I think one of the hardest aspects about setting goals for yourself is that when you first visualize where you want to be, versus where you are, it can seem almost impossible that you will ever get there.

It doesn’t really seem to matter how minuscule or immaculate the task at hand is… Whether you’re just starting to type out that first sentence of your paper due at the end of the week, or starting your first day at a new job where you can eventually work your way up the totem pole; that final draft, and that promotion, can feel as if they are eons away.

Which leads me to the question of, “how do you keep yourself motivated and determined to give your best effort throughout the entire process?”

First, let me start off by saying, this is absolutely not an easy task. At times, throughout the process, you may feel as if you are on top of the world… but at other times, conversely, you may feel as if you have hit a stale mate.

I’m going to let you in on two things that I find to be extremely helpful to keep me motivated in times of distress, or, even just at those times where you’re ready to give up and settle because you feel as if  maybe you could be “content” where you’re at instead of going the full distance  ….

1.) And this may be one that you’ve heard before but, it’s important to always remind yourself why you set that goal to begin with:

You didn’t just wake up one day and magically, or randomly, decide that maybe you would like to be a CEO of a major corporate company… or that maybe it would be fun to go to graduate school. You chose these things deliberately; by weighing out the pros and the cons, and deciding to go after it because you saw the ultimate goal as something well worth all the sacrifices that would come along with it. So, it is in these moments of “desperation“, that you must remind yourself of why you ultimately ended up deciding to take that first step down the road to success.

2.) Acknowledge the fact that you are not perfect; and you don’t have to be!

Piggy backing off of my last post about being your own best competitor, I think that it is so important to reiterate the fact that we are not perfect, and that we shouldn’t necessarily strive to be. There is something to be said about a person who can see their imperfections and still administer self-love all the same. We should always continue to work on improving ourselves, but to simultaneously accept who we are and that we are no less than anyone else because of our differences. What makes us different is what makes us authentic. In short, we should always aim to be the best version of ourselves; but, never to be another person’s expectation of perfection.

These are two tips that have helped me immensely in achieving my goals; and I hope by remembering these simple tips you will have the same success!

-Virginia Johnson

Are you struggling with focusing on setting goals and achieving them, or not feeling in control of your own life, or are you just interested in talking to someone about things going on in your life because you simply feel that you do not as you should? Sometimes having a partner in your journey can help. Give us a call  to set up a free phone consultation at Life Skills Resource Group Orlando at 407-355-7378, and one of our Orlando Individual Counselors, Orlando Life Coaches, Orlando Teen Counselors, and Orlando Child counselors would be more than happy to help you, a family member, or a friend work on changing your life.