In this article, we discuss several ways to establish a firm commitment to a goal or project. While failing to reach a stretch goal is not necessarily a problem, being highly committed to a goal or outcome should be something you learn and can repeat in your life.

Some people have actually given up.  Have you?  Did you make new year’s resolutions for the year?  If so, how are they coming according to where we are in the year.  At this writing it is already mid August.  Are your goals 2/3 complete for the year by now?  If not, then how are your 3 and 5 year goals looking.  Do you have 3 and 5 year goals?

Here are 5 ways to increase the likelihood of actually reaching those goals for the year.

1.  Make it public.  The more sympathetic, like-minded people that you tell about your goal, the higher will be your own personal buy-in.  Part of the process in making a goal public is announcing in front of many witnesses what your intentions are.  But maybe more important, your own subconscious mind needs to hear the public commitment and accept it fully.  Although you may not know the exact strategy that you’ll use, don’t worry because your subconscious mind once it has received its “assignment” will devise needed strategies.

2.  Be careful who you confide in.  You should not share your goals with friends and relatives if they aren’t of the same mindset that as you.  Since 80% of people aren’t goal-oriented, they may challenge your goals, possibly weakening your commitment in the process.

3.  Get an accountability partner and/or coach.  Did you know that every professional uses a coach?  An accountability partner can be equally effective, but the bigger and more important goals may require the services of a professional.  A coach or accountability partner can also assist in setting specific, measurable, attainable and realistic goals.

4.  Document it.  If you don’t write it down, it won’t happen.  Something about the process of reading your goals that are in written form strengthens your own commitment and buy-in.  We tend to believe what we see in front of us in written form.  Read your goals frequently, preferably aloud.

5.  Know and Appreciate the Benefits.  What will reaching your goal mean to you?  How will it change your life?  You must discover a why that makes you want to reach the goal.  Otherwise, fear usually trumps goal achievement, indicating that desire wasn’t great enough to overcome fears of failure, inadequacy, or risks associated with the quest.

6.  Use Work Breakdown Structure.  Break down your big goals into daily, weekly, and monthly specific tasks needed to eventually reach the big goal.  Then concentrate as best as possible on the specific daily tasks needed.  Understand that sustained effort comes from daily attention to detail and an attitude moment by moment of “doing whatever it takes.”

Goal achievement is something most people struggle with.  Using these steps and methods will greatly increase the chance or your own success and notable achievement.  It’s never too late to get started, but if you don’t start you will never accomplish and have what you want from life.