{"id":98506,"date":"2023-04-13T09:47:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-13T13:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=98506"},"modified":"2023-04-19T10:09:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T14:09:37","slug":"how-to-take-action-on-your-goals-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-take-action-on-your-goals-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Take Action on Your Goals: The 3 Steps to Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you struggle to follow through with your goals? How can you stop falling off track and keep showing up for your goals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make your goals a reality, you’ve got to take consistent actions toward them. Provided your goals are realistic and your actions are constructive and systematic, achieving them is only a matter of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s how to take action on your goals<\/a>, according to self-help author Napoleon Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Take Constructive Actions to Achieve Your Goal<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alongside practicing visualizations and affirmations<\/a>, take constructive actions to achieve your goal<\/strong>. This will align your behaviors with your positive thoughts<\/a> and focus your subconscious mind<\/a> on exactly what you need to do to make progress. In his book The Law of Success<\/a><\/em>, Napoleon Hill explains how to take action on your goals<\/a> using a three-step process: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Break your goal down into daily tasks.<\/li>
  2. Create a daily schedule<\/a>.<\/li>
  3. Expand your knowledge<\/a> and skills.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s explore each of these steps in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1) Break Your Goal Down Into Daily Tasks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The first step toward taking constructive actions to achieve your goal is to break it down into a series of daily tasks<\/strong>. Hill explains that this process will help you prioritize your time and increase your productivity, which will help you build momentum<\/a> toward achieving your goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (Shortform note: Brendon Burchard (High Performance Habits<\/em><\/a>) expands on this step with in-depth advice on breaking your goal down into constructive tasks. First, write down five major steps you need to take to achieve your goal<\/a>. These are big steps that require many smaller tasks to achieve. For example, if your goal is to start a business<\/a>, one of your five major steps might be to develop a business plan. Then, under each of your five major steps, write down a list of tasks you need to complete to accomplish that step. For example, to develop a business plan, your tasks might include researching your target market<\/a> and analyzing competitors. Finally, create deadlines for each of these tasks and factor them into your daily schedule.)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2) Create a Daily Schedule<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Once you\u2019ve broken your goal down into daily tasks, create a daily schedule to accomplish them<\/strong>. According to Hill, you\u2019re more likely to complete each task if you set aside uninterrupted time and avoid multitasking and distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (Shortform note: In Deep Work<\/em><\/a>, Cal Newport explores how scheduling uninterrupted time improves your chances of achieving your goal<\/a>. When you only give tasks partial focus\u2014by multitasking or giving in to distractions\u2014you interrupt your brain from accessing and applying information stored in your mind. This slows down your progress and makes your task feel laborious. On the other hand, writes Neil Pasricha (The Happiness Equation<\/em><\/a>) intense, full focus helps your brain effortlessly<\/em> sift through and apply information stored in your brain<\/a>, speeds up your progress, and makes your task feel enjoyable\u2014increasing your ability to achieve your goal.)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3) Expand Your Knowledge and Skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    After completing your daily task, focus your attention on expanding your knowledge and skills<\/strong>. According to Hill, the more you improve your capabilities, the faster you\u2019ll achieve your goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Efficient Methods to Expand Your Knowledge and Skills<\/strong>

    If you\u2019re not sure how to effectively expand your knowledge and skills, consider adopting the following two methods.

    According to Jim Kwik (Limitless<\/em><\/a>), you\u2019re more likely to retain information and expand your knowledge if you take effective notes<\/a>. He provides a three-step process to achieve this:

    1) Before you start a learning session (for example, reading or watching a presentation), ask yourself what you\u2019re specifically hoping to learn from it.\u00a0

    2) Keeping your goal for the session in mind, filter through the information you\u2019re getting and write down only what\u2019s relevant to that goal.\u00a0

    3) Once your session is complete, highlight the most valuable information and make an outline of the key points.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Additionally, Take on Unrelated<\/em> Challenges and Responsibilities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In addition to taking constructive actions to achieve your goal, Hill recommends taking on extra challenges and responsibilities <\/strong>unrelated<\/em><\/strong> to your goal<\/strong>. For example, offer to complete additional projects at work or provide support to your colleagues. Hill explains that consistently going above and beyond what you need to do will impress upon your subconscious mind<\/a> the idea that you\u2019re capable of successfully taking on more responsibilities. Additionally, Hill claims that this proactive behavior will benefit you by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n