7 ways to achieve our goal

7 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Reaching Your Goals

Your hard work will play the most prominent role in your success, but if you don't formulate your goals correctly, it will be much more challenging to accomplish them. Your short-term and long-term goals must meet the following criteria:

1. Have specific goals. You might say, "I want to be successful." Well, who doesn't? But can you define what success means? Success to one person may mean becoming CEO of a company while to another person it may mean getting home from work by 6 pm every day.
2. Your goals must be measurable. Have a timeframe for achieving your goals and a way to determine when you have reached them.
3. Don't be negative. Your goal should be something you want rather than something you want to avoid. It is much better to say, for instance, "I want to improve my skills over the next four years so that I qualify for a better job" than "I don't want to be stuck in this job for another four years."

Be realistic. Your long-term goals must be compatible with your abilities and skills. Stating "I want to win a Grammy Award" if you can't sing or play an instrument will set you up for failure. 

Your goal must be reachable within your time frame. Break a long-term goal down into smaller goals. It is better to take baby steps than one big giant leap. 

Pair each goal with an action. For instance, if your goal is to become a writer, sign up for a writing class.

1. Be flexible. Don't give up if you encounter barriers that threaten to impede your progress. Instead, modify your goals accordingly. Let's say your need to continue working will keep you from going to college full-time. Although it won't be possible to finish your bachelor's degree in four years, you can enroll in school part-time and take a bit longer. Flexibility also means being willing to let go of goals that are no longer meaningful and instead put your energy into pursuing other ones.