People often ask me what I think are the most important keys toachieving successful outcomes. There are many, but the one thingthat I see as being the most essential—and often ignored—isconsistency. Any worthwhile, challenging goal requires sustained effort.Doing the things necessary for a day or two isn't hard. Wheremost people fall down is in stringing those days together andthereby creating the progress, the momentum, and ultimately, thesuccessful accomplishment.What follows are ten ways to maintain your focus, your energyand your optimism while pursuing your goal. They've worked forme and they'll work for you. When I've employed all of thesecomponents, I've never failed to achieve my intention. 1. Have Powerful Reasons. With a strong enough reason you canand will find the how and the wherewithal to achieve yourreward. Reasons plus belief keep you motivated. When you'reexcited about your goal, it doesn't seem like work. If you'renot excited, your efforts will require more discipline andenergy. Make sure it's YOUR goal. Make sure it excites you. Andthen act enthusiastically. 2. Write Your Objectives Down. This is a critical step. Don'tthink it, ink it. When you write your goals down, they appearnot only on paper, but they become indelibly written upon yourconsciousness. 3. Visualize. "See" your objective already in existence. Nothingcan withstand the power of a clear, multi-sensory vision of whatyou are intending. What does it look like? What will people besaying about it? How will you feel? The more detailed and "real"you can make your vision, the more powerful it will be. It willoperate like a magnet and draw forth all kinds of things younever thought possible. 4. Affirm Your Success. Speak your goal into existence. Anaffirmation is a present-tense, positive statement of yourintended outcome. I now have achieved ______________ (fill inthe blank). The more sensory rich you can make youraffirmations, the more effective they will be. All of thesetechniques help you to feel the presence of your objective andbuild belief. 5. Make a Plan of Action. To achieve and stay focused upon yourobjective, create an action plan. What are the steps you willtake to get you from where you are to where you want to be? Yourstrategies will likely change as you go along, so set your goalsin concrete and your plans in sand. Keep your eye on the goal,but remain flexible in your path to it. 6. Measure Your Progress. You can't change what you don'tmeasure. Create mechanisms that will allow you to see yourprogress. Use charts. Log your actions. Use anything that willencourage you by allowing you to objectively track yourprogress. We all need feedback—it's the breakfast of champions. 7. Maintain a Support System. Have a Master Mind Group. Use theBuddy System. Surround yourself with people who will encourageand challenge you. Be accountable to someone other thanyourself. Read positive books. Review past successes. 8. Focus On Only a Few Goals at a Time. You can achieve anythingyou desire, but not EVERYTHING you desire. Concentrate yourefforts and your energy on just a few. I might have dozens ofgoals and projects, but I keep three key goals in the forefrontof my mind.9. Take Action Every Day. An important objective warrants dailyattention. A 400-page novel is not written all at once. To many,writing a 400-page novel would be overwhelming. But a littleover a page a day will get it done in a year. Every goal can bebroken down into doable tasks done consistently. 10. Celebrate Your Milestones. Mark your successes andacknowledge yourself for your progress. As you achieve one goal,you can see better and believe more easily in the accomplishmentof others. You deserve to succeed and you deserve to celebrateyour successes.

Author: Michael Angier
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