5 Tips for Finding Success in Achieving Your Goals

No matter how hard we try sometimes, it just seems impossible to achieve our goals. We can put a lot of work and effort in trying to accomplish something but always feel like we are never quite getting it done.

When that happens, we need to step back and evaluate what’s going on. We need to identify what is the root cause that is keeping us from achieving our goals.

Earlier this year I read Michael Hyatt’s book, Your Best Year Ever, while going through his goal setting course, Five Days to Your Best Year Ever. He says the reason we struggle in achieving our goals is our beliefs shape our reality and some of those beliefs hold us back.

The beliefs that hold us back are called limiting beliefs. They are beliefs that are formed from the negative experiences we’ve had in life. For instance, if you’ve never been athletic and have always been somewhat unhealthy, you may believe that there is no way you can become healthier. Or, maybe you were always told as a child you would never amount to anything despite successes you had. So you believe that true success is impossible for you.

Our limiting beliefs can come from many sources. No matter where they originate, though, we have to power to choose to either continue to believe them or replace them with liberating truths.

Yes, limiting beliefs are basically lies we are telling ourselves. They don’t reflect the true reality of what’s possible in our lives.

So, how do we go about getting rid of these limiting beliefs?

Here are a few tips Michael shared:

Identify Your Limiting Beliefs

The first step is to be aware that you have limiting beliefs that are holding you back from achieving your goals. You can’t make a change unless you realize there is something to change.

Some clues to know whether or not you are experiencing a limiting belief would be:

• Black and white thinking
• Personalizing things by blaming ourselves
• Thinking things won’t ever work out
• Thinking that if one thing goes bad everything else will go bad

Record and Review the Belief

Writing things down really helps you focus and gain the proper perspective. Ask yourself if the belief is enabling or preventing you from realizing your goals.

Reject the Belief

If the belief is preventing you from achieving your goals, then take the bold move of rejecting it. Say “no, this is not true!”

Revise the Belief

Reorient your thinking around a new belief, also called a liberating truth.

Take our example from above. The limiting belief is I’ll never become healthy. The liberating truth is I have tools and resources at my disposal to help me live a healthier lifestyle.

Reorient Yourself to the New Belief

Begin living as if the new belief is true. Once you start living it out, then you will begin to see success.