If you’ve ever resolved to join the gym, pass your driving test, or travel the world, and then didn’t – ever wondered why not? You’re not alone – many of us set goals and then don’t achieve them.

Visualise the goal
People often aren’t clear about what they want, even to themselves. The more clearly you can picture yourself fitting into that slinky LBD, or meeting the Dalai Lama in Tibet, the more likely you are to achieve it.

Write down your goal, with a realistic target date. Keep photos or images on your fridge to remind you of it on a daily basis. This will help you to be more aware of opportunities that you might otherwise miss, to help you along your way – you’ll be surprised about how things “seem” to happen coincidentally, when really you are just more open to them.

Don’t just think positive, FEEL positive
Write down what you believe people will say about you when you’ve achieved your goal – “Gosh you look great; what’s your secret?” or “Well done on passing your test first time”. Then write down how YOU will feel WHEN you achieve this goal. Focusing on the positive feelings associated with the goal will help keep you motivated when things get tough.

Get a little help from your friends
Ask yourself; who can help me to achieve this goal, and how can I make the most of this help? If you want to get fit, ask others to join you, or meet you after your session. What could help me, in terms of how and when and where I work on my goal? Have a structure, prioritise what’s important, make a timetable with visible slots throughout the week to ensure you fit the time into your schedule. Don’t think to yourself that you have to give anything up – think of it in terms of making a positive choice - e.g. watching the soaps vs running for half an hour.

Most importantly, any time you feel yourself holding back from doing something that could change your life for the better, ask yourself “what is the real reason why - am I afraid of failure, or success? Am I worried about what people think of me, or looking foolish, or wanting to be right… ?”

You alone can make the choice to allow those things to stop you or not. Now what’s stopping you – and what are you going to do about it?