Working towards your goals is not often an easy task, there can be many roadblocks between where you are and where you want to be. Often times it can feel difficult to navigate these personal or professional pitfalls, but the struggle to succeed is always one worth having as your experiences can serve to hone you into a better, more productive individual. There is often no shortcut to get past hard work.

How to get started

Sometimes it can be hard to even get started on something. Distractions can rear their heads and divert you off task or you might simply feel paralyzed when trying to sit down and start working.

The first step in any process is to identify what you want, and then identify the steps you need to take to reach that object. This process is known as goal setting and needs to be completed first before starting any project.

Going from point A to point B without a plan can be harrowing, but by outlining where you want to be and how you need to get there, you can work to dispel some of that ‘initialization anxiety’. Creating a to-do list will give you a great tool to guide your journey.

Chunking

If you find that even after setting your goal that the first step is still overwhelming, then you might be served best by employing a strategy known as ‘chunking’. Chunking is the process of breaking up a task into its individual steps and goes even further than goal setting.

The benefit of chunking lies in reducing the stress of working towards a goal by creating more manageable micro goals. For example, you have a PowerPoint due for school or work as part of your larger goal for educational/professional advancement. Instead of trying to do the entire PowerPoint at once, you would break the task down into the composite steps. Making the title slide, gathering the research materials, finding visual aids, and proofreading are all steps that can be separated to prevent becoming overwhelmed by the gravity of a project.

Ask for help

If you find that your goal, or one of the steps required to reach it lies beyond your ability to complete, then there is no shame in seeking aid from someone who might have more expertise in the subject at hand than you do.

Going back to the PowerPoint example, if you are not particularly well-versed in using one of the various presentation creation programs available today, you might find yourself frustrated and your progress towards your goal will begin to stall. You can avoid this frustration by seeking out someone who is more knowledgeable about making PowerPoints and asking them for help. Odds are they would be happy to help.

You can do it

The process of working towards your goals can be intimidating, but you must not let those fears overcome you if you are going to succeed. By breaking tasks down and asking for help when needed, you can push through nearly any adversity on the path to your goals. Take each step as it comes and believe in your own abilities. Nothing is out of your reach.