At its most basic, achieving your goals and dreams comes down to showing up, taking action and responding to what presents itself.

Even more basic than that – it’s actually starting. (It sort of makes sense when you think about it)

But, once started (read more about starting here), there are certain principles you can apply to ensure you’re more likely to achieve what you want to achieve.

These principles stem from one of my biggest learnings from sailing around the coast of Great Britain with my husband…

If I can sail around the coast of Great Britain with no experience, then I can do anything from scratch if I apply these principles.

And it’s the same for you.

Determination: The conviction to continue working at your goal and dream even when the going gets tough, when you face setbacks, when you doubt yourself and when your motivation is lacking. TIP: Remember your WHY.

​Practice: You won’t be perfect when you start (hell you might not be perfect when you succeed – read this on why perfectionism is counterproductive) and you’re likely to experience failures and setbacks as you go (totally normal and to be expected). But going after our goals and dreams, like life, is a learning experience and a journey. The thing is the more you practice – whether it’s running, writing, business etc – the more you’re doing, the more you’re learning and the more you’re adapting and growing. TIP: Practice makes progress and that’s what counts.

​Take small steps: Remember that old maxim? “There is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.” That is the principle to apply to achieving goals and dreams. It’s all about the little steps (like doing research, replying to an email, writing one sentence of your book) and continually taking them – because lots of little steps can make quite a distance. TIP: Focus on one step at a time. This way you’re more likely to take action and avoid overwhelm.

​Consistency: Practicing, taking small steps and, ultimately, progress comes from being consistent. There’s no right or wrong for what “consistent” means to you – it could be every day or once a week. But if you can maintain consistency, you maintain momentum and momentum is something that builds.

​Not giving up: We tend to think that it’s external circumstances that cause us to give up or quit. But actually, giving up is a decision – sometimes conscious, sometimes subconscious. It’s a choice we make. Having a break or pushing pause is not the same as giving up – sometimes we need that break or down time to get over any overwhelm and get back to us and to provide the space and clarity we need to look at what the next steps are and how we move forward. TIP: Read these tips from adventurers on how to deal with the desire to give up.

​Not letting fears and doubts get in the way: Fears and doubts don’t have to hold us back – they are just signs that we are stepping outside our comfort zone. We can do hard. We can do scary. We can go after our goals and dreams despite doubting whether we can. That’s because we’re more awesome and capable than we realise. TIP: Read this for more information on what self-doubt really is and why it keeps you stuck.

​Learn from mistakes and failures: Failure doesn’t define us and it doesn’t dictate our future. So, we got rejected. So, something didn’t work out. So, we didn’t achieve what we wanted. We’re human and we’re not perfect. Mistakes and failures are part of life. Learn from the failures, look for the positives and silver linings, find the opportunities (even if that’s a slightly different path). TIP: Mistakes and failures aren’t obstacles or signs to give up – they are part of the path on your journey to achieving your goal. (Read this for my own experience of failure.)

​Recognise how far you’ve come: It’s easy to forget what we were like when we started or where we began and everything we’ve gone through in between. TIP: When you’re having a tough day, recognise and remind yourself how far you’ve come, how you’ve grown, what you’ve already accomplished. It will be more than you think. Use that to reclaim your motivation.

​Celebrate the little wins: Seriously, each win, each time you achieve a milestone – celebrate. It’s recognition that you’re doing it and you’re amazing. It’s good for motivation and momentum. TIP: Share it with others who support you too.

​Ask for help and support when you need it: Goals and dreams aren’t always solo endeavours. Often there will be times when we need a bit of help or support – maybe we need specific training, maybe we need to delegate chores or outsource to create more time, maybe we just need a shoulder to cry on when things don’t work out. Help or support could be just the thing that makes the difference in reaching your goal, so embrace it. TIP: if you need help or support for getting in the right mindset and going after your goals and dreams, living the life you want and feeling more you and alive, I can help. Get in touch.