For some reason, many of us wait until January 1 each year to set new goals. As if that’s the only time it’s appropriate to describe what you want to do, have or be. Actually, any day can work.

But no matter when you decide the time is right, these five ingredients are essential for those dreams to become a reality. And they apply whether your goals focus on physical health, finances, relationships, career or spirituality.

Beliefs

What you think is possible for yourself will influence the goals you set in the first place. These beliefs also impact the effort you’ll put forth initially – and later.

That’s why your first step needs to focus on identifying the deeply-held thoughts you already have and examining if they’re actually true. You may have imaginary boundaries in place that are simply a reflection of what others have told you is realistic. When you allow yourself to consider possibilities outside this restrictive view, many more options emerge.

Motivation

Your WHY comes into play when you’re in “implementation mode.” But you also need to consider your reasons for selecting these specific goals in the first place. You may set a certain target because, somewhere along the line, you determined this was something you should do. But if you’re not driven by a deeper purpose, a clear vision and a strong passion, you’re more likely to give up at the first sign of trouble.

Commitment

By definition, a goal represents a gap between where you are now and where you want to be. That means you’re going to be investing personal energy over a period of weeks, months or even years to achieve the results you desire. You’ll need determination and perseverance to stick with your plan when you encounter obstacles, disappointments, setbacks and failures. If your goal means that much to you, you’ll heed Winston Churchill’s advice to “Never, never, never give up!”

Visualization

Elite athletes have long understood the value of practicing moves in their minds before performing them in competition. This involves spending time each day vividly imagining yourself performing the actions successfully, in very specific detail accompanied by strong positive feelings. You can invest just a few minutes a day and get some benefit. But if you commit to 30 minutes of mental rehearsal, you’ll be astonished at the impact it has on your results.

Accountability Coach

When you’re trying to achieve anything ambitious, you’ll have times when you feel discouraged or tempted to slack off. That’s why you need someone who supports you and checks to make sure you do the things you say you’ll do. Knowing you have to answer to another person is a powerful driver to taking action and following through. Enlist the help of one person who will consistently hold you accountable for taking the actions you commit to.

Having a coach, combined with the first four factors, will make all the difference in your achievement of your goals.

"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work." - Colin L. Powell, American secretary of state (1937- ) 

"It is only by working with an energy which is almost superhuman and which looks to uninterested spectators like insanity that we can accomplish anything worth the achievement." - Woodrow Wilson, American president (1856-1924) 

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind, to find out if they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got, and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you." - William James, American psychologist (1842-1910)

With the Summer Olympics in full swing, millions are glued to their screens to see who gets awarded the top medals.

Few of us can appreciate the price each of these competitors has paid, just to make it to the games.

Getting up before dawn to train 
Putting in long, grueling hours
Dealing with physical pain from the exertion
Feeling exhausted and tumbling into bed, only to repeat the process the next day

And this goes on for years.

I often wonder what kinds of habits and mental toughness these elite athletes must adopt to continually put forth the same level of effort day after day.

Most of them probably use visualization to imagine themselves on the platform, being awarded the gold medal. There’s real power in vividly picturing details about the event and feeling the positive emotions they’ll experience at that moment.

But the truth is, they still have to do the work.

The best coaches in the world can show them what to do and how to do. Coaches can also offer feedback, encouragement and support. But no one else except the individual athletes can practice and perfect the necessary moves to achieve a flawless performance.

And if they experience a setback during practice or the competition, they have to pick themselves back up – physically and psychologically – in order to continue to give their best and stay in the game.

Most of us who’ve never competed at this level find it hard to comprehend the drive and dedication required for Olympic competition. But U.S. President Woodrow Wilson could have had these superstars in mind when he said:


In your own life, do you have a goal so ambitious that others sometimes question your sanity?

What do you care about so deeply that you’re willing to pay a high price – in terms of effort, time and mental energy – to achieve it?

You have to develop a thick skin to become immune to the criticism, skepticism and questions of those who doubt your ability to achieve your dream.

And you have to stay committed to putting forth the effort in spite of obstacles, setbacks and even failures. Take encouragement from each of these individuals, who achieved greatness in their respective areas and understood the price they had to pay to attain the results they wanted:

"Hard work overcomes anything. Anytime something's not going right or you want to accomplish something, the best answer to it is to work hard and work through things." - Mike Dunleavy, American professional basketball coach (1954- ) 

"The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day." - Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player (1961- ) 

"If everything’s under control, you’re going too slow." – Mario Andretti, Italian race car driver (1940- ) 

“Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.” – Arnold Palmer, American professional golfer (1929- )

You don’t want to back out when the going gets rough. Before you agree to do something, make sure you’re willing to invest what it will take to succeed – whether it’s as simple as meeting a friend for lunch or a bigger commitment like marriage and a new job.



What strategies do you use to stick with something after you’ve made the initial commitment?

"You need to make a commitment, and once you make it, then life will give you some answers." - Les Brown, American author 

"Anyone can dabble, but once you've made that commitment, your blood has that particular thing in it, and it's very hard for people to stop you.” - Bill Cosby, American actor

"There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either in or out. There's no such things as a life in-between." - Pat Riley, American professional basketball coach

It's not easy to be true to your relationships when people you care about are going through tough times. You have a lot of other commitments, and you may be afraid of letting them down. But you have what it takes to be the kind of person who will "be there" for them through thick and thin.



Have you ever been torn between two loyalties, requiring you to make a hard decision? Please share your experience and what you learned from it.

It isn't easy to give your best effort when you take on a challenging goal. But if you're truly committed and work hard, you can achieve outstanding results. These insights remind you why it's worth investing your personal energy in something that really matters to you.



This video was featured recently in our multimedia ezine, Golden Eggs. To subscribe and get inspiring content delivered to your Inbox each week, just enter your email address in the box above.

How do YOU stay motivated when you're working on something that requires a lot of effort?