a step back. When focusing on a big task, it’s easy to think the goal is everything. But it’s not because it’s not even about the goal, it’s about the journey.

Our minds tend to daydream about the future state or beat ourselves up for how we messed up in the past, instead of focusing on what we can do right now to improve. But if you shift your focus from the goal to the journey, your mindset completely changes. Instead of seeing a big goal as something that will be realized at some point in the distant future, you have smaller steps that you can look forward to, and more importantly, act on today.

Focusing on the journey also shines a light on what else you get out of trying to reach your goals. The trek is where you learn. Where you grow. In some ways, achieving goals is just a by-product of your journey. Yes, you lose weight, but you also walk away with new healthy habits, not to mention the gratifying knowledge that you have what it takes.

If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, then what’s to stop you from starting? If something is important enough to do in 2018, then isn’t it important enough to get started on today? When we stop focusing so much on the future or the outcome, and pay more attention to the present and the overall journey, that first single step seems more manageable.

See six tips for making it happen in 2018.

1. Get specific

With both your overall goal and your roadmap for getting there, it’s important to be specific. Writing down ‘procrastinate less’ or ‘lose weight’ simply won’t get you where you need to go. Try using the SMART approach for the goals themselves, and be specific in your action plan of how you’re going to achieve them.

2. Break it down and start small

The best way to gradually get to your overarching goal is to break big habits down into mini-goals and milestones. You can’t rely on motivation alone. Positive signals that you are on the right track will help keep you going. So if you want to write a book, maybe start by writing a few articles on the topic or carve out 20 minutes everyday for writing. Instead of meditating for 10 minutes every day, try just one minute when you’re starting out. Everyday you will get incrementally better, learning something new along the way.

3. Figure out your blockers

What distracts you on a day-to-day basis? What’s holding you back? Brainstorm some ideas for how you can get around your most frequent distractions and triggers. Come up with some tactics to get yourself back on track if you lose your way.

4. Reflect daily

You have to work to keep the journey in mind. Actively thinking about it and reflecting on your motivations every day will remind you of why you started in the first place. Break things down further each day by asking yourself, “What is one step I can take today to get closer to my goal?” You can add this routine to the end of the day as well by asking yourself, “What did I learn today?” You can also check in on a weekly or monthly basis to assess what you have gotten out of your journey thus far.

5. Carve out time

Set aside time every day. Whether it’s 10 minutes or an hour, don’t neglect it — it’s how you will make progress. Many successful individuals credit daily routines as the source of their productivity. If you view each day as a step on the journey, it’s easier to make the time.

6. Celebrate the progress and enjoy the journey

When you have a big goal, it’s tempting to think you haven’t succeeded until you have achieved it. That anything short is a failure. But this overlooks the progress and accomplishments along the way.

Keep track of what you have accomplished with a done list, which is a log of the tasks you have completed. Seeing your progress boosts motivation, heightens positive emotions, and sustains your productivity.