{"id":34,"date":"2015-06-16T21:24:35","date_gmt":"2015-06-16T21:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=34"},"modified":"2015-11-30T18:48:31","modified_gmt":"2015-11-30T18:48:31","slug":"5-key-ways-to-make-your-goal-a-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2015\/06\/5-key-ways-to-make-your-goal-a-reality.html","title":{"rendered":"5 Key Ways to Make Your Goal a Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anyone who wants to achieve a Big Goal will encounter obstacles.\u00a0 That is natural.\u00a0 Anytime you try to do something outside the norm, you will face resistance.\u00a0 Not only will the world present challenges, but you can even experience resistance from your own mind.\u00a0 While talent and hard work are helpful on the road to success, the most important skill is the ability to overcome the obstacles that you will face along the way.\u00a0 To that end, below are five ways to face these challenges and realize your goals.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Don\u2019t Give Up Too Soon:<\/strong> Working toward a goal is like training to be an athlete. If you work at a physical skill, you naturally will hit plateaus where you don\u2019t seem to be making any progress.\u00a0 Then suddenly you will take a big leap forward in your abilities.\u00a0 It is the same with working to achieve a goal.\u00a0 There will be a period when nothing seems to be happening.\u00a0 It is discouraging, and many people prematurely give up at this point.\u00a0 Those who ultimately achieve great things are those who keep plugging away even when it seems like they aren\u2019t making progress.<\/li>\n
  2. Don\u2019t Share Your Dream Too Soon:<\/strong> Dreams are fragile things. They are like eggs.\u00a0 The smallest bump can crack them wide open.\u00a0 When you are in the beginning stages of creating a Big Goal, you are very vulnerable.\u00a0 There is little to no basis for you, or anyone else, to believe that you could achieve that goal.\u00a0 If you share your dream at this stage, you\u2019ll get lots of well-meaning advice, like \u201cI\u2019m not sure that is where your talents lie.\u201d\u00a0 Or, \u201cYou should probably approach that goal prudently.\u00a0 Maybe take a college course or do an internship!\u201d\u00a0 The problem is that when you have a Big Goal, you need to be confident so that you can attack it head on.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need permission to pursue your dream.\u00a0 So keep it to yourself for a while.\u00a0 Protect it, and keep the naysayers at bay.<\/li>\n
  3. Do a Little Bit Each Day:<\/strong> Inertia is the enemy when you are working toward a goal. You have to do something toward achieving your goal each day. That includes weekends!\u00a0 Even if it is only 15 minutes of work on some days, that keeps the momentum going.\u00a0 When you are trying to achieve a big goal, much of the process is mental.\u00a0 When you keep moving, you keep those \u201cworry\u201d thoughts at bay, like \u201cI have no business pursuing this dream.\u00a0 I\u2019m not qualified.\u201d\u00a0 Yes, you are!\u00a0 Just keep at it.<\/li>\n
  4. Pretend You Are Getting Paid, Even When You Aren\u2019t:<\/strong> Very often, when we pursue dreams, we feel a little foolish because there is no money in sight. Don\u2019t let that stop you!\u00a0 No one who ever achieved anything great started by making six-figures at it from the get go.\u00a0 Every great achievement has started with an idea \u2013 an unpaid idea.\u00a0 Then there is faith in that idea, followed by hard work and eventual success.\u00a0 Believe in your idea, and believe that the time you spend today working toward your goal will be paid for in the future.<\/li>\n
  5. Don\u2019t Pay Attention to the \u201cExperts\u201d:<\/strong> There is no career or goal for which you can\u2019t find some \u201cexpert\u201d who will tell you that what you are trying to do is impossible. If I could outlaw anything on the Internet, it would be the millions of articles where self-proclaimed experts tell people that what they want to do is absurdly hard and to keep your expectations very low.\u00a0 I shudder to think how many great writers, artists, musicians, and leaders the world will never see because someone told them that what they are trying to do is \u201cimpossible\u201d or that only 1% of people can achieve that goal.\u00a0 Ignore those people and let them live in mediocrity.\u00a0 If you wish to achieve big dreams, go for it!\u00a0 People don\u2019t decide whether your goals will be achieved.\u00a0 Only God does.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    God places dreams in our hearts for a reason \u2013 so that we can fulfill them.\u00a0 And in the process of fulfilling them, and overcoming obstacles, hopefully we can grow in character and maturity and become the best that God created us to be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Anyone who wants to achieve a Big Goal will encounter obstacles.\u00a0 That is natural.\u00a0 Anytime you try to do something outside the norm, you will face resistance.\u00a0 Not only will the world present challenges, but you can even experience resistance from your own mind.\u00a0 While talent and hard work are helpful on the road to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Key Ways to Make Your Goal a Reality - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/Inspiration\/Galleries\/5-Key-Ways-to-Make-Your-Goal-a-Reality.aspx\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Key Ways to Make Your Goal a Reality - 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