Milestone Method of Motivation- The Fool Proof Way of Reaching Your Goals in 2021

 A new year awaits us.  That's another opportunity to strive for our goals.  This week, I spent some time contemplating on some lofty goals that I'd like to achieve in the year ahead.  Setting goals is only half the battle.  Another important aspect of goal achievement is the process of getting there.   

Once upon a time, I attended a personal development seminar that successfully created real-life transformations.  At the end of the seminar, they encouraged us to sign up for another training program that promised even greater results.  To help convince the audience of its effectiveness, they invited past attendees to discuss all the success they achieved as a result of the training.  

Instead of signing up for the next seminar, I paid close attention to the testimonies to see if I could glean any powerful insights.  This was over 5 years ago.  But one goal achievement tip I learned that night has stuck with me ever since.  

Their goal achievement system involved working as a group to create an environment of high accountability.  Another successful tactic involved working towards reaching specific milestones that would lead to the successful accomplishment of an overall goal. 

This idea of striving for individual milestones was a very attractive concept.  Going from A to Z may seem like an impossible task but transition from A to B is much more doable.  

The method I will use to tackle my goals in the year to come is to break down my goals into tiny, bite-sized milestones that I can easily reach.  There are two types of people, those who are motivated by reaching a big goal and those who are motivated by the small wins along the way.  

Which type of person are you?

I absolutely need those small, steady wins otherwise I lose all motivation, or I get distracted and move onto something else. 

Let's say you want to lose a few extra pounds gained during quarantine.  You can choose to set your sights on losing 20 lbs or you can set a goal of losing 1.0 lb.  Which of the two options is easier?  I, personally, would prefer to set a goal to lose one pound, enjoy the rush of endorphins, then go from there. 

Creating a micro-milestone is a no brainer because you're almost guaranteed to achieve it.  Once you have, you'll want to experience the taste of success once again...so you shoot for another pound then another.  

Earlier this week, I was watching a Youtube video where the guy was giving advice to online creators.  He mentioned that if someone were to grow their Instagram audience to 100,000 or more, it could alter the course of their life (financially).  I'm sure the people watching were probably like "how in the world do I get 100,000 IG followers?"  My answer to that question is to strive for the next closest milestone.  If that means you're sitting at 4,800 followers then set a goal for 5,000 followers, then move from from there!  

Another wonderful benefit of setting micro/milestone goals is that they help you to develop valuable habits.  For instance, let's say you set a goal to lose a single pound, and you do it, to repeat that goal you'll have to replicate some of the same behaviors that generated your first win.  If you repeat those same behaviors long enough, it becomes a lifestyle. When I wanted to earn an online income, my first goal wasn't "earn six figures" it was "make my first sale."  Once that sale was made, I worked to replicate that outcome again and again. 

Sometimes we don't even know the path that will take us to long our term goals. But we know exactly what to do to get to the next closest outcome....and that's where we should place our focus. We can't achieve our goals unless we generate a steady stream of motivation to move us forward. Milestones-based will take us there.   Reaching one milestone is another way of activating the Domino Effect.  It's powerful and will change your life.