Goals are like the destinations we aim for in our lives.
Imagine them as the places we want to visit or the achievements we dream of reaching (Nair, 2003).
And long term goals are those bigger dreams that take more time to become real.
Think of these as your major life plans, like getting a degree, moving up in your job, building strong relationships, or getting fit.
Achieving these big dreams isn’t always easy.
It’s like going on a long journey; you need a good map and the energy to keep going, even when it gets tough.
Let’s dive in and have a look at some helpful strategies to make your long term goals a reality.
How to Reach Your Long Term Goals
Choose Specific and Challenging Goals
Aim for goals that are going to stretch your abilities a bit.
When we set goals that are a bit tough, but not too tough, we tend to achieve more.
If we make our goals too easy, we don’t seem to push ourselves enough and will then miss out on what we could really accomplish.
Pick Goals That Matter to You
It’s much easier to reach a goal that you really care about.
Start by trying to figure out what’s important to you.
When your goals align with what you truly want, you’ll be more motivated to work towards them.
Be Realistic in Your Goals
Finding the balance between dreaming big and being realistic is the key.
If you don’t believe in yourself, you might aim too low and miss out on amazing opportunities.
It’s okay to dream big, but you also have to stick on your reality hat to judge what you can actually achieve.
Commit to Your Goal
As a rule we humans don’t like to let ourselves or others down.
When we commit to a goal, especially if we tell others about it, we’re more likely to follow through.
Sometimes, sharing your goals can boost your determination to achieve them.
Build Yourself a Feedback System
Feedback helps you understand your progress (Latham, & Locke, 2007).
If you don’t have someone to give you feedback, you can create your own system.
Track your progress and evaluate how you’re moving towards your goal.
This self-feedback will let you know if you’re on the right track.
Aligning Long Term Goals with Your Core Needs
Researchers point out that we’re driven to meet basic needs such as independence, connection with others, and feeling skilled or capable (Sheldon & Elliot, 1999).
When you set your long term goals, see how close they match up with these essential needs.
For instance, starting your own business is about independence because you choose what you work on.
Finding love connects with your need for relationships.
And aiming for a promotion aligns with your desire to feel competent and skilled.
Understanding how your goals satisfy your deep needs can give you confidence that achieving them will lead you to becoming happier.
Stages of Pursuing Long Term Goals
Achieving long-term goals involves several steps:
Initiation: This is when you begin working towards your goal.
Maintenance: Keep moving forward and take actions that help you get closer to your goal.
Persistence: This is about handling hurdles, like feeling tired, bored, or unsure.
It’s about staying strong despite these challenges.
Revision: Regularly check your progress.
Adjust your plans if you need to, and reconsider your goal to make sure it’s still right for you (Sniehotta, Schwarzer, Scholz, & Schüz, 2005).
Stick to Your Goals
Achieving long-term goals is a journey that takes a lot of commitment, hard work, and the ability to keep going even when things get tough.
And to stick to them you are going to face real challenges and emotional hurdles along the way.
Experts suggest that having two types of plans can be really helpful (Sniehotta, Schwarzer, Scholz, & Schüz, 2005).
An action plan that will tell you what steps to take and a coping plan that will help you deal with obstacles you will encounter.
Here’s how to do it:
Identify Potential Challenges
Think ahead about what might slow down or stop your progress.
Knowing these challenges beforehand lets you come up with effective solutions to sort them out.
Create some If-Then Statements
For each obstacle, make a plan.
Say, if you’re too tired to work on your goal, have a backup plan ready.
For example, if you need a nap during your goal time, it’s fine because you have an alternative time reserved just for such situations.
Overcoming Distractions and Challenges
Distractions are often the biggest roadblocks on our path to long-term goals.
Sometimes, parts of our main goal might feel boring or tough.
And let’s face it, life is full of distractions.
Creating a strategy to reduce these distractions can be a game-changer.
For instance, using an app to pause your emails, logging out of social media, or setting a limit on your internet time can help.
Using headphones to block out unwanted noise, or keeping a few snacks close by so you don’t have to constantly get up, are also smart moves.
Have a think about what usually distracts you and what you can do about it to tackle these distractions.
Identifying and Tackling Personal Challenges
It’s important to know and recognize what’s held you back in the past.
Take a bit of time to think about the obstacles that have stopped you from achieving your previous goals.
Write them down and have a little brainstorming session to come up with some solutions to avoid them the next time round.
Be specific – rather than just telling yourself “I’ll figure it out,” come up with concrete strategies.
For example, if you often find low self-confidence is your barrier, plan to do some self-love exercises whenever you start to doubt yourself.
Having a few tailor made plans for your unique challenges can greatly boost your chances of reaching your goals.
References
● Nair, K. S. (2003). Life goals: the concept and its relevance to rehabilitation. Clinical Rehabilitation, 17(2), 192-202.
● Latham, G. P., & Locke, E. A. (2007). New developments in and directions for goal-setting research. European Psychologist, 12(4), 290-300.
● Sheldon, K. M., & Elliot, A. J. (1999). Goal striving, need satisfaction, and longitudinal well-being: the self-concordance model. Journal of personality and social psychology, 76(3), 482.
● Sniehotta, F. F., Schwarzer, R., Scholz, U., & Schüz, B. (2005). Action planning and coping planning for long‐term lifestyle change: theory and assessment. European Journal of Social Psychology, 35(4), 565-576.
