Summary

The article outlines a powerful five-step method to accomplish any goal, emphasizing the importance of writing down goals, breaking them down into actionable steps, creating a chart for tracking progress, choosing an accountability partner, and following through with a strong reason.

Abstract

The "Accomplish Any Goal Using This Powerful Five-Step Method" article provides a structured approach to achieving personal goals. It begins by acknowledging the common struggle of following through with set goals, despite their importance in improving our lives. The method starts with the simple yet often overlooked act of writing down goals, which significantly increases the likelihood of achieving them. It then advises breaking these goals into smaller, manageable tasks to create a clear roadmap. The article suggests making a visual chart to track progress, which serves as a constant reminder and motivator. Choosing an accountability partner is another critical step to ensure one stays on course, while following through is about maintaining focus on the underlying reasons for setting the goals in the first place. The article underscores the low success rate of New Year's resolutions and aims to equip readers with practical tools to beat these odds.

Opinions

The author believes that writing down goals is crucial, with only a small percentage of people actually doing so.
The article suggests that breaking down goals into daily actions is essential for consistent progress.
It is mentioned that a visual progress chart can effectively keep one motivated and accountable.
The author emphasizes the importance of having an accountability partner to help stay on track with one's goals.
The article conveys that understanding and focusing on the 'why' behind a goal is key to maintaining commitment and following through.

Accomplish Any Goal Using This Powerful Five-Step Method

“Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there” – Bo Jackson

We set goals to improve our lives, polish a particular skillset, make more money, and live better lifestyles. Goals are the stepping stones to better living. Yet, even though we set goals, it’s not always easy to follow through on them.

When’s the last time you set a Big goal and finished it? Did you know that roughly 95% of Americans flunk their New Years Goals by mid-January?

Crazy, right? But don’t freak out. That’s why I’m here; to show you exactly how to set a goal and follow through.

Start By Writing It Down

Did you know that only three percent of Americans write down their goals? And out of that three percent, only roughly one percent rewrite their goals daily.

Why am I telling you this? Because the first thing you need to do is to write down your goals. Get serious. Bust open your journal and think about what you’d like to do next. Maybe you want to learn a new skill, pick up a side hustle, or pass your next English exam. Whatever it may be, writing it down will drastically improve your chances of success.

Break It Down

Just because you set a goal to “run a mile a day” doesn’t mean that it’ll happen. You have to break it down.

Here’s an example.

Goal

I’d like to run one mile per day

Break It Down

In order to run a mile per day, I will…

Set my jogging outfit aside the night before
Schedule an alarm for 30 minutes before I usually get out of bed.
Place alarm across the room so I have to get out of bed.
Get dressed and head out (before any lack of motivation sets in).

Here’s one more example.

Goal

Write an hour per day

Break It Down

In order to write one hour per day, I’ll have to…

Schedule in my writing time
Set an alarm, letting me know that it’s time to write
Inform my wife that I’ll be occupied for the next hour
Write for one hour

Make A Chart

Okay, so you decided on a goal, wrote it down — broke it down — but now what? What’s next? Make a chart. Why? Because you’ll have days where you’d instead just slouch around, play video games and enjoy the little things (hey, that’s me!).

Here’s an example of my chart hanging above my desk.

As you can see, I’m not perfect. We’ll all have our days. Some days I feel like tackling all of my goals, while other days, I’d rather be doing anything else.

Keeping a chart keeps you accountable for your actions. Did you go jogging yesterday? Did you write for an hour? The chart doesn’t lie.

Place it somewhere public to visibly see it first thing in the morning and right before bed.

Choose An Accountability Partner

My wife is my accountability partner. She knows me better than I know myself. If I start to slack on a certain goal, well, let’s just say that she knows how to “give it to me straight.”

Find somebody who you trust – someone who cares for you, or at least enough to tell you when you’re off track. Family, friends, even a mentor works great as an accountability partner.

“Your accountability partner should keep you on track and moving forward in all aspects of your development” — Mike Staver

Follow Through

You chose a goal, wrote it down, broke it down, built out a chart, and chose an accountability partner. The last step? Follow through.

A goal requires a reason before you can officially go all in.

I write for an hour (more like three) per day because I want to be a better writer…and maybe supplement my income. I want to jog a mile per day because I want to be healthy and, therefore, a part of my daughter’s life in my later years.

Your goals should have a strong enough reason to back them up. Focus on your why whenever you feel like you’re about to give up.

Remember…

Write it down
Break it down
Make a chart
Choose an accountability partner
Follow through

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes” — Andrew Carnegie