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In recovery and life, what separates a person from achieving their goals and not achieving their goals is focus. A lack of focus might lead to a lack of persistence, lack of motivation, and, eventually, lack of follow-through. Becoming distracted by pursuing a goal pulls your energy in different directions, thus creating walls around your goals. It can become dangerous when you begin to adopt an attitude of “I can't” or “I never will.” When you start to subscribe to these thoughts and attitudes, the future of your success is in danger.
However, these feelings and walls are not forever; they too can be broken down to get you on track to reaching your goals. A way to do that is by tracking your progress. Tracking your progress helps you understand how you think, behave, and react to meeting your goals. You will likely discover where your strengths and weaknesses lie in the process and seek the opportunities to adjust and refine your efforts.
Let's take a look at ways to track your progress and help keep you motivated!
Look at the Bigger Picture
Sometimes it's hard to “see the forest through the trees.” Taking a step back to evaluate the “bigger picture” can help clarify what you are trying to accomplish. Many people fall into the routine of “going through the motions” rather than living each day to its fullest. It helps to look at the bigger picture when you ask yourself what you want to do and what you aspire to become. Having an answer in mind helps to add direction and motivation to your day.
The goals you set can be small. Taking time to reflect on your goals and imagine what the big picture looks like is essential in realizing your desired future. It also helps get you away from going through the day-to-day motions.
Plan and Organize
No success in life, recovery, or any endeavor exists without first having a good plan, organizing that plan, and then putting it into action. Organizing a plan to move at your pace helps you move toward your goal and build confidence. Planning with a journal, phone, or calendar can be an adequate reference for organizing your daily tasks. Try not to overwhelm yourself with too many goals. You can set daily, weekly, or even monthly goals to accomplish.
Further, break down your tasks into a daily to-do list and focus on accomplishing those tasks. Be sure to make time to incorporate self-care such as meditation and exercise into your daily routine. You will also want to include a consistent sleep and nutrition schedule. A balanced day puts you in a position to attend to all of your goals with energy and optimism, feeling motivated and refreshed.
Practice Accountability
Speaking your goals into the universe by incorporating others that support you helps add accountability and motivation to your pursuits. Knowing that a team of people is rooting for you can keep you focused on moving forward. Their support can inspire you not to let them down, and their encouragement will feel great when you do accomplish your goal. Sharing your goals helps to keep you on track. Making sure you are connecting with others should be a priority in your week. Whether it is a support group, counseling, or just getting together to chat online with a friend helps you keep your goals and ambitions flourishing.
Celebrate Small Wins
There is no accomplishment too big or too small; everything builds upon itself. It is essential to take a moment out of your day to recognize your achievements. If you keep moving forward and never look at your accomplishments, you might feel burned out. Burnout can cause you to lose motivation and focus. Celebrating your achievements is also another great way to help you track your progress. When you accomplish a goal, take the time to recognize all you have done.
Stop Waiting For The Perfect Opportunity
The perfect opportunity will likely never come nor be recognized when you're not in a “goal-oriented” mindset; achieving does take believing. Likewise, opportunity happens when met with preparation. Progress cannot happen without taking action toward change. The opportunity also occurs when you continue to grow your network and work toward a goal. When you wait for the perfect opportunity, you run the risk of creating more excuses not to do something. Understand that there will never be an ideal time or condition. If you want to achieve what you want in life, you start working on your goals today.
There is never a “right” time to pursue your most incredible goals in life; however, there is also never a wrong time to start working toward your goals. By choosing START UP RECOVERY, you are choosing to put your recovery and pursuit of success first. We will work with you to help you refine and rebuild your approach to achieving your greatest ambitions. We also believe that accomplishing the life you deserve takes growing your network of supportive people that you can trust to continue to motivate you to move forward. Remember, it all begins with putting your recovery needs first. When you feel mentally and physically balanced, you are in the best position to achieve your dreams and build the life you want. It all starts with taking the first step. To learn more, reach out to START UP RECOVERY today by calling (310) 773-3809. Don't miss out on your best success!