Permanent goals are needed in our life to push us. We have all experienced moments where we achieved something that at the beginning seemed impossible, but it was achieved by beating step-by-step barriers. The same happens with losing weight, getting a master’s degree, or becoming fit, for instance. But how can you remain goal-oriented, and how can you motivate yourself to reach your goals?

If we look for an answer in the world of sports and on the internet, we find many articles on this topic that provide some good ideas on keeping on track. Here are 40 practical recommendations that will help you remain goal-oriented and Keep The Big Picture in Mind.

01: Wake up early

Did you know that early risers are often the most successful people? Successful athletes are often very early risers. If you want to become more goal-oriented, don’t sleep too long but wake up earlier.

Why it works: Sometimes success is only possible by getting started at 5 am, for example in sports. But even if you want to make success easier by sleeping longer, it would be wise not to sleep too long (8 hours at most).

02: Avoid distractions

It can also help if you switch off all possible distractions like the phone and the TV when working on a project. Try concentrating fully on one thing and avoid any distractions that are not necessary at the moment.

Why it works: When you avoid distractions, you can work on your project with 100% concentration. You will hardly get distracted when nothing is happening around you. This way, more things are possible.

03: Don’t multitask

Multitasking can greatly influence how much time it takes to accomplish a project. If you spend your time doing many different things simultaneously, it will be very difficult to master all projects.

Why it works: Everyone can concentrate on one thing for an hour, but it becomes harder and harder after an hour. Multitasking is also not good for our brain because we get tired more quickly and make more mistakes.

04: Start small

Let’s say you want to lose weight and don’t see the desired results after a week of working out. Don’t let this discourage you or make you give up on your weight loss goals. Keep in mind that any bodybuilding humbly has its beginning. You can also draw from this experience, don’t be too hard on yourself, and keep the faith.

Why it works: When you set goals that are too high and unreachable, you run the risk of giving up and feeling like a failure.

It is better to start small than not at all because you will meet other people who face the same problem as you and motivate each other.

05: Get enough sleep

As best as your schedule allows, make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep a night because lack of rest inhibits concentration and impairs judgment. Make sure that your bedroom is quiet and dark so that it’s easier to fall asleep.

Why it works: When you don’t get enough sleep, your body is tired, and your mind doesn’t work well as usual. Not sleeping is a big problem because most people forget things easily, and they sometimes can’t remember where they put their car keys or what time an appointment was scheduled for.

06: Exercise regularly

Exercise helps you think more clearly, gives you energy, and combats stress. Exercise also releases endorphins in the brain, making you feel better about yourself. Therefore, it is recommended to find a physical activity that suits your body type, schedule, and level of fitness.

Why it works: If, after working out, you come home and find that nothing else needs to be done, you can reward yourself with a little rest.

07: Drink tea and coffee during the day

Some studies show that drinking tea or coffee helps us concentrate better on our tasks. However, this will only work if the intake of caffeine is combined with time for relaxation or sleep (which should not be near the time in which we drink tea or coffee).

Why it works: Caffeine improves concentration because it is a stimulant, but caffeine only affects your body for a couple of hours. Excess intake can lead to problems. Therefore it’s good to have breaks during this period.

08: Have a plan for everything

Don’t take on too much at once; write your schedule down daily and know what needs to be done. Only work on the things you have planned to do. Planning is very important because it will help you accomplish all of your projects instead of achieving nothing by overloading yourself.

Why it works: You can’t do everything at once. It’s good to plan what needs to be done and focus on that task exclusively because it will get done faster.

09: Not every project is equally difficult

We are all different, so you shouldn’t compare yourself with others. If one of your friends throws you a party, you should never say that you are not throwing one because your friend throws more lavish parties.

Why it works: It’s better to concentrate on what is important and forget about what other people do or don’t do.

10: Never be intimidated by others’ success

We all know at least one person who, after a promotion or paycheck raise, suddenly seems to have lost interest in other important aspects of their lives. Don’t envy others’ success, and don’t be intimidated by it because that will not help you accomplish your goals.

Why it works: It’s good to look at everything with moderation because success can also cause people to lose sight of all other aspects of their lives.

11: Organize your life properly so that you have spare time

Don’t schedule everything from the moment you wake up to when your head hits the pillow. If you need some free time, leave it open so that you don’t feel pressured to do errands and work during this time. You can save up errands and dedicate them to your free time, as long as you keep it limited.

Why it works: If you don’t leave open time for yourself, there’s a chance that once scheduled, you won’t do any of the things that need to be done because others will take up your time.

12: Take a break when you feel overwhelmed

Some people tend to take on too much and look for ways to handle their stress. You should not constantly be at work because it doesn’t help build your career. Instead, schedule some free time so that you can relax and have fun, no matter how busy you are. That is the only way to recharge your batteries.

Why it works: If you don’t take a break when you feel overwhelmed, you won’t accomplish anything and will be too tired to do anything when you get back from work or after taking a break. You’ll end up wasting more time than if you’d just done nothing at all before starting.

13: Don’t make excuses not to do something; find a way around it

Doing stuff is always better than doing nothing. If you feel like you can’t do anything because of a lack of resources or money, don’t tell yourself that you can’t achieve anything, but look for other ways to get what you want. You can always find a way around obstacles if you are determined enough.

Why it works: Sometimes, the most complicated things are not impossible to solve by thinking outside of the box. But if you don’t find ways to resolve your problems, you’ll end up accomplishing nothing and won’t be able to see all of the opportunities that otherwise would have been available to you.

14: Don’t wait for motivation; go and do the things you like doing every day

Motivation is very important, but people rely too much on it because they wait until they feel motivated before starting their projects. You will never feel motivated enough for everything if your need a kick-start every time.

Why it works: Sometimes motivation doesn’t come when you want it to, so you should do the things that motivate you every day because otherwise, they won’t get done.

15: You can learn anything if you put your mind to it

If there’s something that interests you, you’re willing to dedicate time to learning about it; you’ll have no problem learning. The only difference between successful people and less successful people is that the former spent more time trying to learn what interested them in the first place.

Why it works: If you’re willing to take the time to try something new or are interested in doing so, there’s nothing that can stop you, and you’ll be able to achieve anything that comes your way.

16: Never give up – because even if you fall, there is always a chance to try again

Some people set goals and then give up on them when they don’t feel motivated enough because of the time it takes (which is why starting small help). You should do the things that interest you, but if it turns out that they aren’t what you thought they’d be, then move on to something else.

Why it works: If you don’t give up when things get hard, there’s a chance that one day your efforts will pay off, and you’ll achieve everything you wanted to without even knowing that you could.

17: You should be prepared for everything that can happen in life

If you prepare yourself for anything possible, it will never come to pass. If you plan every detail carefully, things won’t work out the way you wanted them to because there are always changes or unexpected events that happen no matter how well-thought-out your plan was.

Why it works: If you hope for the best, things won’t turn out the way you want them to because you didn’t prepare enough. But if you consider everything, then chances are good that whatever comes your way will be something that can be solved and improved through research and knowledge.

18: You can’t please everyone; don’t try to

Not all people think or act the same way. Some people even find pleasure in doing things that you hate, so it’s impossible to make everyone happy unless they’re the same as you. And if they aren’t like you, trying to please them is a waste of time.

Why it works: The amount of things you can do to make other people happy is always limited because it depends on the individual, and thus trying to please everyone will get you nowhere.

19: You should follow your convictions even if they aren’t popular

If you finally decide something, don’t let someone else convince you to follow their opinion instead. If you’re not sure which choice is the right one, then try both ways and see what works best for you in the long run.

Why it works: You should stay firm with your decisions no matter how unpopular they are because that’s the only way that you’ll ever be able to know for sure if they were the right ones.

20: Don’t worry about what other people think

People will always have a different opinion about everything, which is why you should abandon any preconceptions and look for something that interests you. What might interest someone else may not interest you and vice versa, so do the things that make you happy instead.

Why it works: You can’t always stay on the safe’s side – doing what other people like – because there’s a chance that your interests will be more similar to those of someone who lives in another part of the world. If you aren’t doing anything that you enjoy, how can anyone expect you to be happy?

Conclusion

Follow this guide to know about the 20 ways to help you remain goal-oriented and Keep The Big Picture in Mind. We have tested each of these techniques, so feel confident in following them as they work for us! Let us know if any other ideas come your way as well.