Do the Elements of Your Life Support Your Goals?
Whether it’s becoming a millionaire, improving mindfulness or saving the world, many of us have huge goals in life. But are you doing everything you can to bring them to fruition?
Someday vs Today
Big goals often require big changes, but are you dreaming big and only working towards those dreams once-in-a-while or when it’s convenient? If so, you’re delaying their achievement indefinitely.
Instead, arrange your life around the goals you want to achieve. Align the elements of your life in a way that supports these goals, and watch all aspects of your life work together in harmony to bring you to the place you want to be.
Define Your Goals
Defining your goals is always the first step to achieving them. Success isn’t an accident, but something that requires vision and intention. Clarify exactly what you want to happen in as much detail as possible. Journal, tell your friends and family about it, and meditate on your desired goal/s until you can close your eyes and feel the life you want to live with all your senses. Use this as your guidepost.
People
Are the people in your life supportive of your goals? You can only spend time with a certain number of people, and only divide your attention in so many directions.
Ask yourself who you need to connect with, and actively invite people into your circle that support you and the life you want to live. Do you need a life coach or financial advisor? Do you share your time with goal oriented people? They say you become like the people you spend your time with, and you can choose to spend your time with others that make it more or less likely that you’ll achieve your goals.
Diet
What does your body need in order to succeed? Someone who’s running a marathon needs a different diet than someone who’s hoping to win a bodybuilding competition. Whether what you’re needing is energy, lots of focus, or even just feeling alert and free from discomfort, experiment with your diet and consider talking to a nutritionist. Keep adjusting your diet until you’ve figured out what you and your body need in order to do your very best work.
Sleep
What is the right amount of sleep for you? We all wish there were more hours in the day, but while it might be tempting to borrow those hours from your sleep schedule, you may find that you’re able to pursue your goals more effectively if you’re well rested. Most people need at least 7–8 hours of sleep each night to stay at peak performance. If you’re getting plenty of sleep and still don’t feel well rested, talk to your doctor and consider requesting a sleep study.
Time
How are you spending your time each day? With so many distractions and potential time-sinks out there, it’s easy to lose track of how much valuable time is being unconsciously wasted. Track where your time goes each day, and see what you discover. It may even be that the time you’re spending working towards your goals could be optimized. Consider whether you’re devoting your time and attention to actions that are most effective, or just the easiest and lowest effort.
Environment and Location
Are you living in the right environment to pursue your goals? Just as it would be more difficult (though of course not impossible) to be a professional skier while living in the desert, it’s harder to nurture a goal-oriented lifestyle in an environment that only supports chaos. Consider whether it’s an urban or rural environment that supports you best, but don’t stop there. Are you at your best when living alone, or with others? Does your space nurture focus and success, or chaos and frustration?
Career and Finance
Is your career helping or hurting your ability to achieve your dreams? While you can pursue your goals at any income level, a large boost to your finances might allow more time to put toward those goals. Also consider if there’s a certain time of day you need free in order to best work towards them, if you have enough physical energy at the end of the day, and if the stress level is one you can easily manage while taking on new challenges. We’re not telling you to go out and quit your job, but be aware of the factors that help or hurt your success, and orient yourself accordingly.
Bigger Goals Mean Bigger Changes
At the end of the day, the bigger the goals, the more coordination is needed between every aspect of your life. How big are your goals, and how serious are you about achieving them? If you’re ready to arrange your life to support them, the best time is yesterday and the second-best time is right now.
Do you have any goals you’re currently working towards? Share your tips in the comments, and don’t forget to check out CodeDesign for all your web design, SEO and digital marketing needs!
