10 Super Simple Ways to Stay Focused on Your Goals

Everything you need to set achievable goals!

This bundle includes:

• Monthly goal setting planner,

• Worksheets to break down your aspirations,

• Weekly goal setting trackers

• Progress review exercises,

• Habit tracking survey,

• Tasklist templates,

• and more!

Let’s set SMART goals with intention and accountability in mind!

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You have a clear goal in mind.  You know what you want, and you think you know how to get there.  But that is NOT enough.  You have to work for it.  The path might be long, and the nights might be late, but you are committed.

Even if you can taste it, simply wanting something is not enough to achieve it.  You need a path, a plan, and a way to stay focused.  But how do you do that?  How do you stay focused and achieve your goals?  Especially when they seem so far away?

How do you stay focused on your goals every day, even if the goal you’ve set for yourself is years away?  This is a common struggle for students.  Graduation, careers, and financial freedom seem so far off.  Right now, you are battling against due dates, stress, anxiety, and an impending sense of doom.  If you linger in this despair, these struggles will consume you.  It’s so easy to lose sight of what’s to come.

So how do you stand confident, steady, and strong under all this weight?  By setting goals and creating a stepwise plan to achieve them while rewarding yourself along the way.  By having a plan and sticking to it, you can track your progress as you get closer and closer to achieving your dreams.

First, start by setting big goals and then break them down into simple steps.  This will bring realizing your ambitions closer than you would have ever imagined.  This path will be long, and there will be setbacks.  Despite fallbacks and distractions, staying focused on your goals will be crucial.  That’s precisely why these 10 ways to stay focused on achieving your goals are so important.

If you struggle with setting and achieving your goals, pick up my FREE Goal Setting Workbook.  It will guide you through setting your monthly goals and then breaking them down weekly.  Here, you can reflect on your progress and how these targets will help you make headway toward the bigger picture.  Review the progress you made in the last month and assess how you can improve your habits moving forward.  I also host weekly and monthly live goalsetting sessions, so you don’t have to work through this alone.  We can share stories, laughs, and support as we achieve our dreams together!  It’s free, and you can pick up your copy here.

Download now: FREE Goalsetting Workbook

Why is Staying Focused on Your Goals Important?

Having a long-term goal is like having a map.  It helps you get to a specific destination without getting lost.  Your goal is meant to guide you in a particular direction.  It helps you get clear on your purpose and make choices to get to where you want to be. 

When you set goals so far in the future, like career or life goals, it’s easy to lose focus in the now.  It is not easy to take steps today for a payoff that might be years or decades away.  So how do people do it?

In a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology by Duckworth et al., it was discovered that one of the most important indicators of success in realizing long-term goals was the focused application of talent over time.  But what exactly does that mean, and how is this done?

In plain words, you have to take focused, deliberate steps towards achieving your goals.  Hard work alone is not enough, and neither is talent.  But making focused, intentional decisions day in and day out to work towards your goals and make progress is what matters to your success.

So how do you stay focused on a goal for years?  That’s exactly what we are going to talk about today.  Making targets, setting them, and having a plan will help immensely.  Let’s dive into 10 super simple ways to stay focused on your goals so you can reach them!

How to Stay Focused and Achieve Your Goals

One of the best ways to achieve your goals is to simply break them up into actionable pieces.  By doing this, you have tasks that you can tackle in a much more reasonable time frame.  You can assign these smaller targets for weeks or months, then break them up into bite-sized pieces to work on throughout the days. 

By breaking down your goals, you’re limiting overwhelm because you can quickly see how possible accomplishing a simple task is.  You are no longer telling yourself to get an A+ on a big assignment.  Instead, you’re simply completing the outline or the research before moving on to the next task.

Having a task list is also helpful because it increases your motivation by giving you a choice.  You can choose the items you want to tackle, in the order you’d like to complete them.  So instead of wrestling with motivation because you don’t want to do anything, you can simply select the task you want to avoid the least.  Or, choose the job that takes the smallest amount of time and work your way up the list.

But getting this task list done is not the topic of this article.  Today you want to know how you stay focused every day to make this long-term progress.  How can you make working towards your dreams fun and fulfilling every single day?

This article breaks down several ways to stay focused on these long-term goals.  We will discuss some strategies to increase motivation and help ease the burden of this massive, overwhelming workload.  Let’s get started!

1.  Create an evening routine that has you set up the night before.

Timing is everything when you have a goal.  You can use time to your advantage and make each day a little easier.  We all have times throughout the day when we are most productive.  Taking note of these times and creating routines to optimize our efficiency can help set us up for the days ahead.

Alternatively, if you have periods when you are just in a slump, make a routine to work through them.  This can help make you more productive by taking that opportunity to take care of yourself.  Self-care is one of the most essential components of avoiding stress and reducing anxiety.  It also helps with productivity by giving your mind and body the rest they need to be able to perform.

So, when are you more productive?  When you first open your eyes?  Or before you go to bed?  Creating morning and evening routines are a great start.  These can help you plan ahead, set you up for the day, or wind down after a long stressful study session.

How many times does your alarm clock go off in the morning?  How long do you continue to lay in bed with your eyes closed?  I’ve been guilty of staying in bed “until I decide what I want to wear.”  I fall back asleep every time.

I love a good warm bed, especially on a cold Canadian morning.  And some days, it’s just so snug and cozy.  You just nuzzle into that right spot, and it’s impossible to leave.  But you have to.  There are things to do and goals to accomplish.  How can we make this easier?

Evening routines can be calming and ensure that you don’t wake up to chaos.  They can help you get everything you need for the morning ready to wake up in a good mood and with little stress.

Morning routines are a fantastic way to start your day off right.  They can help you start out motivated and in an intentional manner.  How your day starts can make or break it.  It’s so easy to start a morning off on the wrong foot and have those dark clouds persist throughout the day.  Sometimes when this happens, it is impossible to shake.  The entire day becomes a write-off.

Do all these little tasks to prepare yourself for the morning before you go to bed.  There is an entire unit about how to create successful morning and evening routines in the first module of my digital course.  It comes with a workbook to help you to design your own.  You can check it out here.

By completing little preparation tasks before bed each night, you will set yourself up for the best morning possible.  Pick out your clothes for the following day.  Set up your coffee to brew on a timer.  Pack your bags and set them near the door.  Leave a note of any last-minute tasks you need to add to your schedule.  Finally, take out what you plan to eat for dinner and pack your lunch.  You will sleep much more soundly, and “future you” will definitely offer their thanks!

In the morning, sit down with your coffee and plan out your day.  Make sure to include all your must-dos and obligations.  If you enjoy reading or watching a few videos to start your day, give yourself time for this as well.  Make sure your morning routine allows for all the time you need to get ready the way you like.  This is your time to prepare yourself for everything you need to tackle in the day.  Give yourself permission to take the time you need to not feel rushed.

2.    Write them down

A goal that isn’t written down is just a wish.  As much as I want to take credit for that quote, I didn’t make it up.  I heard it once a long time ago, but I can’t remember where.  Nonetheless, it’s always stuck with me.

Writing down your goals makes them real.  Once this happens, you have to deal with them.  Write down all your ambitions, big and small.  Write down your to-do list and everything you need to get done in a day.

Finally, keep a notebook with you and write down:

• all of the anxious thoughts that flood into your mind,

• all the amazing ideas that come to you,

• anything you need to remember,

• and everything you need to pick up from the store.

Writing these things down gets them out of your head.  This means they will stop taking up space and wasting precious energy.  These pages do not have to be pretty or even grammatically correct.  This is all just for you to review later.

Go through this notebook regularly and toss out your anxious thoughts.  If the symbolism of tearing out the page and throwing it out in the garbage feels good to you, do it!

Take your to-do and shopping lists and transfer them to your planner at the end of the day.  That way, you can make sure these tasks don’t get forgotten, and you can complete them when you have time.  You can distribute them throughout the week and address them when it’s most convenient for you.

Finally,  keep these fantastic ideas safe.  I have a drawer full of these notebooks, and I pull them out whenever I need fresh inspiration.  I am often blown away by some of the ideas that I’ve had.  Flipping through these notebooks inspires me.  I will sometimes pick one up on a bad day to reflect on how far I’ve come.  They also help me to dream up improvements or offerings for my clients.  Sometimes, I can’t believe the great ideas I’ve forgotten and dive right in on bringing them to life.

3.    Read them every morning

Go over your goals every morning.  Repeat them to yourself.  Yes, out loud.  This keeps them present and anchored to your reality.  Never forget your goal.  Let it be the driving force in everything you do.  Keeping it in the here and now allows you to think of how you can direct your energy towards achieving it.

Don’t just review your long-term goals.  Re-visit your short and middle ranged goals as well. 

1. Break up your long-term aspirations into yearly goals

2. Create monthly goals to stay on track.

3. Break these goals up weekly to take manageable steps.

4. Join me every Friday to set weekly goals that make progress.

Weekly planning sessions can be extremely helpful in staying focused on your goals.  I hold both weekly and monthly planning sessions so we can do it together.  Sharing your goals and having a community that supports you and provides accountability can increase the likelihood of achieving them.  Pick up your free workbook, set your goals, drop in on a live stream, or join the replay crew.

If you are still unclear on your long-term goals, check out The Ultimate Student Planner.  It has everything you need to plan and organize your school, work, and study obligations.  It also has exercises that help you get clear on your long-term goals.

It starts with an intense self-coaching exercise to help you get clear on goals and set your intentions.  Next, work through a mini-goal setting exercise to help you define your priorities.  Finally, a future planning and visualization exercise helps you pinpoint the exact life you want to live and create a plan to achieve it.

The Ultimate Student Planner – Sage

The Ultimate Student Planner - Rose

Clarifying your destination in this way will make you much more likely to reach your goals.  This life you are planning is now real.  It exists in your not too distant future.  All you have to do is follow the path towards it.

Setting goals, creating a plan to achieve them, and staying focused on your progress will get you there.  Joining the live streams or catching the replays will help you become part of a community that will help you along the way.

These habits of intentional planning, community support and accountability are crucial to staying on track.  It is easy to wander off the path when you don’t regularly review your goals and calculate your progress.  Goals that are out of sight slip out of mind quickly.  You need to constantly remind yourself of what you want to accomplish.  It’s so easy to slide back into old habits or lose track of all the progress you’ve made when you don’t keep in mind why you’re doing it.

4.    Do at least one thing to further your goals every day

Take intentional steps to tackle tasks and work towards your goals every day.  This does not have to be a huge undertaking.  If your goal is to Ace one of your classes, try to steal away 15-minutes a day to review flashcards for topics you struggle with.  Do this in addition to your regular study sessions.

Flashcards are compact and easy to carry around.  Adding these small commitments to your week is a simple way to increase your understanding of a subject with minimum time and energy.

You can also create tasks that are a little more substantial.  They can be as big or as little as the day allows.  Goals cover as big of a range as the people setting them.  Your goal for the day can be as simple as completing all your responsibilities or sliding in something new.  Whatever your day brings, try to take it as a fresh opportunity to get one step closer to achieving your dreams.

5.    Manage your time effectively

I will never be the one to say that you should spend 100% of your time productively.  Burnout is a reality, and self-care and rest are essentials.  Sometimes you need to be able to rest and take a breather.  This will help you return refreshed and ready to tackle your commitments when the time comes.

The thing is, if you want to achieve your goals, you will have to make continual, measurable progress.  Make sure you are not wasting time that you should be using productively.  Complete all your obligations or to-dos before indulging in your days-long Netflix binge.

Procrastination is the biggest time waster there is.  It also comes with many faces that often look like you’re making progress, but you’re actually wandering in the wrong direction.  Don’t fall into this trap.

Take time to rest but create a strategy that still allows you to hit your milestones.  I do this by setting monthly goals, breaking them up into weekly goals, then completing tasks daily.

During the goal-setting live streams, we also reflect on our goals and how they help us in the long run.  This will help us stay on track and avoid wandering off on a side quest.  Reflection will help keep us on the path and focused on those long-term goals.

6.    Plan your day

It’s so much easier to complete everything you need to do in a day when you have a clear plan.  Write out all your must-do’s in your planner as well as your “hope to do’s.”

Ticking off this list will motivate you to tackle even more projects.  You will finish your list faster than expected!  This is because your efforts are focused.  You have a clear, step-by-step, intentional plan to make progress and get the desired results.

All the external noise and distraction is silenced when you have a focused plan.  It’s so easy to lose motivation and veer off the path when your strategy is unclear.  When you plan your day and assign tasks throughout the week, you can cross items off and stay focused.

Planning your day will also give you a better understanding of what is actually possible to accomplish in the time you have.  Doing this will ensure you don’t overburden yourself and cause more stress.  You have enough on your plate.  Being realistic about what you’ll be able to accomplish is crucial.  As much as possible, try to anticipate how long a task will take and assign time blocks to each item on your list.

When you have all your duties organized, you will have a more precise understanding of the time remaining on a project.  This will make it less likely that incomplete items will be forgotten when planning out the next series of days.  You can easily reassign tasks and move them around to the days that make the most sense or when you feel inspired to complete them.

7.    Take time out for self-care

We often expect greatness out of ourselves but do not invest the time to make sure that we can achieve it.  We need to treat ourselves with the same care, dignity, and excellence, as the output we imagine.  Remember, grass grows only where it’s watered.

Taking care of ourselves, both inside and out, is one positive step.  We need to take time out to unwind, laugh, and just enjoy our life and journey.  While you’re busy focusing on the future and achieving your dreams, don’t forget the vessel propelling you towards them.  Being kind to yourself and taking care not to burn out is as necessary as setting the goals in the first place.

By resting, spending time with friends, and doing the things you love, you refuel your motivation.  Even if you feel like it’s time wasted, it’s not.  You will find that when you return to your work, you’ll be refreshed and find new inspiration and motivation to push forward.

8.    Create a support network

Having a support network will hold you accountable for achieving your goals and uplift you along the way.  This is vital to your success.  These people can help motivate you with positivity and can often be the best source of feedback and opportunities.

This support network can be friends, family, classmates, educators and even business or work associates.  Don’t be too shy to join one of our live events if you have trouble connecting to a support network that helps you stay on track with your goals.  We set goals, reflect on our progress, create plans to help us make improvements, and support each other in these events.  I’d love to have you as part of the live or on the replay crew!

Try to take advantage of any opportunity to network in your area of interest.  You never know when you might cross paths with someone again in the future.  Much of the professional world is about who you know.  Having a network of people who can support you and create opportunities is a fantastic advantage.

This doesn’t just work when looking for a job or an internship.  These connections can also be incredibly valuable when you need to find someone with specific skills or talents.  You never know when knowing a trustworthy, competent, reliable person in your field can be an asset.  One day, you will be in a position to help others or create a team of your own, and already having contacts with the skills you need will be a massive advantage!

9.    Love what you do

Nothing motivates you more than having a passion for what you do.  It won’t be a chore if you love what you do, and little motivation will be needed to get started in the morning.  This passion can give you much more incentive and attention to detail to complete your projects, giving you a clear advantage.

There is already so much outside pressure and judgement when choosing a path.  So many expectations to live up to, and so many people wait for you to fail.  This is all just noise.  Only you know what you are capable of, and even with that, you can accomplish so much more than you think!

You can achieve anything.  All you need is a plan, persistence, and patience.  With these three things, you can undertake absolutely anything.  Naysayers tried to stop some of the most brilliant minds in the world.  Where would they be if they listened?

That is not to say that you should never feel unmotivated, even if you love what you do.  We will all have those days.  Days where you would rather lay around in bed than get to work.  Days when you might feel off or depressed.  Even days when anxiety or pressure gets the best of you.  These are all okay.

These days are the reason taking care of yourself is so important.  When they come, allow yourself the time to be pampered.  Do what makes you feel secure and taken care of.  Indulge in things you enjoy and lift your spirits.  Chat with a friend, grab a coffee, or rearrange your desk.  Do something meaningful to you.

10.  Reward yourself along the way

It’s so important to celebrate your wins.  Not just the big ones, even the little ones.  Big goals should always be broken down into smaller, manageable pieces that take no more than a month or so to complete.  These are essential milestones for tracking progress and should be celebrated as an accomplishment.

Every time you set a goal, be it yearly, monthly, or weekly, assign a reward for accomplishing it.  Actually, decide when you set the goal, and write down the reward next to it.  Make it specific and actually follow through when you complete the goal.

If you are just starting out, make sure to set a prize for each and every goal.  This will start a cycle of positive reinforcement that will help you with short-term motivation.  One simple example is laying out a gummy bear or a piece of candy for each paragraph in your reading session.

The reward is small enough for you to realistically justify and will keep you reading.  If you fail to reach your goals, don’t reward yourself.  Instead, just create a better plan for the following week, and try again.

If you stay focused on your goals and follow your plan, you’ll find that making progress is much easier than you ever thought.  It’s easy to get overwhelmed with how far you have left to go, but don’t forget about all the progress you’ve already made.  If you stay on track and follow the path you’ve laid out, you can create the life of your dreams.  You’ve already proven you can by making it as far as you have.

You are strong, resilient, and capable.  You are able to achieve amazing things.  If you didn’t have the will and the drive to make things happen, you wouldn’t be here trying to learn how.  Stay focused and realistic about your expectation; before you know it, you’ll realize you’ve arrived!

Don’t forget to grab the free goal-setting workbook.  It’ll guide you step-by-step through setting your monthly goals.  Use it to carve out the path and dictate your weekly goals.   We use this same workbook in both our weekly and monthly goal-setting live streams if you need some extra support.   I can’t wait to see you there!

I would like to be transparent so that there are no misunderstandings. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission from any products linked in this post. This is not a sponsored post, and I was not asked to recommend these products. These are products that I genuinely love and wanted to share with my audience.