PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST

To live a more balanced existence, you have to recognise that not doing everything that comes along is okay. There's no need to overextend yourself. All it takes is realising that it's all right to say no when necessary and then focus on your highest priorities. 

Habit 1 says, "You're in charge. You're the creator." Being proactive is about choice. Habit 2 is the first, or mental, creation. Beginning with the End in Mind is about vision. Habit 3 is the second creation, the physical creation. This habit is where Habits 1 and 2 come together. It happens day in and day out, moment-by-moment. It deals with many of the questions addressed in the field of time management. But that's not all it's about. Habit 3 is about life management as well--your purpose, values, roles, and priorities. What are "first things?" First things are those things you, personally, find of most worth. If you put first things first, you are organising and managing time and events according to the personal priorities you established in Habit 2. 

Taken from the seven habits of highly efficient people.

Source: https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit3.php

BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

So, what do you want to be when you grow up? That question may appear a little trite, but think about it for a moment. Are you--right now--who you want to be, what you dreamed you'd be, doing what you always wanted to do? Be honest. Sometimes people find themselves achieving victories that are empty--successes that have come at the expense of things that were far more valuable to them. If your ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take gets you to the wrong place faster. 

This habit is based on imagination--the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint. If you don't make a conscious effort to visualise who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default. It's about connecting again with your own uniqueness and then defining the personal, moral, and ethical guidelines within which you can most happily express and fulfill yourself. Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen. 

One of the best ways to incorporate This into your life is to develop a Personal Mission Statement. It focuses on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world. Your mission statement makes you the leader of your own life. You create your own destiny and secure the future you envision.

Taken from the seven habits of highly efficient people.

Source: https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit2.php

Optimized productivity is a kind of ‘Holy Grail’ for many people.

There are many podcasts, blogs and so many other things out there solely dedicated to productivity. And then there are a million different systems, tools, apps and products available as well. All focused on, in simple terms, getting more done in less time.

But I don’t want to focus on those. Yes, it’s great to get organized, have a system that works for you and to utilize apps and new technologies.

There’s a ‘brain element’, however, that tends to get left out when it comes to productivity. And that is the power of neuro-association.

How to Use Neuro-Associations to Skyrocket Your Productivity

What are ‘Neuro-Associations’?

Neuro-associations are sort of self-explanatory in a way. They are the deep-rooted associations that our brains form between two things.

So our brain learns to take certain things, objects, thoughts, emotions, signs and anything else and associate these with other thoughts, emotions, feelings and things. Effectively, the brain learns through our past experiences to draw links between two things.

A very basic example of this is how we label colors. When you’re born, we don’t have any idea of what ‘red’ or ‘yellow’ is. The colors are still there, but we learn to associate something of a certain color with the word ‘red’ or ‘yellow’. At some point along the line we then have this rooted to a point where it’s just automatic and we don’t have to think about it.

And it’s the same with how we associate meanings from different colors too. Red means ‘danger’ or ‘stop’ at a traffic light. Green means ‘go’ or ‘safe’.

As we go through life and experience more and more, we do this on a continuous basis. Always looking for how we can build associations and links in order to make meaning and form beliefs about the world around us.

Why is This Useful?

If you’ve never heard anything about neuro-associations before, you may be thinking it’s kind of interesting (or not). But how does it all apply to something like being more productive?

It all comes down to how we read our environment and the links or associations we form from it to certain thoughts and feelings. If we change or improve the way we think or feel, then our output and performance will change or improve accordingly.

So if we are in an environment that we associate with thinking, feeling or doing a certain thing, then we are much more likely to be aligned with performing at our best.

For example, a boxer associates the ringing of the bell with being switched on for fighting. A footballer associates the crossing of the white line onto the field with immediately being ‘in the zone’. And we can take this principle and apply it to being productive and getting more out of our brain when working on a business, doing homework or even doing housework or getting better sleep.

Applying Neuro-Association to Productivity

Let’s take the classic example of someone who works at the kitchen table. This, of course, is where you could have spent much of your life with family and friends relaxing over a meal.

So it’s these relaxed and ‘family time’ feelings and thoughts that are subconsciously evoked when your brain comes into contact with this familiar environment. That’s what your brain associates with ‘the kitchen table’ and not work or productivity.

Of course, this could also work in the opposite direction. Maybe you work so much and so hard at the kitchen table that you end up ruining family dinner time because your brain has started to associate this place with work and focus.

It’s the same when it comes to other environments too. Attempting to work in the bedroom, for example, can result in low productivity because you’re in a place you associate with sleep. Or, again, it could work against you in the opposite direction by ruining your sleep quality because you’ve began to associate that place with where you need to be alert and working.

Analyzing Your Workspace

These are very obvious and explicit examples I’ve used here to illustrate my point. There is, of course, a lot more that can be done than simply going to a different room or having a dedicated workspace.

So going a little deeper and analyzing the environment that you’re trying to be productive and perform well in – whether that be work, sleep, sport, working out or anything – is a hugely powerful weapon.

Let’s just stay focused on ‘work productivity’ for now. Take a look at your typical work area and just take stock of whether that could be in a ‘conflicting environment’ as I mentioned earlier, such as the kitchen or bedroom. If it is, consider where you might be able to set up a more productive ‘dedicated workspace’.

The ideal situation would obviously be a separate room for an office. But I understand that’s not possible for everyone. So set up a dedicated area of a particular room, or even a dedicated area of the kitchen table, which has a sole purpose of being the place where you get your ‘work’ done and nothing else.

But we can take this even further and set up associations with all kinds of things. Having a separate work computer, for example, means you don’t have conflicting associations between whether you’re opening your laptop for work or watching Netflix. If you can’t get two separate computers, why not create separate login profiles with different desktop backgrounds, etc.?

I highly recommend investing some time going through the process of analyzing your current environment and picking out the potential negative neuro-associations. Where are the conflictions? What items are around, even if they’re seemingly small and insignificant, that make you think or feel in a way you don’t want to within that environment?

Once you’ve identified and removed these, it’s simple to start building an environment for yourself that is solely and directly dedicated to creating the thoughts and feelings you do want to have. And as a result, your performance, productivity, and output can increase dramatically in all areas of life.

Michael Glover is a Mindset & Performance Coach and a regular writer for Goalcast

Source: http://www.goalcast.com/2016/12/10/how-to-use-neuro-associations-skyrocket-your-productivity/

How to Change Limiting Beliefs

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Wayne Dyer

How to Get Out of Your Own Way

Most of the time we are our greatest enemy. From childhood on we are literally scripted like a program by things that were said to us by our parents, other close relatives, teachers or friends. Experiences that happen to us also are stored in our memory and our brain is making conclusions about what we can do and more importantly, what we can’t or shouldn’t.

This way of experiencing reality results in a set of rules that become our belief-structure and therefore our mirror of “reality” and as an important part of it our own identity. But this reality isn’t a fixed thing, it is an image, a perspective we have in our minds. If it comes to our own self these beliefs can be supporting for us, or limiting.

It is very important to realize, that these beliefs are not reality. Reality is a relative construct. Beliefs are thoughts in our head that have formed an image of the world, that we work with. But it is not reality.

You may not even be aware of such self-limiting beliefs, but certainly they are there inside. Even if you made a lot of personal progress in working on yourself, there are a lot of areas were limiting beliefs are holding you back.

Beliefs Are Not Reality

For instance the belief that the earth is flat was a belief of that many people were certain about. Also that the earth is the center of the universe was a belief that was “reality” and people lived by it, until there came Galileo Galilei in 1610.

Let’s look at some areas, where limiting beliefs are common, for instance about money. Have you ever heard “The rich get richer and the poor stay poor.” Or a more subtle belief is “Money is not important” or “you have to work extremely hard to achieve financial success” or even worse “Money is not for me.”

In the area of the mind there may be the belief “I am not intelligent or smart enough.” or “I am a pure logical type and can’t show my emotions”.
On the social level maybe there are beliefs like “I am not good with people.” Or “I am not attractive to the opposite sex.”
Or such general beliefs like “I am too old.” or the opposite “I am too young.” And my all time favourite: “I don’t have enough time.”
Even if you can’t   yourself in these beliefs, there may be other rules, that you are holding true for you but which are not supporting your true nature.

Beliefs Are Co-Creating Your Reality

If such rules are working deep in our subconscious mind, are even held for the reality, these limiting beliefs are constantly influencing and distorting our possibilities and lifes. If you can become aware of these and identify them, you are able to change them, and by that, change your reality for the better.

One very true statement from the very successful Life-Coach Anthony Robbins I recall is “The past does not equal the future, unless you live there.” This says that in a way we are constantly acting as the fortune-teller for our own life. If we live by limiting beliefs formed in the past, conscious or subconscious, we are doomed to repeat the results of the past over and over and thereby reaffirming these stupid belief-structures.

The importing thing is to have empowering beliefs, so that we are supporting ourselves instead of standing in our own way.

How to Change Limiting to Empowering Beliefs:

The first step is to become aware of the limiting beliefs we have. To make this easier I suggest thinking and discovering the limiting beliefs in the following areas:

Write down the most limiting belief you have about:

1. About money:

_______________________

2. About romantic relationships:

_______________________

3. About success:

_______________________

4. About my dream:

_______________________

5. About myself: I am …

_______________________

5 Steps to Change Limiting Beliefs Right Now:

Now you will take these 5 limiting beliefs and turn them into beliefs that empower you. Then you will “install” that new belief, until it has replaced the limiting belief.

As an example, if you wrote above: “Money is not important” you could write down as a new belief: “Money flows to me naturally by my service to others”.

Taking the 5 beliefs above, what are the beliefs that empower you now:

1. About money:

_______________________

2. About romantic relationships:

_______________________

3. About success:

_______________________

4. About my dream:

_______________________

5. About myself: I am …

_______________________

Source: http://www.myrkothum.com/how-to-change-self-limiting-beliefs/

Part 3: How to Get Motivated (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)

How do some of the most prolific artists in the world motivate themselves? They don’t merely set schedules, they build rituals.

Twyla Tharp is widely regarded as one of the greatest dancers and choreographers of the modern era. In her best-selling book, The Creative Habit (audiobook), Tharp discusses the role rituals, or pre-game routines, have played in her success:

I begin each day of my life with a ritual; I wake up at 5:30 A.M., put on my workout clothes, my leg warmers, my sweatshirts, and my hat. I walk outside my Manhattan home, hail a taxi, and tell the driver to take me to the Pumping Iron gym at 91st street and First Avenue, where I workout for two hours. The ritual is not the stretching and weight training I put my body through each morning at the gym; the ritual is the cab. The moment I tell the driver where to go I have completed the ritual.

It’s a simple act, but doing it the same way each morning habitualizes it — makes it repeatable, easy to do. It reduces the chance that I would skip it or do it differently. It is one more item in my arsenal of routines, and one less thing to think about.

Many other famous creatives have rituals too. In his popular book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, author Mason Currey notes that many of the world’s great artists follow a consistent schedule.

• Maya Angelou rented a local hotel room and went there to write. She arrived at 6:30 AM, wrote until 2 PM, and then went home to do some editing. She never slept at the hotel.
• Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon writes five nights per week from 10 PM to 3 AM.
• Haruki Murakami wakes up at 4 AM, writes for five hours, and then goes for a run.

The work of top creatives isn’t dependent upon motivation or inspiration, but rather it follows a consistent pattern and routine. Here are some examples of how you can apply ritual and routine to get motivated:

• Exercise more consistently: Use the same warm up routine in the gym.
• Become more creative: Follow a creative ritual before you start writing or painting or singing.
• Start each day stress-free: Create a five-minute morning meditation ritual.
• Sleep better: Follow a “power down” routine before bed.

The power of a ritual, or what I like to call a pre-game routine, is that it provides a mindless way to initiate your behavior. It makes starting your habits easier and that means following through on a consistent basis is easier.

The key to any good ritual is that it removes the need to make a decision: What should I do first? When should I do this? How should I do this? Most people never get moving because they can’t decide how to get started. You want starting a behaviour to be easy and automatic so you have the strength to finish it when it becomes difficult and challenging.

There are three simple steps you can take to build better rituals and make motivation a habit.

Step 1: A good pre–game routine starts by being so easy that you can’t say no to it. You shouldn’t need motivation to start your pre–game routine. For example, my writing routine starts by getting a glass of water. My weightlifting routine starts by putting on my lifting shoes. These tasks are so easy, I can’t say no to them.

The most important part of any task is starting. If you can’t get motivated in the beginning, then you’ll find that motivation often comes after starting. That’s why your pre–game routine needs to be incredibly easy to start.

For more about the importance of getting started, read this.

Step 2: Your routine should get you moving toward the end goal.

A lack of mental motivation is often linked to a lack of physical movement. Just imagine your physical state when you’re feeling depressed, bored, or unmotivated. You’re not moving very much. Maybe you’re slumped over like a blob, slowly melting into the couch.

The opposite is also true. If you’re physically moving and engaged, then it’s far more likely that you’ll feel mentally engaged and energized. For example, it’s almost impossible to not feel vibrant, awake, and energized when you’re dancing.

While your routine should be as easy as possible to start, it should gradually transition into more and more physical movement. Your mind and your motivation will follow your physical movement. It is worth noting that physical movement doesn’t have to mean exercise. For example, if your goal is to write, then your routine should bring you closer to the physical act of writing.

Step 3: You need to follow the same pattern every single time.

The primary purpose of your pre–game routine is to create a series of events that you always perform before doing a specific task. Your pre–game routine tells your mind, “This is what happens before I do ___.”

Eventually, this routine becomes so tied to your performance that by simply doing the routine, you are pulled into a mental state that is primed to perform. You don’t need to know how to find motivation, you just need to start your routine.

If you remember the article on the 3 R’s of Habit Change, then you may realize that your pre–game routine is basically creating a “reminder” for yourself. Your pre–game routine is the trigger that kickstarts your habit, even if you’re not motivated to do it.

This is important because when you don’t feel motivated, it’s often too much work to figure out what you should do next. When faced with another decision, you will often decide to just quit. However, the pre–game routine solves that problem because you know exactly what to do next. There’s no debating or decision making. Lack of motivation doesn’t matter. You just follow the pattern.

Source: http://jamesclear.com/motivation

Visualization - why we should all be doing it

The importance of creating a clear mental image of your desired goal.

How the subconscious mind works -
All of our results have and are being dictated by our subconscious
Our results in life will always be congruent with the beliefs that we hold at a subconscious level.
These beliefs - more often than not are self limiting
Installed as a child
Inherited from our parents
Operate from a level that we are unaware of.
In order to change our results we need to  change our beliefs about ourselves
Maxwell Maltz - Psycho Cybernetics
Our subconscious is a cybernetic device
This means our subconscious, through whatever course of action we take will lead us to the destination that we have stored in our minds.
How does this happen?


The beliefs we hold at a subconscious level influence our conscious thoughts which influence our actions which influence our results - SIMPLE!


When we change our beliefs we influence the whole chain of command from the deepest level.
E.g. A student that is told they are only capable of a D grade may achieve an A in one exam but will gravitate back because of the  belief that has been installed that they are only capable of a D
In order to be an A student that person must have the belief that they are.
Effectively the majority of us are running on subconscious beliefs that are stopping us for reaching any kind of self potential.
These beliefs work constantly in the background influencing your conscious thought in order to be upheld.
Most of the time without even realising. How does this happen?


The beliefs we hold at a subconscious level influence our conscious thoughts which influence our actions which influence our results - SIMPLE!
When we change our beliefs we influence the whole chain of command from the deepest level.
How can visualisation help this?
Our subconscious has no ability to distinguish between what is real and what is not.


The language of the subconscious is images and feelings
If we close our eyes and imagine with feeling then to our subconscious it is real!
By visualizing we can change the self limiting beliefs that do not serve our interest and replace them with empowering beliefs
Our subconscious will strive to make that belief a reality
through changing the thoughts that arrive in our conscious and thus influencing us to take different action and as a result creating a new reality based on the new belief
What to visualise
Decide what you want, what you want to be, whatever it is, and then hold that in your mind as if it has already happened.
Try to use all your senses to emotionalise the images.
Here’s an example - You want a new car
Picture every detail, listen to the engine, feel the leather on the steering wheel,
Smell the air freshener, experience every detail.
Here’s another example:
You want to earn crazy money..
See your bank statement with the balance you desire, imagine eating in the expensive restaurant you could never afford before, taste the food, listen to the conversation, look at the decor.
Picture your dream 5*  holiday, feel the sand under your feet and the sun beating down on you, listen to the sounds and absorb every detail.
21 day of repetition and it's done!
A repeated action for 21 days becomes an ingrained new habit.

As stated before your subconscious cannot differentiate between these emotionalised images and real ones.
In  a very short period of time your subconscious will be working with these thought in the background and doing everything it can to bring them to reality through the process of conscious influence - action - reality creation.
Build Self Confidence
This is not only important for material purposes.
Self limiting beliefs and lack of self worth hold us back in all areas
Picture the person you would like to be
Love, confidence, abundance, self worth - create the image and really allow yourself to feel that.
With a little time and practice old beliefs will begin to be replaced with the new and your subconscious will go right to work to make that your default reality.

Raise Your Vibration to Attract What You Want

Why raise your vibration? Raising your vibration helps build momentum to move you forward towards the life you desire. 

According to the law of attraction, we are able to attract what we want in life by holding space for that thought. By doing so, we allow the universe to deliver our goals to us. By holding positive energy, we attract positive results.

Note that raising your vibration isn’t just about having an attitude of gratitude and positive thoughts. Affirmations and visualizations are great manifesting techniques as well but we can take it a step further.

Rather than simply visualizing your goals, actually feel and live as if you already achieved the goals. Doing so allows you to vibrate at the same frequency of having already achieved those goals.

When you vibrate at the frequency of already having those achievements, it would be easier for you to attract what you desire with the support of universal energy.

The law of attraction works with universal life force, Reiki. We all have the ability to utilize Reiki healing energy to deliver our goals.

One effective manifesting Reiki technique is to write down your goal on a piece of paper. A goal should be set in the positive. Be specific and include all the facts, dates, names, and so forth.

Carry that piece of paper in your purse, wallet or bathroom mirror so you can reflect on it throughout the day. As energy flows where the mind goes, having that reminder will help boost your vibrations.

At one point in my life when I was miserable at my 9-5. I remember writing and rewriting my career goals. I made lists of what I wanted in my ideal work life. Then, I would rewrite the lists and put it on sticky notes so it was the first thing I saw on my planner. As I got clearer on these specific work qualities, I became more focused and inspired.

By paying close attention to what I was seeking to attract into my life, I incorporated small shifts into my daily routine to feel and live as if I had already achieved my dream work life. By doing so, I was actually channeling energy to manifest my career breakthrough at a faster rate.

When I hit my breaking point, I knew was ready to take that leap of faith from my 9-5, even without a Plan B. I was already vibrating at the frequency of the next chapter in my life. 

There are a number of ways to boost your vibrations throughout the day regardless of your circumstances. Doesn’t have to be something big. Start with small steps like singing a favourite song or wearing your favourite colour. From there, consistently work your way up!

For more ways to raise your vibration with the support of universal energy, grab your free guide here!

Source: http://silverlineddays.com/raise-your-vibration/

The Ultimate Guide To Goal Setting

(Photo from Shining Academy)

1. FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO HAVE OR ACCOMPLISH.

It's always surprising to me when I realize just how many people don't actually know what the heck they want. And as a result, they usually don't HAVE what they want! After all, how can you go after something specific if you don't know what that something specific is? So the first step to getting what you want is actually knowing exactly WHAT you want.

If you don't know what the heck you want, then having a little brainstorming session might help! During your session, ask yourself these questions ...
- What is important to me? - What am I passionate about? - What sounds exciting? - What's something new that I'd like to try? - What do I want people to remember about me? - What specifically would make me feel happier? - What do I enjoy doing so much that I forget to eat and poop? (Hehe.) - Where would I like to be 3 - 5 years down the road?
And if you don't know your life's "dream" right now, don't panic! That's perfectly okay. I've found that some times the only way to figure out exactly what you want is to simply let time pass while you try new things! It took me a good year and a half to figure out that I wanted to help other creative entrepreneurs grow their blogs and businesses, and the only way I was able to discover that little tidbit was by taking the time to try new things. For now, come up with at least 1 - 2 things based on your answers above that you'd like to achieve over the next year that you can make into a solid goal or two!

2. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT KICKED ASS LAST YEAR (AND ALSO AT WHAT DIDN'T.)

Another way to come up with new goals is to examine the past year. Oh yes, take a good, hard look at it! Stare at it so hard that it makes this past year feel uncomfortable!!! Ehem. But seriously, think about the last several months. Is there anything related to your life, business or relationships that you'd like to change, maintain or improve? Ask yourself questions like ...
- What were the best, most awesome parts about this past year? - What sucked the most about this past year? - Where did you let fear stop you in your tracks this past year? - What would you have done differently this past year? - Were there any time sucks that totally drained your energy? - What were 3 of your favorite moments this past year and why? - When/how did you have the most fun this past year? - What was your biggest accomplishment this past year? - What was your most memorable moment this past year?
Once you've thoroughly examined the past year, think about any goals that you could create to make things better, more fun, more kick ass, more efficient and more AWESOME!!!

3. PICK DIFFERENT AREAS OF YOUR LIFE TO SET GOALS IN.

Not only do I love setting goals in general, but I adore setting goals in different areas of my life! I mean ... if I only set business-related goals and totally neglected setting any health-related goals, then the chances of me neglecting that area and/or not making much improvement are pretty dang high! Balance is a good thing, and that's why it's super important to think about different life "categories" that you can set specific goals in! Examples of life "categories" can include things like business, finances, physical health, mental health, relationships, pets (don't laugh that's totally a category!) etc.

4. THINK ABOUT WHY YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE EACH PARTICULAR GOAL.

I'll bet you've set a New Years resolution for yourself before and have broken it within hours, weeks or months.
Perhaps you've done this dozens of times. Or HUNDREDS of times!!! (Actually, you probably haven't done it "hundreds" of times because that would mean you've lived hundreds of years and therefore you'd probably be dead at this point. Right?) But my point is, it's easy to set goals. It's the moving towards them continuously even on days where you feel totally unmotivated that's the difficult part! Which is why you should write down WHY you want to achieve each goal along with all of the awesome benefits that achieving each one will provide. You'll want to be able to read this later for motivation, trust me! (And if a specific goal doesn't have good benefits and/or isn't inline with your passion and purpose, then you probably shouldn't waste your effort on it any way!)

5. WRITE DOWN YOUR SPECIFIC GOALS.

Once you've come up with goals for different areas of your life and have also thought about WHY you want to achieve each particular goal, it's time to WRITE THEM DOWN. No, not on a sheet of paper that you're going to lose and never see again! (I'm strict about this one, sorry! Hehehe.) Write your SPECIFIC goals down on a pretty sheet that you can post by your workspace and/or inside of your planner. (P.S. feel free to check out my Blog + Life Planner if you're still in need of a colorful, quirky planner to do all of your scheming and dreaming in!) Not to sound like a broken record here, but be really specific. Mmmkay? And if you can include dates on your goals, even better! For example, "Increase my blog traffic by 100% by October 31st" is really specific as opposed to "Get more blog traffic." Seeing and saying your specific goals on a regular basis can be a super powerful way to actually getting shiz done. (Plus you won't do something silly like accidentally forgetting about them. DOH!)

6. BREAK EACH GOAL DOWN INTO SMALL, ACTIONABLE STEPS.

Now THIS is the fun part! This is where you take a big and exciting (and sometimes totally scary) goal and make it completely doable! Scary, seemingly unattainable goals seem way less so when broken down into small, NOT scary steps. And if one particular step overwhelms you, just break that step down into 3 or 5 smaller steps! So for each goal that you'd like to achieve, write down ALL of the small steps that you need to take from start to finish in order to accomplish it. So for example, if one of your goals is to start a blog, your actionable steps might look something like this ...
1. Define my blog's purpose. 2. Identify my ideal reader. 3. Create a brand style guide. 4. Choose a blog name. 5. Purchase the domain. 6. Purchase a website/host.
Get the picture? (By the way, I totally wrote an entire blog post on how to start a blog in a day if that actually IS one of your goals!)

7. SCHEDULE YOUR ACTIONABLE STEPS.

As Marie Forleo says, "if it's not scheduled then it's not real." I heart this quote SO MUCH. Because it's SO TRUE. Scheduling all of the actionable steps for each goal will remove that feeling of overwhelm and insure that you get things done! It's like creating a fun little roadmap to your dream destination. So whether you use a tangible planner or a digital one, take the time to actually schedule in all of the various steps for each of your goals. And if you miss a step along the way, NO BIGGIE. Simply reschedule that step. Hell, reschedule it five times if you have to!

8. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS.

I don't know about you, but nothing makes me feel more motivated than looking back at and keeping track of all the progress that I've made! If your goal is to lose 10 pounds by a certain date, then celebrate the hell out of each pound that you lose and keep track of when you accomplish every single step! If your goal is to grow your blog traffic by 25% each month, then write down how much you're actually growing it each month! Give yourself a pat on the back. Keep track of and acknowledge all of your progress and accomplishments!

9. SPEND AT LEAST 30 MINUTES A DAY MOVING TOWARDS THAT BIG GOAL.

Do you have one or two really big goals on your list? (You totally should because big goals are challenging and fun!) If so, try to dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to moving closer to it. Yes, this might not always happen, but if you can't dedicate 30 minutes a day then dedicate just FIVE minutes a day when time is extra tight. Every single day ask yourself, "what can I do today to move closer to my goal?"

10. REWARD YOURSELF FOR HITTING GOAL MILESTONES.

What better way to stay motivated and feel accomplished than with some good 'ol fashioned rewards for hitting particular milestones? If you've got one really big, juicy goal that you're trying to achieve you could create a few "milestones" leading up to that goal and treat yourself when you hit them! There are lots of ways to treat yourself, either with or without spending money. A few ideas ...
- Take a day to yourself (or at least a half day) doing something that you love! - Take yourself out on a date to your favorite restaurant, or bring a friend/significant other! - Buy a big fancy pants espresso drink! - Sign up for a class you've always wanted to try! - Treat yourself to something you've been wanting, like a new book or outfit! - Spend the afternoon exploring a place you've never explored before! - Take a long, hot bubble bath!
You get the idea ... get creative with your rewards! Better yet, schedule those rewards inside of your planner so that you remember to treat yourself for hitting those milestones!

11. REAFFIRM YOUR GOALS ON A DAILY BASIS.

Remember how in step 5 you wrote down your specific goals in a place where you can easily see them? (Such as on a pretty piece of paper hung by your workspace and/or inside your planner?) This might sound cheesy but it's important: read those goals and say them to yourself every single damn day. Saying them to yourself reaffirms your goals, keeps you focused and actually keeps your goals on your mind!

12. REVIEW AND REWRITE YOUR GOALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

Some times priorities and wants change, and that's totally normal! So as the year goes by, you might need to modify or change some of your goals. Which is why it's a fabulous idea to really think about and review them every 3 months! Did you complete one of your goals early? You can remove the other needed steps from your schedule! (And create a new goal, perhaps?) Are you running behind on a particular goal? You might need to reschedule a few steps. Is one of your goals just not resonating with you at all anymore? It might be time to scrap it! No shame in that. (Also there's a difference between something that's no longer resonating with you and something that you just feel like giving up on because it's hard. Don't you dare scrap your goal if it's the latter!)

13. BE CONSISTENT.

This is perhaps one of the toughest things to do, but is essential for reaching your goals! Setting goals can be super fun and exciting, but when things get tough (or busy!) it's easy to fall off the bandwagon. Fast. (By the way, what the heck is a bandwagon? I'm picturing an old-fashioned covered wagon with a little 5 piece band playing inside it!) So for tips on how to stay consistent and work towards your goals, watch this great little video by the fabulous (and hilarious) Marie Forleo!

14. SHARE YOUR GOALS WITH OTHERS.

The moment you share your goals with others you become accountable! Plus, putting them out there just makes them feel more real, ya know? So go on ... share them with a friend or two. Share them on Facebook. Share them on your blog. SHARE THEM WITH YOUR CAT!!!
Speaking of sharing, have any of you set any goals for the new year yet? I'd love to hear one or two! (And if I can help you in any way, even better!) One of my goals for 2016 is to release my first ever FREE online branding workshop and online course soon! WOO HOO!
There, I said it.

source: http://www.wonderlass.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-goal-setting/