Psychology of Everyday Life: How You Can Stick To Your Goals For A Long Time

Memory and Commitment.

You may forget about your goal; it happens.

For that simply put reminders everywhere and do what you need to do so you remember for as long as possible as often as possible.

The other part, committing to the goals, is more important but also harder.

If you really want to stick to your goals for a long time you have to make them Musts every single day.

Your goals have to mean more to you than any excuse or any reason.

You have to put them over sleep, over friends, family and even your health, sacrificing any of them in order to reach your goals.

This does not mean you have to abandon any of them completely, but rather that you will take a hit if you must.

Let’s say, for example, you find yourself at the end of the day and realized you haven’t done the 1 hour of work you set out to do.

At that point you need to value your goal over your sleep and still work that 1 hour.

Many excuses will try to surface, but you must ignore all of them.

Yes, you will not get enough sleep. Yes, tomorrow will be tougher. Yes, what you do now won’t be as good since you’re already dead-tired.

Do it anyway!

If you don’t want to repeat that then learn from this and do it earlier tomorrow, but for today you must pay the price.

The same is true for when you find yourself about to go out with friends, go to your family or go workout.

If you haven’t done what is necessary yet then you do not get to do any of that.

This is the mindset you have to hold yourself to and the attitude you must keep.

If you treat your goals with that level of commitment, your own time with that level of honor, and your journey with that level of respect, you will succeed.

Originally published at http://quora.com.