Everyone has goals in life to achieve. Your goals can be to kick a bad habit, finish your bachelor's degree or to get married. The reasons can be anything under the sun. The time of the year when most people are eager to achieve a particular goal in life is New Years Day. Many will think of a New Year's resolution which they want to achieve but most will not achieve them and they might wonder what has happened to their resolution altogether.

It is once said that, your ability to achieve success in life is rarely a matter of your capability, but more of your motivation. The most common excuse I hear is this "I can't do it", "It's all too difficult", "Maybe I should try something else". What follows next, is we completely forget our goals or our resolution and our goals will never be achieved. Achieving goals in life is a natural human desire but to avoid procrastinating and postponing goals, you must understand 4 fundamental principles of goal setting.

Set Goals

This is the first step that you must take before you want to achieve any goal. Identify and set your goals so that at the end of the day you know exactly where to put your efforts and focus your attention. Setting goals prevent you from getting distracted and drifting away from what you want to achieve.

Personal Reminders

Sometimes what we need is a source of motivation like a newspaper article on "becoming the youngest person to sail around the world". I'm not just talking about sailing but in all other aspects that can remind us and motivate us to continue working towards our goal. Place that article in your room say next to your bed or your ceiling so that when you wake up you are reminded of it.

Even mirrors can work as personal reminders to achieving goals in life. Mirrors are not just objects of vanity but they can act as a reflection of ourselves. Sometimes all we need to do is to look in the mirror and remind ourselves that we want to be a better person. Think positive thoughts to compel yourself to take action.

Energy Levels

Each of us has energy levels. What drives us to do basic daily activities is not only the motivation but also the level of energy we have. Are you getting tired of working out on the same routine? Are you exhausted from the workout in the gym? When do I see the light at the end of the tunnel? I am sure we all ask these basic questions while we are working towards our goal. It is important to have high energy levels so that you can take positive steps to achieve your goals. Finding time to recharge is essential.

Recognize Negative Thoughts

Negative thoughts are most often the bane of achieving your goals. Sometimes you are your worst enemy. To succeed in any endeavour, you have to change certain behaviours when progressing towards your goals and getting your priorities right. You have to make a commitment towards banishing negative thoughts and desires and move forward with the intention of succeeding. Sometimes these thoughts are habits that develop throughout our life and we have to remind ourselves that in order to succeed regressive thoughts should be put away.

Whatever your goals are; the most important step is to set them and follow the other basic principles that I've mentioned above and you will find success towards achieving your goals!

Bryan Wong YH