How to Achieve Anything You Want: The Most Effective Strategies & Tactics to Reach Your Goals

In order to achieve our life’s mission, we must set specific and achievable goals and then clear a path on how we’re going to make reaching these goals a reality. It is one thing to decide that you are going to cut a tree down, but another in figuring out how you are going to fell it. There is some thinking and processing that must go on between these two events. And I use this very simple example on purpose in order to demonstrate that even the very simplest endeavors require some planning and follow-through. As we say, “The paper won’t write itself.” With that, my goal in this piece is to provide a condensed and succinct guide to those who are about to or have set specific goals but are now seeking help and advice on how to go about it all and make it happen. The advice, tips, strategies and best-practices that I am about to provide are taken from numerous articles that I have read on the subject, both recently and over around three decades as well as from my personal experiences in achieving goals, what I’ve learned in terms of what’s worked, my personal success as evidence. And I will also leverage related advice and coaching that I’ve received along the way. After reading the following content, you should walk away with a pretty good feel of what you need to do and a range of options that are proven to work, which you can choose to execute.

I think the first step and perhaps the most important step in achieving a specific goal is to decide to commit to it deep down inside and with your whole being and conscious. You really have to think about it, consider all of the variables, what are the key drivers behind your decision [and they should be very strong drivers], and this is also very important, how it is going to help you reach your ultimate goals [i.e. how does this goal fit into your “big picture” and what does it represent on your “ladder to success”, however you personally define success]. This is crucial on a psychological level because exercising the right attitude and the right mindset [i.e. we’re going to get into how important enthusiasm is a little later on and why it’s a valuable tool] is probably the biggest component and your most effective tactic that will enable you to overcome the guaranteed challenges and obstacles that you will face. Making that personal commitment deep within your psyche is, at the end of the day, what’s going to carry you through. The simplest way I can put it is you are writing programming code in your mind that “we are going to do this no matter what”.

This goal setting can occur at a very young age or later in life. Some people from their youth make up their mind that they are going to be an Astronaut or professional athlete and many do in-fact achieve these amazing things. However, some people’s path is different and they set some goals a little later in life, myself included.

Please allow me to provide a personal example. I had always wanted to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, particularly the U.S. Navy. At age 28 while I was in the process of making a career transition, I made a firm decision to enlist in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Typically, volunteer U.S. military service members usually enlist right after High School, attend one of the U.S. military academies [i.e. the Navy’s Annapolis in Maryland, the Army’s West Point in New York, or the Air Force’s Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado], or conduct Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). I didn’t take the decision lightly as I believe if one decides to do something or commit to something that they should go into it with “both feet in” and give it 110% of their effort. Otherwise, the thinking is, why bother at all? It does one a disservice going into or committing to something half-heartedly or with weak enthusiasm as the endeavor is likely to fade out or stall early or ultimately end in suboptimal results or even complete failure. And that would be just a waste of time, a waste of time of your trainers if those apply, and it could possibly lead to a personal and mental meltdown.

There are many factors and drivers which led me to feel very confident that joining the Navy at this time was the right thing to do for me at the time and once I thought critically about everything, factored in all of the variables, weighed them and thought about all of the positives, and at that point I knew with all of my being that this was the right decision and what, without any doubts or hesitation what I was going to do. As for the reasons, I would say the biggest reason is I wanted to contribute in some way to the Navy’s overall mission and purpose and that is to protect the United States and our interests. There are few things more meaningful to me or a more noble purpose than that. And given that I enlisted in 2002, following 9/11, I felt that my country was calling me to service. Additionally, my family has a history of military service. Some other factors were opportunities to travel and sail at sea, training and leadership development opportunities, camaraderie with other enlisted sailors and officers, and that at age 28, it was now or never. I’m sure the same thing will be true for you, that several factors will be at play.

But before you can become a sailor, one must get through the initial training and boot camp. So my goal here was to get through this tough training and boot camp period in order that I could serve at sea and reap all of the aforementioned benefits and opportunities. Finally, I knew this was also something, albeit with major challenges, that I was going to enjoy. I’ve been a runner and exercise enthusiast since age 13, I love being at sea and outdoors, I enjoy being around people who are disciplined and focused, and I also knew it was going to be meaningful working and serving with service members who I shared common values and a common mission with.

I knew it was not going to be easy, but I was determined, I had a very strong purpose, and I promised myself that I was going to see this through and not give up. Once I signed my Navy Reserve contract on that dotted line, then and there I told myself I was going to put every cell of my mind and body into this to accomplish this goal, but also push beyond and perform at a high-level and to the greatest extent possible. This happened to be the best decision of my life.

Given the above, in setting your goals you may want to consider the following:

·      What does this mean to you in terms of purpose?

·      Is this the right time in your life to take this on?

·      Have you weighted all of the pros and cons?

·      Have you factored in and analyzed any major external factors that may affect your pursuits?

·      Have you considered all of the benefits and opportunities?

·      Is this something that you have a strong interest in, are going to enjoy, and for which you are passionate about?

By thinking deeply and critically about all of this, I think it will take you a very long way down the road of coming to the right decision for you. I would allow adequate time to go through it all in your head, but I also caution you not to “overthink it”. You may also want to run it past your family and/or close friends and/or mentors and teachers if you are comfortable with that. They know you well and while I wouldn’t let them make the decision for you, you would be foolish not to seek-out, consider and evaluate such feedback from the people closest to you and who know you the best. And once you do make that decision, I would say stick with it unless there is something very major and dangerous that comes up, a significant unexpected event for example [i.e. natural catastrophe, international event or conflict in the area you were planning to go, serious economic changes, and the like]. Don’t second guess yourself if you’ve “done your homework”; go with your gut instinct, it is rarely wrong.

Once you’ve made your decision and committed to your goal, now comes the hard work. I would next recommend conducting rigorous and in-depth research covering all of the key parameters pertaining to your goal and the field, profession, or other category that it resides in. You will greatly improve your chances of success if you know what you’re walking into. Key sources of research can include books, professional or other journals covering your chosen field, industry or other association websites, print or digital newspaper and magazine articles, research papers, and attending related conferences. Another great way to obtain insights into your new endeavor and/or field is to read about and if possible speak with the leaders and top-minds in this field.

You may ask why this is so important? Some of the main reasons are that you will become aware of what it takes to be successful in this area, what the expectations are, what resources, training, and skills you will need, the effort that you will have to put forth and related sacrifices, funding requirements, any other preparation [i.e., for example, some people on the coaching advice from their military recruiters begin an intensive exercise regimen to prepare them physically for boot camp].

TIME TO START CHOPPING THE TREE DOWN

At this point, you’ve made your decision and you’re totally confident in it, you know what tools and resources you need and what it will take. You are armed with that knowledge and that is half the battle. Now it’s time to really get to work and start “chopping that tree down”. This is where you just put your head down and work. It’s about effort and the “horsepower” that you put into it. Just raw effort. This is actually one of my favorite parts because things are set in motion and it’s just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other and pushing forward. Perhaps this attitude originates from my running and training background where I pushed myself through run after run and track interval after track interval. I’ve applied the same work ethic and “can do” and “give it you all” attitude to pretty much every other endeavor in my life. Even with raising daughters because that also requires a great deal of patience, energy, and time.

Some key tips for this period are one, to stick to a set-schedule. This doesn’t mean you can’t take breaks or vacations or alter things here and there for holidays or summer months and things like that. But on a normal, everyday basis, I would say develop a schedule that works for you and is effective and do your best to stay with it for the most part. Two, take care of your health which means getting regular physical exercise, getting adequate sleep each night and also eating healthy.

For example, when I was studying for my echocardiography [i.e. also known as cardiac sonography] board exams, I was also working a few different jobs, and drilling in the U.S. Navy Reserve. I had quite a lot going on. During the week, I developed and carried out the following schedule. I would wake up fairly early and work out at the gym at the Naval Station where I drilled out of. Most of the time, I hit the gym and/or did around a 3-mile run around the base. This charged me up for the day, it helped me maintain a high-level of endurance and mental acuity [i.e. there is plenty of research out there showing the link between physical exercise and increased cognitive function], and just raised my spirits because it’s something I very much enjoy. After that, I would hit this computer lab on base and study and complete assignments there for around 2 – 3 hours. Then I would grab lunch and head to my afternoon and sometimes late evening jobs. Of course, on drill weekends or additional duty that I volunteered for; I would focus on that.

Things were very compressed and non-stop but I enjoyed it all and enjoyed the interaction with all the people whom I worked with. Sometimes I think back and I’m not sure how I pulled it off. But keeping healthy was definitely an integral part of it. It helped me to keep going at a high energy level and both my work at the hospitals and clinics and my Navy Reserve drills, as you can imagine, all required a great deal of energy and mental focus. Also, I kept my goals in mind and also what achieving this goal would mean for my life, that is a secure job, the benefits of being nationally registered in cardiovascular ultrasound, and the opportunities it would offer me [i.e., a little bit later on after I gained around 5 years of hands-on clinical experience in echocardiography, I went on to teach it for 5 years at a healthcare trade school; and this turned out to be one of my favorite and rewarding career experiencing, because I build it myself from scratch and I achieved strong results helping dozens of healthcare professionals who have moved on to become healthcare managers and leaders]. So the takeaway here is keep your “big picture” in mind, especially on those very tough days or when you come across a seemingly impossible obstacle and you consider throwing in the towel. Don’t do that! Keep going, “Never give up!”

CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING THE PARETO PRINCIPLE

You may want to consider implementing the Pareto Principle to help you as work toward conquering your goal. The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule, states that 80 percent of the results comes from 20 percent of the efforts.

To engage in this strategy, you first need to identify which efforts are actually producing the biggest gains. But, once you do, all you need to do is scale out those efforts out.

LEVERAGING THE POWER OF ENTHUSIASM

Enthusiasm is the energy, the intense zeal, the inspiration, the focus, the fervor, the excitement or the enjoyment found in people when they are possessed by a conscious or unconscious desire to do a thing.

Use enthusiasm to power your efforts – Enthusiasm is linked with happiness. It also triggers creativity. For example, I am writing this piece because some of the key goals which I achieved majorly and positively changed the direction of my life and I now want to share these goal-setting tips and experiences with others.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER AND CROSSING THE FINISH LINE

You are almost there! You set and defined your goal, you’ve worked mightily and admirably hard, sacrificed, kept focused and on-track. The finish line is in sight. It’s time to “kick” [i.e., using this as an analogy when in a track race the runner sprints as fast as they can for the remainder of the race to the finish line using every last bit of energy and endurance that they have; and this can be particularly challenging when the runner has all this lactic acid built up in their muscles which makes them feel stiff.]

At this point you may be in the final weeks of preparing for a final, board, or licensing exam, an audition or some type of try-out, other types of competitions, job interview, or cutting the ribbon for your new business facility. These are just some examples. But whatever your immediate goal is, you are very, very close to achieving it. At this time, I really would advise that you NOT change anything. Keep exercising, keep getting good sleep, keep eating a healthy diet and keep doing some things you enjoy. The only thing I would advise is that you up your efforts and intensity and push the button for the “turbo-boost”. The only exception I can really think of is if your goal is winning some type of track or other athletic championship or major event or meet. For that, in the final weeks it is best to “taper off” your training in order that your body is “fresh” on race or competition day.

If you find yourself starting to get nervous, stressed, and/or just can’t relax, here are some tips:

·      Take at least 3 deep breaths in and out and do it until you calm down.

·      Remember, you did all the up-front work, you know this is the right thing, you’ve worked extremely hard and prepared. You have nothing to worry about; you are doing everything that you need to do. You got this!!

·      Talk to family, friends, your coach or mentor and anyone else who can offer words of support and encouragement. Sometimes just talking about it helps versus internalizing everything which is not healthy.

·      Take a walk or run and decompress; any other activity that has similar calming effects and is healthy is also encouraged.

·      Have confidence in yourself, your skills, talents, and knowledge.

Below are some other important points, tips, and strategies to keep in mind:

·      Big goals don’t happen overnight.

·      Keep the right frame of mind; that is a positive frame of mind.

·      Create and execute a plan of action.

·      Consistently instill self-discipline.

·      Minimize distractions – purely focus on the task ahead.

·      Avoid procrastination; As they say, “Procrastination can be the biggest thief.”

·      Effectively manage your time.

·      Don’t let a failure defeat you, instead use it as a learning experience.

·      Find a mentor; they can help guide and coach you and also help you to stay on-track.

·      Track your progress.

·      Seek out feedback and honest constructive criticism.

·      Keep the definition of your goal handy.

·      Visualize your goals; elite athletes often use this tactic.

·      Program your mind for success and positive results.

·      Work past obstacles and develop and execute strategies to circumvent them.

·      Do not allow anything or anyone to discourage you from achieving your goal(s).

·      Think about why you are pursuing this goal and what it will ultimately mean for your future. This is a very important consideration as a goal with a purpose is one you are more likely to remain committed to and working through to its attainment.

·      Be a self-advocate.

·      Break big plans into small, achievable steps.

·      Utilize self-belief.

·      Obstacles are there to instruct you.

·      Never be a quitter.

Congratulations!!! You’ve done it!! You didn’t let anything stand in your way, you put on your warrior face, you overcame, got around more than a few obstacles along the way, gave it everything you had and YOU WON!!

You should feel absolutely fantastic, happy, and proud of yourself. Now it’s time to share the good news with your family, friends, and anyone else whom you would care to share it with. Also, and this is important because it reinforces and rewards all of your hard work and sacrifices, go and do something you enjoy! Give yourself some reward. You earned it and you owe it to yourself.

And guess what, once you do all of the above, then you can go back to the drawing board and start to decide on, develop a plan of attack for, and start working toward your next goal. And just think, another success is right around the corner!

I wish anyone reading this all the success in the world in achieving their goals and their ultimate life missions.

Please feel free to share this motivational article with anyone who you think would be interested in and benefit from it. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this piece.