When setting out to make your dreams a reality, it is crucial to set clear goals.
In doing so, it is important to think about what you really want from your life. To give you an idea of why this is so critical, let’s look at some of the reasons why many people fail to make good on their intentions. We all know that we must set SMART objectives, develop a strategy, and manage our time effectively in order to be productive. But with all of this in place, why are some of us still not realising our ambitions, despite the vast quantity of information and support that is available? The internet is bursting with content about goal setting and planning, yet we still find it difficult to make things happen. Most commonly, we encounter challenges in finding motivation, focus and clarity in our own desire. Most people lack a clear plan, and so feel frustrated and give up too easily on their aspirations. Normally this is because success requires hard work, and leaving our comfort zone. In addition, some people’s objectives are not clearly aligned with their true desires; deep down, they lack a strong desire to attain those goals. We set our objectives by listening to our inner voice; we should focus on our deepest motivations and values to create our own definition of success. So, what are the true recipes for success? Below are three key mindset shifts that are essential to securing the life you really want.
Listen to your inner voice
You should set intentions based on your own values and personal needs, not on other people’s expectations for and of you. You are more likely to achieve your ambitions if they resonate with your true desires and vision for your life, and are more likely to feel fulfilled if your goals are measured against your own definition of success. Make sure that they truly resonate with you; be true to yourself and make your dreams a reality. The most important thing is to have a clear understanding of what it is that you really want from life. Think about this, and write down what you want to do this year, and have a vision of how this fits into your life plan. There are many strategies you can utilise to help you figure out what you really want from life.
The best exercise to start with is the wheel of life. This gives you a picture of your life as it is currently, in comparison to the lifestyle you desire. This is a powerful tool to help you develop a clear picture of your life goals and areas for potential improvement. Once you have built up this picture, write down all of the ideas and projects you would like to pursue. Then, choose the three that are most important to you, and break them down into small tasks. Set monthly, weekly, and daily tasks; this will enable you to stay focused and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. Assess your achievements every week, and keep going. Start working, and make things happen.
Change your mindset
In order to make your hopes a reality you have to change your mindset. You have to become a new person. You cannot keep the old you, if you want to become a new you. You have to change your habits, your behaviour, your routines, your activities and your productivity levels. Develop strategies to make changes to your life – your environment, your lifestyle, your work and even the people you spend most time with.
As Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” So if your friends or acquaintances do not reflect the new you, find new people to hang out with on a daily basis. Seek out people who challenge you and make you dream bigger.
Many people do not live their dreams, because they do not want to leave their comfort zone. They are afraid of change and uncertainty.
However if you want to better yourself, you have to take risks and make sacrifices. This is the only way to make your dreams a reality and live a life of accomplishment. Yes, change is scary, but you have to push yourself if you want to build a better life. So step outside of your comfort zone, change your daily routine, change the way you work and you will start to see dramatic improvements in your life.
Believe in yourself
If you want to be successful, you must belief in yourself. You might have doubts, lack confidence in your capabilities, but you can always change your mindset. You can eliminate those negative feelings and develop self-confidence. This is about becoming a more positive person and changing your self-perception. Self-belief is an individual responsibility, though we can expect our friends or family to help us with this.
Be aware of the fact that so much of this is happening in our minds; for instance, a lack of confidence is due to negative thinking. To do more in life, we need to think positively, and believe in our own capabilities. There are a few exercises you can do to develop self-awareness and self-confidence.
First, write down all of your achievements thus far. Second, write down all the potential obstacles you might face in pursuing your dreams, and then what solutions you can think of to overcome those obstacles should they arise. Third, make a list of people who can support you to achieve those goals. Completing this exercise will help you realise that you have a lot of strengths. You will see that you have accomplished a lot of things in the past, and you can use similar strategies in the future to progress even further.
Ultimately, our success depends on our confidence, so it is very important to think positively about yourself. When you think positively, you have more ambition and will achieve more in your life. If you believe in yourself, you will be more likely to find the motivation to work toward your objectives, and eventually you will achieve them. As you can see, it all depends on your thought process. You must have self-confidence to achieve your goals.
Author Bio – Lisiane Ndong
Lisiane Ndong is an entrepreneur and online marketing specialist. She is the owner of Nilare (formerly Lilie Design), a lifestyle brand offering handcrafted accessories and gifts. Having worked in the field of marketing in London for 4 years, Lisiane decided to pursue her passion for design by creating her own company. She has strong belief in people empowerment so she set up her social enterprise to supporting communities in Africa. She loves interior design and fashion, and is passionate about personnel development, coaching and wellbeing.
