Have you ever set an important goal only to abandon it weeks or even days later? Do you want to follow through on your goals and create lasting positive changes in your life?
Mike Bayer’s book Best Self reveals four strategies for how to follow through on goals and transform your life. These approaches help you take control of your journey toward personal growth by breaking down overwhelming goals into manageable steps.
Keep reading to discover actionable techniques that will help you achieve meaningful goals.
How to Follow Through on Your Goals
Bayer suggests that you’re more likely to follow through on goals, live in alignment with who you are, and move toward living your ideal life if you adopt four goal-setting approaches:
1) Focus on what you can control so you can take direct action rather than getting derailed by factors outside your control. For example, if your goal is to overcome your tendency to withdraw from uncomfortable conversations with your partner, focus on improving your ability to express your feelings openly rather than trying to control your partner’s reactions.
(Shortform note: Stephen Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) explains how focusing on what’s within your control helps you achieve your goals. When you direct your energy toward things you can’t control, you create a self-defeating cycle of frustration that drains the mental resources you need to achieve your goals. On the other hand, each time you identify and positively change something within your control, you expand what he calls your “circle of influence”—gradually increasing your capacity to create positive change in more areas of your life.)
2) Set clearly defined, time-bound goals so you know exactly what you’re working toward and can measure your progress. For example, you might set the goal of broaching a specific, contentious topic with your partner by the end of the month.
(Shortform note: Tony Robbins (Awaken the Giant Within) expands on how defining a specific goal helps you follow through with it. According to Robbins, the more specific you are about what you want and when you want it, the easier it is to imagine the benefits of achieving it—and these positive expectations increase your motivation to take proactive steps forward. In addition, having a highly specific goal allows you to plan and prepare for potential obstacles, improving your chances of overcoming setbacks and helping you maintain momentum.)
3) Break goals into small steps to help you focus on what you need to do to make progress. For example, clarify your thoughts about the topic on paper or practice expressing your feelings in front of a mirror to shore up your confidence ahead of the discussion.
(Shortform note: In addition to helping you focus on what you need to do, breaking goals into small steps helps you make progress by increasing your self-confidence. According to Chip and Dan Heath (Switch), contemplating a large, distant change from your starting point can discourage you: “I’ll never be able to broach that conversation with my partner. I have no idea how to handle it.” On the other hand, small, frequent actions ensure that you’re only looking at the next step instead of impossibly far ahead. Each time you accomplish a small action, you become more confident you’ll take the next one: “I’ve clarified what I want to say about this. It’ll be no problem to express how I feel.”)
4) Enlist support from others who can hold you accountable and provide encouragement as you work toward your goals. For example, ask a trusted friend to do a practice run-through of the conversation with you and ask for their feedback and advice.
(Shortform note: Research provides insights into how enlisting support from others benefits you. Pursuing transformative goals requires you to make many changes, such as releasing bad habits, acquiring new skills, or adopting new strategies. When you’re working alone, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of effort required to make these changes. This limits your ability to acknowledge the progress you’ve made and makes the process feel arduous. On the other hand, sharing your progress with others creates a space to celebrate your achievements and receive ongoing support—making you feel good and motivating you.)
