So you have a goal. You want to lose weight, write a novel, learn to speak Chinese, or maybe run a marathon. Here are 5 Keys to help you meet your goal.

1. Believe in Yourself

First, you must make sure that you really want to accomplish your goal. Telling someone, your goal is not the same as actually changing your behavior. Think long and hard about whether you really want to lose weight or write a novel or do you just want to talk to others about it because it’s fun to get excited about new endeavors. Maybe you believe that sharing your goal with others will help hold you accountable. It may for a short time, but chances are when the excitement dwindles so will your willpower. Make sure you’re meeting your goal for you because you’re the one who has to do the work. Are you ready? If so, then you must believe in yourself. You must live the words: I can and I will.

2. Break Your Goal Down Into Steps

When I set out to run long distances I play a little game. For instance, I know I must run seven miles. The thought of completing seven miles before I begin is too overwhelming. My mind will search for many excuses of why that’s more than I can handle. So, I tell myself I’m going to run three miles. Even though my goal for the day is seven I begin with three. Three is easy. Once I hit three miles, I tell myself that two more is doable. After all, I just ran three. What’s two more? Once I hit five miles suddenly seven doesn’t seem impossible. Two more miles and I’ve reached my goal. I think about how I’d feel if I gave up with two miles left and it fuels me to keep going. Then when I finish, I look back with a sense of accomplishment knowing that the next week I’m capable of more.

3. Give Yourself a Deadline

I give myself deadlines with my running and my writing. Whether I’m creating a new story or editing a manuscript I pull up my calendar in Outlook and give myself a timeline for finishing. With running, it helps tremendously if I sign up for a race. Once I’m registered I print out a workout schedule that is designed to get me ready for that race. Keeping track of my daily miles, makes me feel like I’m working towards my end goal whether it’s a half or a full marathon. I don’t expect myself to run 12 miles by the end of week one and feel disappointed if I can’t. Instead, I celebrate because, by the end of week one,  I can run 5 miles. By the end of 18 weeks, I should be ready to run a marathon or have a novel written or both.

4. Practice Positive Self Talk

It’s okay to fail. Read those words out loud. It’s okay to fail. Do not fear failure because it will stop you from ever reaching your goal. You must practice positive self-talk. Pretend you’re at a kid’s baseball game watching your nephew bat. He strikes out. Do you berate him and lecture about how he should practice more or tell him that baseball isn’t his sport? No, you encourage him. You give him the support he needs and tell him to keep trying. Well, that’s exactly how you should treat yourself. Talk to yourself as you would a child. (Thank you, Brené Brown) If you stray from your goal, forgive yourself, and keep moving forward. Keep on keeping on!

5. Be Grateful For Every Success

Gratitude brings joy. Joy brings confidence. Confidence helps you reach your goal. See #1. Write down every little success you have in reaching your goal. If I run a 5K and get a good time I write it down. When I’m writing a novel, I keep a notebook in front of my keyboard. The notebook contains information about all the characters, a timeline, playlists; I even write journal entries telling what’s happening in my life as I write the story. Every entry is dated. That way I can look back and see from the day I first began typing to the day I completed a third or fourth edit, how long I’ve been working on a story. Seeing the dates from when I first began gives me a sense of accomplishment. I’m grateful for how far I’ve come even though there’s still a long way to go. Novels take time.

“Go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will go farther.”  Orison Swett Marden