4 Sure-Fire Tips on Following Through

When you first begin working towards a goal, you probably feel enthusiastic. But there are bound to be snags along the way. Here’s how to keep fear and frustration from derailing your plans:

Prioritize your goals. Don’t pursue too may goals at once, as that can lead to burnout. If you want to both launch a business and exercise more – your priority is probably the business. So don’t beat yourself up if you don’t have time to add a half hour to your workout routine while it’s getting off the ground.

Congratulate yourself. We all know the importance of having a concrete plan with clear milestones. But milestones are useless if we let them pass by without acknowledging their significance. Take time to reward yourself for your progress. Owning your successes – even small ones -- will give you motivation to keep at it.

Make frustration part of the plan. No stretch goal comes easily. Anticipate feeling stressed and discouraged. That way, when it happens, you won’t be taken off guard.

Accept boredom. You might think that being passionate about a goal means you’ll also be passionate about the day-to-day work it takes to get there. But it’s ok to feel bored with your routine at times – just don’t let that turn you away from your goal.

-Sarah Cooke