The feeling of achieving a big goal is indescribable.

How many times have you said, or heard someone else say, “I want to lose weight”, “Tomorrow, I’m going to start exercising”, “My new life goal is to write a book”, “I want to quit my job and start my own business” or “I want to start saving more money”, but do nothing except sit around without a strategy, hoping that these goals will magically achieve themselves? If you’re anything like me, you get all fired up when embarking on a new goalventure (it’s not just a goal — it’s an adventure too!) and feel super motivated for the first day or so. Then…a few days later, the excitement fades away and my newly created goal slips gracefully from my mind. Something I’ve realized lately is that setting (and talking about) new goals is super easy — sticking to them and staying motivated throughout the journey is the difficult part. Creating a new goal and igniting the flame within you is a good start, but to be successful in your goalventures, you have to learn ways to fuel the fire throughout the entire process. Here’s a few tips that I’ve learned over the years that have tremendously helped me stay motivated when achieving some of my biggest goals:

1) Keep your eye on the prize. Anytime you feel discouraged, take a few moments to visualize your desired end result. Close your eyes and visualize how alive, energetic, satisfied, and proud you will feel upon reaching any specific feat. Knowing that if you continue to work hard, you can one day say, “I did it!” is a great motivating factor. Example: While writing my upcoming book, anytime I felt discouraged or uninspired to continue writing/editing, I visualized myself holding the first copy proud, smiling ear to ear, unable to contain my excitement. This incredibly joyful image of me has helped me to stay motivated throughout the journey knowing that in the end, all of my hard work will surely pay off.

2) Ask yourself, “Why did I create this goal in the first place?” Remembering why you embarked on a goalventure will remind you of the importance and true meaning of the goal, which can help motivate you to continue working towards it. When stuck in a rut, think about what motivated you to begin with and why you created this goal in the first place. Examples of motives: To be financially secure, feel better about myself, be healthier, gain knowledge, gain experience, meet new people, do what I’ve always wanted to do, follow my heart, help support my family, increase my love for life, live a more fulfilled and meaningful life, etc.

3. Make small goals within your big goals. Sometimes it can be extremely overwhelming to embark on a grand goalventure. To keep yourself from become stressed out and therefore discouraged, repeat this mantra frequently: “Baby steps.” Taking baby steps will help you stay motivated throughout your journey because you will feel a sense of accomplishment each time you take a step in the right direction. Figuring out the small steps you must take in order to reach your final destination will also help mark your progress throughout your journey. Examples of small goals: write an hour a day, lose 1 lb a week, save 10% of each paycheck, to get a B or better on every assignment, play the piano three times a week, exercise five times a week, etc.

I hope that these tips serve you well and help you refuel the fire for your previous unfulfilled goals or help you ignite the flame for a new goal.

Happy staying motivated,