By Shefa Ali
This week an Instagram family member wrote to me expressing how she is feeling under a lot of pressure with a new goal she has taken on and asked for tips on how to stay positive. Since we are already in the month of March and a few of us may have fallen off with our 2021 goals, I thought I would address the subject here.
Positivity is great but it will only get you so far. When it comes to achieving your goals, we are going to need more than positivity to see us through when we start to feel overwhelmed and overloaded.
Staying focused on your goals can be a challenge. In the beginning, we’re certainly motivated, but then we can get caught up, stuck, frustrated, overworked and distracted.
When we are pulled in every which direction, it’s easy to let life overwhelm us. So much so, that we forget what we truly wanted out of life and why we really wanted it in the first place. Staying focused on our goals is not only important, it’s crucial.
I know that I’ve gotten frustrated with my progress towards my goals in the past. Nothing that I’ve ever wanted to achieve was simple or easy. But, then again, I wouldn’t have wanted it if it were simple and easy. Big goals can be so far off from where we are that it can almost be frightening.
So how does this work? How do we stay focused so that we can achieve the things that we want to achieve rather than being stuck another day, week, month, or even year?
First things first — eliminate distractions. While you can’t do away with everything, you can make an effort to reduce or get rid of as many distractions as possible. If your idea of a break from work is checking Facebook or Instagram every 5 minutes, you may want to consider deleting certain apps or putting a block on them for a while.
To keep your brain focused, your energy levels up, and your emotions on an even keel, make sure you don’t delay or skip meals and try and eat home cooked nutritious meals as much as possible,
It’s virtually impossible to stay focused on your goals if you can’t manage your time. Become an effective time manager and you’ll see yourself progressing. Pick a time management system that works and work it.
To stay focused on our goals, we need a plan. A plan is what helps move us from the status quo, to achieving our goals over time. Without a plan, we can end up wandering aimlessly, usually, we end up not getting where we want to be.
If you have a bad day, its ok, you are human, not every day will be amazingly productive, but keep pushing, keep going, and never, ever give up. If your goal is truly something you want from the depths of your soul, I know you won’t stop until you achieve it.
If there is a goal you want to work on and you don’t know where to check start or you are feeling stuck, I would love to be your life coach and accountability partner. Visit my website or send me a DM and let me know what you need support with.
n The author is a consultant and coach. Instagram handle: @miss_shefa, Website: missshefa.com
