“Slow progress is better than no progress.”
We’ve all been there, right?
We set big goals for ourselves. We’re determined to see them through. And we maintain rock-solid consistency for the first week or two.
But then, distractions pop up. We start losing focus. And that once unshakable regularity starts fizzling out.
Whether we’re working toward major weight loss goals, new career objectives, or big DIY projects, this same pattern of initial excitement followed by waning interest happens to the best of us.
I know I’ve been there.
And I’ll be the first to admit that it’s incredibly frustrating.
Fortunately, as I’ve worked through the ebb and flow of interest and dedication, I’ve discovered a simple, 3 step method that helps me stay focused on my goals. And today I’m excited to share this strategy with you.
So if you’re ready to stay focused on your goals, maintain consistency, and reach your dreams with confidence, then keep reading. This post is just for you.
Stay Focused On Your Goals With These 3 Powerful Steps
Step 1: Stay Focused On Your Goals With a Goals Pyramid
Using a goals pyramid is one of my favorite ways to work toward big goals.
Why?
Because it helps to remove the “someday” mentality by breaking down your dream into smaller, more actionable steps.
In other words, it provides you with a valuable roadmap from where you are now to where you want to be.
By breaking down your primary goal into long-term goals, short-term goals, and daily habits, you remove the intimidation factor, and you identify daily actions you can take to help keep you focused on your goals.
Primary Goal
In order to create a goals pyramid, start with choosing one clear, S.M.A.R.T. goal.
Not familiar with the S.M.A.R.T. goal theory? No problem!
S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for:
SPECIFIC
Be specific about your goal; what exactly do you want to achieve?
MEASURABLE
How will you know when you achieve the goal?
ACHIEVABLE
Thinking realistically about your situation and the resources available, is this goal achievable?
RELEVANT
Why is this goal important to you and your life?
TIMELY
When do you want to achieve this goal?
Long-term Goals
Once you’ve established your S.M.A.R.T. goal, now it’s time break it down into two or three long-term goals. If your primary goal is to publish a book, for example, your long terms goals might look like this:
#1: Write a first draft.
#2: Edit the draft and send it to your editor.
#3 Finish the final draft.
Short-term Goals
Once you’ve identified your long-term goals, it’s now time to break them down into even smaller, more tangible objectives.
As you do this, ask yourself: What can you accomplish in a week or two to get you moving toward your long-term goals?
And remember, these short-term goals might change as you continue moving toward your primary goal; that’s okay! In fact, both your short-term goals and your daily habits (below) have a fluidity to them, which allows you to update your objectives as you get closer to your primary goal.
Daily Habits
Now that you’ve established your short-term goals, it’s time to choose your daily habits. These are – as the name suggests – steps you take each day to move you toward your short-term goals.
Daily habits should be small, specific, actionable steps that you can check off your to-do list in a relatively short amount of time.
If we return to my book analogy, my daily habits might include: research one hour a day; write 30 minutes a day; revise yesterday’s writing for 20 minutes; etc.
Like the short-term goals, your daily habits will change often as you continue progressing toward your end goal.
By creating (and following) your goals pyramid, you create a clear action plan that helps keep you focused on your goals and seeing results in no time.
(Want more strategies on using a goals pyramid? Be sure to snag my free ebook here. Complete with a goals pyramid worksheet, this short ebook will help you create the road map you need to set yourself up for success.)
Step 2: Stay Focused On Your Goals With Daily Practice
As I mentioned above, once you have your roadmap figured out, the next secret to stay focused on your goals is daily practice.
As the quote at the top of this article reminds us, slow progress is better than no progress. And the key to progress is a daily practice.
Slow progress is better than no progress. The key to progress is a daily practice. #progressnotperfection #goals Click To TweetNow, I hear you over there. Maybe you have a super unpredictable schedule. Perhaps it feels like you’re way too busy for daily practice. Maybe the thought of making this kind of commitment is overwhelming.
Hear me out, okay? This is totally doable.
Sure, you might only have 15 minutes on some days to work toward your goal. But that’s okay! You’re still 15 minutes closer than if you blew it off and wasted that valuable time scrolling through Facebook.
What’s more, by establishing continuity and working toward your goal every single day, you will likely adopt the “don’t break the chain” mentality.
What’s that, you ask?
Simply put, the “don’t break the chain” theory suggests that once you have an impressive streak of daily practice going – for me it’s usually 2 weeks or more – then I discover an extra boost of motivation to continue with the practice.
Why?
Because I don’t want to “break the chain.” What’s more, the longer you go, the stronger the chain, and the harder it is to break.
My favorite way to track my progress and maintain my consistent streak is by using a habit tracker. I get a (perhaps unreasonable) amount of fulfillment in checking off that box each day, which motivates me to stick with my goal while strengthening the chain.
Want to give it a try? Download these three weekly habit trackers here!
Step 3: Stay Focused On Your Goals With Single Tasking
The third key tip to stay focused on your goals is the practice of single-tasking.
Now single-tasking, as the name suggests, is the simple process of turning off all distractions, using your time wisely, and focusing solely on the task at hand.
You see, as much as we’d love to believe that multi-tasking is an efficient way to get things done, it’s not.
As studies continue to show, our brains simply don’t work that way.
In fact, when we attempt to multitask – answer emails, work on a report, and hold a conversation simultaneously – we’re both wasting our time and producing lackluster results.
And needless to say, when we’re working toward a major goal, lackluster results are far from ideal.
So do yourself a favor. When you’re sitting down for your daily practice, eliminate all distractions. Put your phone on do not disturb, turn off the notifications on your computer, and close any extra tabs on your browser.
Then, get to work.
Log that daily practice time. Check off the box on your habit tracker. And feel proud about what you accomplished for the day.
Don’t break the chain, and you’ll be reaching that big goal in no time.
You got this.
Question:
How do you stay focused on your goals? What are your favorite strategies to stick with it? Share your tips below!
I’m going to apply these to my goals! Thanks!
I’m so glad to hear it!
I love that you broke this down into actionable steps! Great template!
Thanks, Grace!
We use SMART goals at work all the time. It is easy to dream big but we need to figure out how to get there.
YES! Exactly, Rachel 🙂
Perfect timing. This info comes at a great time for me. Thank You so much for putting all together. Love the goal pyramid.
You’re welcome! Good luck, on your goals, Karina 🙂
Love the goal pyramid idea! I already use a habit tracker and I love being able to color in all those blocks!
It feels so good to check off the boxes, doesn’t it? 🙂
Great advice! I’m a big believer in the goal pyramid too and think short term goals help make the long term goals more tangible!
Thanks, Amanda! It makes such a big difference, doesn’t it?
This was just the post I needed to read today! I have been struggling with some things lately–namely some goals that I felt like I was “behind” in achieving. Good post to help me refocus, thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad to hear it 🙂
This is so timely for me!! Saving this to refer back to 🙂 Thanks for the tips
Absolutely, Jenna!
“Single Tasking”! That needs to be my new mantra. I’m so bad about spreading myself soooo thin.
It’s so easy to spread ourselves thin, isn’t it? I hope you embrace the new mantra 🙂
The smart goals are a good way to achieve everything you want. I need to start using it better because right now I’m all over the place!
I hope it helps, Kim!
I needed this so much today, and i will for sure follow it daily when my motivation is not really on the high level xo
I’m so glad to hear it, Ivana!
Good advice! This is one of my biggest problems!
I hope it helps!
Single tasking is something that I need to work on! Thanks for the tips!
Absolutely!
Great tips! I’m definitely a LT/ST goal kinda girl. If I didn’t break it down into small, actionable steps, there is no way I’d be able to get the things done that I do. That and time blocking.
It makes all the difference, doesn’t it?
I like how you described your daily habits as something to help you achieve your short term goals. It’s all the little steps that add up to the big things!
Yes, exactly!
This makes so much sense! It’s hard to focus when you’re overwhelmed, but small steps make it so much easier!
YES! It makes all the difference 🙂
The SMART goals is a wonderful way to set goals, but I sometimes get lost in all my notes of what I’m trying to do. The pyramid is the perfect solution! Having it all on one page with a sense of direction makes sense to me.
I’m so glad to hear it 🙂
I love using the S.M.A.R.T acronym to set achievable goals! Great reminder I’m Busy lady!
It makes such a positive difference, doesn’t it?
These are really helpful! I have some goals I set at the beginning of the year that have kind of fizzled out and I want to get back on track.
I hope these tips help!
Lately I’ve been struggling with focus. It’s hard to work from home when you have kids. So I try to get everything done before they get home from school.
Yes! Time management is KEY when you’re working from home.
I love the goals pyramid. I used your template at work to get a big website redesign business case project across the finish line! Thank you
HOORAY! I love to hear that!
Great tips! I am also reading the book Finishby Jon Acuff about goals too.
I love that one! Such a great book.
These are such great tips!!! fabulous post girl.
Thanks, Bella!
I think I’ve only recently come to understand how important the daily steps you take are in accomplishing goals. It’s easy to overlook the bottom layer of the pyramid and surprisingly effective to employ a daily practice. Thanks for the reminder!
You’re welcome, Jordan!
Thanks for these templates. It will definitely help me crush my Spring 2019 goals!
YES! You got this, Amanda!
These are such helpful tips! Exercising regularly is definitely a goal of mind, and I need to utilize your tips to help me reach my goals!
You got this, April!