Making Progress Toward Your Goals

Tired of feeling like a hamster on a wheel? If you just don’t seem to make progress in reaching your goals or you’ve reached a plateau, consider these tips.

TAKE ACTION. Avoid being overwhelmed and paralyzed by your challenges. “Do anything to keep the momentum going forward,” says Joe Vitale, author of The Attractor Factor. “One of my favorite examples comes from author Ray Bradbury. He still gets up every day and writes a short story. He wakes up with no idea what he will write. He just starts typing from inspiration.”

JUST TAKE THE NEXT STEP. You don’t have to be able to see your destination to reach it. “It’s like driving your car at night when there’s no streetlights,” Vitale says. “Your headlights may only allow you to see the next 100 feet in front of you. And finally, you make it to your destination.”

IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE RESULTS, CHANGE WHAT YOU’RE DOING. Personal-development icon Jim Rohn suggests asking yourself, “What can I do today so the next five years are not the same as the last five?”

EVALUATE HOW YOU ARE SPENDING YOUR TIME. “Do you focus on the majors?” Rohn asks. “Spend major time on major things, and minor time on minor things.” When you see results on the things that matter to you most, it will fuel more results.

MAKE SURE YOUR HEART IS IN IT. Director and producer George Lucas says, “You have to find something you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles, and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don’t have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle.”

PUSH YOURSELF TO REACH YOUR POTENTIAL. “Make a realistic assessment of your current abilities,” suggests Cynthia Kersey, author of Unstoppable. “Now, imagine your abilities have increased by 10 percent. What could you be doing if you immediately possessed 10 percent more abilities, skills and talents? You could be doing those things today if you believed you could and pushed yourself—even a little bit—outside your comfort zone.”