Are you burning the midnight oil to clear that hard-to-crack entrance examination? Do you put your best foot forward to get into your dream institution? What do you think you need to do in order to achieve your goal stress-free? Listed below are a few proven practices and ideas that will help accomplish your goal as perfectly as would in a dream.
Write down your goal
Set a goal, a feasible one for that matter. Put it down in writing and stick it on the wall in a spot that you cannot but read every day. Visualize it down to the last detail and the results that would make you happy.
Plan meticulously and work smart
Do not be overwhelmed by the enormity of the task in hand. Break it up into smaller tasks. Take up one task at a time and complete it well. You would obviously feel good that would egg you on to move forward to the next.
Neuroscience experts say that every small success prompts the reward center of your brain to release dopamine, the feel-good chemical that helps you learn faster.
Manage time effectively
Think ahead and plan your activities. Make sure that you give all your attention and energy to all actions that support your short- and long-term goals.
First things first: Learn to differentiate between tasks that are ‘urgent-but-not-important’, ‘urgent-and-important’ and ‘important-but-not-urgent’. Delegate all ‘urgent-but-not-important’ tasks to the right person(s). Learn to put the most important tasks on the top of your ‘to-do’ list and others down the list. Train yourself to prioritize wisely and start doing the most important tasks right away the right way.
Stop being a crowd pleaser. You may be tempted to say ‘yes’ to all people to be nice but you may not succeed in trying to satisfy everyone. If you do that, it will be at your own expense. It is better to say ‘no’ when you know you cannot meet the expectations over scheduling yourself; yet it helps to ask if you could contribute in a different manner.
Steer clear of distractions and procrastinations
External and self-induced diversions may be irresistible; but they are invisible, silent killers for sure; they could impede your progress in slow but steady doses. It may tax your will power not to give in to surfing social media networks every single hour. With great determination, switch them off for pre-set blocks of useful time.
Procrastinators simply look for distractions and wait for the ideal to happen. Not everything can be a cakewalk. Do not let the precious hours slip through your hand waiting for things to come your way. Allow room for flaws, slips and falls – after all they make you human.
Stop believing that you would reach great heights if only you had more time. Get realistic and believe strongly in doing things today – this moment, focusing on your ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ rather than simply drifting.
Track your progress
Keep close track of your progress. Do not be cowed down by temporary setbacks and letdowns; keep on trying until you taste victory. Let Winston Churchill inspire you with his immortal words: “Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up.”
Do not forget to reward yourself even if it is a small accomplishment. Take an evening off; watch your favorite TV show; go walking, listening to your choice play list; do a short run. Alternatively, indulge in favorite eats at the neighborhood pastry shop. This is to ring a happy bell, savoring how far you have come.
Build on a positive social network
Surround yourself with optimistic-minded individuals to infuse enthusiasm and spirit, and to strengthen you when glitches bog you down. Let good friends influence your choices with their strong will power and right mental attitude. A good friend will steer you to realize your potentials and dreams in life and bring out the best in you.