Tag Archives: Motivation

Turning Your Resolutions Into Realities – Goal Setting Strategies for 2024

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Did you really think that I would let January go by without talking about setting goals in the new year? (I didn’t think so! 😉 ) While we should be setting goals on a daily basis, the beginning of the new year is a good opportunity to acknowledge your achievements from the previous year while reassessing what goals and/or changes you would like to make in the new year. The truth of the matter is, without making conscientious and concrete goals or thinking about your true desires, you are most likely not going to get too far and end up staying stagnant throughout life. Personally, I believe life is all about progression and taking action in order to obtain everything that you want to manifest. There are absolutely ways to turn your resolutions into realities and it is up to you to make it happen!  So let’s get started…

Write a Detailed List of Everything You Want to Achieve - It is essential to really think about what you want in your life and determine the direction your life is heading. Does that mean expanding your business or running your first marathon? The sky is the limit when it comes to your goals so make sure you visualize what you want and to then take the time to write everything down with as much detail as possible. I suggest writing down your goals on an index card or in a journal so you can hold yourself accountable and look back on them for reference. You can also track your progress and check off once you completed a goal.

Examine Your Habits and Change Them in Alignment with Your Goals – This is a crucial step but one that is often overlooked. Your habits shape your action and will dictate whether or not your goals are attainable. If you currently have habits that are hindering you from reaching your end goal, then you really need to focus on shifting your habits and changing them so they will ensure that you can achieve all your goals.

Apply Deadlines and Break your Goals Down Into Smaller Goals – It is a good idea to fine tune your goals and figure out the time frame in which you would like to fulfill them along with looking at whether or not you can break down your main goal into mini goals. The mini goals can then be looked at as stepping stones to your main goal. Oftentimes you need to break your goals down into more achievable goals in order to move closer towards the big goal. Some of the most worthwhile and valuable things in life could take a very long time to manifest which is why it is good to celebrate those little achievements along the way.

Why Delayed Gratification is More Gratifying

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We live in a society that thrives on instant gratification. People tend to want immediate results and everything to be an easy process. For example, if someone is looking to get in a shape, even though one knows that consistently putting in the time to work out effectively and cleaning up their diet would give them those results over time, this person might give up pretty easily on getting fit because it is not an overnight process. What people need to realize is that most big successes or anything that is worth having do very well take a good amount of time. It can take months, years, or perhaps decades! It is crucial to always stay focused on the end goal and to put in the work that is needed day by day. Even if that means that you have to go through long periods of time not seeing results, that is not a reason to give up on what you want. This might even be a time to reflect on a new approach, to work a little harder, or maybe take a short break if it is needed to prevent burnout–which is totally okay.

Although delayed gratification might not feel as enjoyable as receiving something instantly, you actually hold a higher value on something that you have to work harder towards. I always like to point out that is often why people perceive expensive items as higher value because it takes up more time to save up to purchase these goods. Whether or not the quality is actually worth its price is up to the individual to determine but people tend to gravitate towards desiring the things that are more out of their reach as opposed to something that was given to them or was easier to obtain. It can be an incredibly rewarding feeling once you finally receive something that you desired most and that you had to work hard towards which is why it is actually more gratifying than instant gratification because you earned it yourself.

Although the process might feel like a never ending one, delayed gratification is not a bad thing because it adds many positive attributes to one’s character such as patience, motivation, and discipline while also building one’s work ethic. If someone was to receive everything that they wanted very easily without any effort, this person would never feel challenged in life and probably would remain a very lazy individual. It is for this reason that it is also good to set the bar high and want to strive for bigger and better things. People should always find ways to challenge themselves for the greater good of their self development and for a brighter future. Everything is within reach, no matter how long it takes to get there. Don’t forget to enjoy the journey as you are experiencing it and remember that all your efforts are worth it to achieve and receive everything that you want to manifest most in your lifetime.