How to Achieve Any Goal Once and For All

The no-fail guide to achieving any goal.

Plus free printable posters.

My post about inspiration received an overwhelming response–thank you to everyone who sent me personal stories!

Finding It

Why are some people so awesome and diligent at what they do?

According to a study conducted at the University College of London:

• You need an average of 66 days to form a habit.
• Depending on the difficulty and type of the habit, it can take anywhere from 18 to 254+ days for the habit to become automatic.
  • For example, getting into the habit of drinking a glass of water everyday takes about 18 days, but doing 50 situps everyday takes more dedication.
• Missing one day doesn’t reduce your chances of forming the habit. Don’t give up.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”

— Aristotle

Achieving Your Goal

• Break downthe goal and find out what you need to do to get there.
  • For example, if someone wanted to lose 20 pounds, she will need to decrease the ‘junk’/fatty foods and exercise at least 3 times a week.
• Your ultimate goalis to form a habit, something you do without thinking.
  • Following the last example: Now that she has decided what to do, the next step is to form those habits so that those actions become automatic.
  • Chances are, she’s had a bad nutritional intake and a poor exercise routine for years– those have become her semi-permanent habits.
  • She needs to break those old habits by forming new habits to reach her goal.
  • At first, she’ll need lots and lots of motivation to drop the junk food and exercise; her system has adjusted to years of unhealthy foods and a sedementary lifestyle– it’s become natural and reflexive for her.
  • She’s almost forcing herself against her own will to form new habits.
  • After a certain amount of time, it’ll become natural for her to follow her new habits because they’ve become automatic.
  • This habit-forming period is different for everyone.
• Motivate yourself to form the habit. Habits take time and dedication– it’s all worth it in the end, when it becomes automatic.
• Have motivation in sight. Stick motivational quotes or inspiring imageson your walls, save them as your desktop background, and place them wherever you’re most likely to wander away from your goal.
  • See below for free motivational graphics that you can print!
• Remove distractions. Determine what distracts you or deters you from forming the habit.
  • For example, if your goal is to practice 3 hours of piano everyday, but your computer distracts you from practicing, remove your computer from the practice room and make sure it’s turned off while you practice– unplug the monitor, even– the harder it is to access your distraction, the more likely you’re going to ignore it.
• Absorb yourself into your task. Think positively and involve your entire existence.

Print Your Own Motivation

• Due to popular demand (from an inspiring post), I’ve designed two motivational posters (on 8.5″ x 11″ paper) that you can print out and stick anywhere.
• Click on the thumbnail for the full-sized print image.
• These inspirational images are released under a Creative Commons license.
• I welcome personal stories and/or requests! Share your thoughts in your comment or email me.