Making goals is often extremely easy compared to keeping and achieving them over a long period of time. The best way to maintain goals is by checking in with them, and yourself, on a daily basis. There are many ways to maintain your goals, and it is best to employ a combination of a number of different methods in order to have the best results.

1. Make A Plan

Besides making your overall plan for your goal, make a daily plan. On Sunday, you can make your plans for each day of the week, or you could make the plan each morning when you wake up, whichever method works better for you. Making your daily plans will not only keep you focused on your goal, but it will help you know each day exactly what steps to take towards completing it.

2. Mark Milestones

This goes hand-in-hand with making a plan. Each day, start with a list of tasks for that day and mark them off as you complete them. Whenever you hit a larger milestone, such as a certain weight if your goal is to get in shape, mark it down in a special way, such as with a progress picture, or other positive affirmation. This will remind you what you are working toward and give you a boost when you may be getting distracted from your goal.

3. Just Say ‘No’

The number one reason people often leave their goals behind, or never end up completing them, is they don’t know how to say no. If you’re on a diet, and your friend asks you out for dinner, learn to politely decline. Suggest an alternative which is part of your goal, such as, would your friend want to come over and eat a healthy meal instead?

4. Involve Someone Else

Studies have shown that we are more likely to stick with a goal when someone else is involved, even if that other person doesn’t stick to the goal. This could be because when you involve someone else, it brings a sense of competition, as well as giving you the feeling that you don’t want to let them down. Either way, no matter what your goal may be, find someone who has a similar goal and resolve to check in with each other regularly.

5. Check In With Yourself

You will never be able to accomplish any-thing if you don’t check in with yourself frequently. This means asking yourself, daily, why you are doing something and what it means to accomplish it.

This can be done in a different ways, but most experts recommend you use either meditation, or daily journaling, as either of these methods will give you time to confer with your own thoughts without outside interference.

No matter how you look at it, maintaining goals is tough, especially if your goal is one which spans a longer period of time, such as a year. In order to maintain these long-term goals, it’s best you make a daily plan, mark off your success as you go along, and learn to say no when people tempt you away from your goal.

It’s also crucial that you spend time reminding yourself why you set the goal and visualizing what the outcome will be. You are the only one who can keep yourself on track and achieve your dreams.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of CHOICES Magazine