Would you like to reach a giant-size goal in life? Maybe you’d like to finish your college degree. Or do you want to lose a lot of weight?
Psychologists say it’s best to pursue a single large goal at one time. Simultaneously setting too many big goals will cause you to fail.
Instead, try to make headway in reaching one goal before starting another. This way, your confidence in your ability to plan steps for progress will grow.
Here are ideas to grasp this concept:
— Focus on one challenge and make sure your plan is working. Experiment to see what works. For instance, should you eat 2,000 calories each day, or should you aim for 1,500?
— Be honest with yourself about failure. If you are exercising 30 minutes each day, can you see the scales dropping? If not, you have two choices: Eat less, or exercise more.
— Be patient. For example, if you’ve been out of college for a while, take only one class at first. Perfect your study habits and see what works for you. Once you feel comfortable, try taking two or three classes the next semester.
— When you define the formula for one goal, take on one more goal cautiously. This might mean you’ll master managing college classes. Next, within a few months, you’ll try losing two pounds each week.
Working the steps for reaching a giant goal guarantees you’ll have frustration. Mastering skills in steps and stages is never an easy ride. Maybe your friends make certain goals seem easy. But, rest assured, they’ve had their struggles.
“My sister-in-law makes snow skiing look so easy,” says a dance teacher we’ll call Vicky. “But, my sister-in-law told me she nearly gave up at first. I was surprised when she told me it took years to achieve her present smoothness.”
A business executive we’ll call Peyton says he mastered three large goals a few years ago. “I first joined a group to get over my fear of public speaking,” he explains. “That took two years. Next, I learned to play golf pretty well. That took three years. Finally, I started taking tennis lessons.”
Peyton says he was lousy at sports as a kid. He also notes, “I would take an F before I’d do public speaking in high school or college.”
Setting a large goal takes a time commitment, lots of nerve and time away from pleasure. But, it always raises anyone’s self-esteem to master some skills.
“I’ve never seen any kid fail to build self-esteem by mastering large goals,” says a high school guidance counselor we’ll call William. “Conquering each goal puts something in your soul that no one can take away.”
If you set a large goal, choose something that’s seems a little out of reach. Make sure you’re willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to reach that goal.
“I advise people to keep their goal-setting quiet,” says William. “Your friends can easily become jealous. They may try to rock your boat. I’ve seen students quit because they feared teasing by their peers.”
William is right. Even close relatives who are full-fledged adults can get jealous. They can take the joy out of your pleasure in working toward a goal. Until you make progress with your piano lessons or computer skills, don’t share too much.
Be sure to celebrate when you’ve reached a large goal. Mastering the steps to getting there will mostly depend upon you. Buy yourself a special gift or reward yourself with a small vacation.
There’s no rule against honoring your own efforts. Pat yourself on the back for sticking with your goal-setting plans.
