7 Secret Hacks to Make Your Goals More Attainable – #TomFerryShow

November 27, 2018

So you set a goal… and then what? What do you do next?
You’re all excited and you start working on it, and… as soon as that initial enthusiasm fizzles out, you fall off track?
Sound familiar?
If so, you’re in the right place.
I’m sharing with you today seven steps I put into action immediately after setting any goal.
These steps make your goals more meaningful, more powerful and more achievable.
Let’s get started…

Step #1: Clarity is Key

Vague goals don’t inspire action. That’s why it’s important to get very specific about what you really want.
Make sure your goals are specific and measurable…
What do you want?
Why do you want it?
When will you achieve it by?
So your goal isn’t “I want to lose weight.”
It’s “I’m going to lose 12 pounds and an inch on my waist by January 15 because I know I’ll feel better and I’m going to beaches of Belize at the end of January.”

Step #2: Visualize It

Have you ever created a vision board?
It might sound like an old-school exercise, but that doesn’t mean it’s not powerful.
Plus, I add a little twist when I make mine…
I encourage you to create your own vision board not just about the monetary reward or the experiences you plan to enjoy, but also one that shows you actually doing the work. When you add in everything that needs to happen to achieve your goal, it helps you create clarity around exactly how you’ll get there.

Step #3: Condition Yourself Daily

The third step I take in this process is to create a daily visualization discipline.
We’ve all heard the stories of champion athletes who saw him or herself winning the title thousands of times before actually achieving the feat. This is the same thing.
Simply close your eyes and see yourself achieving your goal, and make sure to do this EVERY DAY!
In doing so, you’re conditioning your conscious and unconscious mind, which is a very powerful thing.

Step #4: “Affirm” Your Intentions

The next step is to convert your goals into affirmations in your dialogue with yourself.
No longer is it “I want to earn $250,000.” It’s now “I earn $250,000.”
No longer is it “I’d like to weigh 185 pounds.” It’s “I weigh 185 pounds with 15% body fat.”
The key is to always state your goal in the positive and as if it’s already been achieved.
This isn’t about fooling yourself. It’s about training yourself to succeed.
When you state these affirmations, you’re programming your mind to do the things that will achieve the desired results.
And when your mind believes these affirmations, your behaviors will naturally align with your goals.
Bonus Tip: Record yourself reciting your affirmations against a background of baroque classical music such as Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos or Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Then listen to them over and over to ingrain the message into your internal wiring in a powerful way!

Step #5: Activate Your RAS

Your mind is a powerful thing.
It’s constantly processing ideas, sights, sounds, etc. and filtering the vast majority of them out so you don’t get overwhelmed and go crazy.
But when you open yourself to a new goal, your mind can do you a big favor.
It starts bringing that goal to your attention when you encounter it in the world.
As soon as you decide you want a grey Lexus as your next car, you begin seeing grey Lexus after grey Lexus on the road. They were always there, but not until you activated your Reticular Activating System did you start noticing them.
So what’s this have to do with your goals?
I encourage you to take advantage of this phenomenon and both acknowledge it and celebrate it when you see it in action. When you see someone creating the result you desire, tell yourself that’s where you’ll soon be. Use it to reinforce your goals and inspire you to keep doing the work to achieve them.

Step #6: Surround Yourself with Like-Minded People

When you’ve set a big goal, the last thing you need in your life is an energy-sucking vampire to naysay your excitement.
So don’t give them the chance… Avoid them!
Instead, surround yourself with people who are headed in the same direction as you.
Seek out goal setters and goal achievers to spend your time with, and leave the slugs and slug-ettes behind.

Step #7: Stay in Massive Action

Remember: Setting the goal is the easiest part of this whole process.
The real, most important secret to achieving a goal is to stay in action until you achieve it.
If you’re not willing to do the work, it’s not even really a goal, it’s just a wish.
Set the goal, put these steps in place and then create the accountability necessary to keep yourself in massive action until you achieve the goal.
Which of these seven steps have you done in the past? Which have you not done? What if you did all seven the next time you set a goal… what would happen? Let me know in the comments below…

If you liked this topic and want more, I highly recommend these three books:
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen