Setting and achieving goals can be very overwhelming if systems aren’t put in place. A system can take many different forms. It can be a simple post-it reminder or it can be a routine that you follow on a regular basis.

Once you start setting goals, it’s tough not to want to set them in all areas of your life – school, work, exercise, your dreams, hobbies, the way you want to act, etc. If systems aren’t put in place, it’s very hard to keep everything organized and consistent. To achieve a goal, consistency is very important. We have all set out to do something, only to get off track. We’ll remember a couple weeks later and try starting it up again, but it never works that way. A year later you think about what could have been.

Adding a goal is usually a change in your life, and change takes time to work into your schedule. Starting out small is a great way to incorporate change – it’s not too demanding of your time, but you’re able to start building a foundation.

For example, a lot of people have a goal to exercise more. Starting out with a 10-minute workout is a great place to start. It’s not that difficult to squeeze 10 minutes into your busy schedule – finding a system to make it stick is the key. Maybe you walk during lunch, work out in the morning before you start your day or at the end of your day to get rid of all the stress, whatever works for you. Finding those systems that work for you, and not worrying about what other people are doing, will help you be very successful in achieving your goals.

As you develop more and more goals and systems, it’s important to keep these things organized. Starting your day with a checklist of goals is a great system to keep track of all your goals and systems. Some people have a big chalkboard, others put it on their refrigerator, and some even write it on their hand. It sounds funny, but finding your way is important. Don’t look to do something just because it works for someone else. Find your path and be creative!

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