The Magic of Milestones

I’m a huge advocate of goal setting, and I recognize a massive opportunity to have my goals (when set properly) work to my advantage and actually help me in achieving them. The trick with any goal is to set it aggressively, and then break it apart into less intimidating mini-goals, or milestones. Milestones are an incredible tool to help you view large, potentially overwhelming goals in a much different, more optimistic perspective. Moreover, milestones can be used for completing projects at work, taking steps toward your dream job, and directing your life as well.

Don’t be afraid to set goals that seem out of reach; if it’s easy to hit, it’s not a goal. Once you have a realistic (but challenging) objective set, you can determine which steps need to be taken in order to accomplish it.

For example, if I want to run a marathon, I know I need to:

• Buy appropriate gear/shoes
• Start training
• Run increasing distances based on a training schedule and training goals.
• Research which marathons are happening locally in a realistic timeframe (allowing for proper training time)
• Register for a half-marathon
• Run the half-marathon
• Register for a full marathon
• Run the marathon... one step at a time.

Each of these steps are much easier to achieve individually than collectively, so by breaking down the ultimate goal into smaller steps (much like running a real marathon), I can keep moving forward little by little, and before I know it, the finish line is in sight!

It’s important to celebrate the little achievements along the way to condition positive behaviors within yourself, and also keep a high morale. It’s easy to get discouraged when thinking about how far away some goals may seem. But, by celebrating the smaller triumphs as you hit each milestone, you distract yourself from the intimidation of larger goals, and enjoy the progress you have made (and continue to make) as you take leaps forward.

With success comes visualization, and with visualization comes success. With each milestone you hit, the larger goal seems (and actually becomes) more and more feasible. You start realizing you actually can hit the finish line. In fact, you can see it, you can hear the crowd cheering you on, you can feel that cold medal around your neck! As you begin (and continue) to visualize your success, you motivate yourself to keep moving forward, you work harder because you know how great the smaller victories feel, and you stay on track to hit the next milestone.

Goals, like a marathon, are most easily accomplished if you take them one step at a time. Celebrate those Milestones, and keep on moving forward!