8 Crucial Mistakes to Avoid When Going After Your Goals

Achieving goals with ease is an art that many people are yet to master. If you are one of these people, you could be making one of these crucial mistakes. Take note.

1. Don't take score too often.

Dreams and projects can take time to grow. If you're constantly and obsessively checking for evidence that your desires are on their way to you and everything is going precisely to plan, you may end up feeling impatient and frustrated, which will in turn mean you are not in a good emotional place to continue taking action with enjoyment and ease.

Of course you may need to check in with your progress towards your goals and revise your plan every now and then, but do it purposefully and spaced at healthy intervals.

2. Don't get distracted by others.

If you've ever swam laps in a public pool, you will know how tempting it can be to get distracted by someone in the next lane swimming who is swimming faster than you.

Everyone has their own unique purpose and path to walk in this world, so try to stay focused on your own lane -- don't worry too much about what other people are working on or whether they're seemingly making more progress than you. You are doing things in your own time and in your own way, and that's exactly how it's supposed to be.

3. Don't forget to celebrate along the way.

Most people reserve celebrations for when they've finally reached the finish line of a goal or dream.

There's absolutely no reason you can't celebrate each baby step you take along the way. In fact, taking a moment to celebrate your incremental accomplishments is a sure-fire way to boost your spirits and replenish your well of motivation.

4. Don't put your happiness on hold.

Many of us put our happiness on hold until a mythical day in the future when we will be slimmer, wealthier, more successful, much-adored and have ticked off a suitable number of goals. This is problematic for two reasons.

Firstly, this day of finally "having it all" doesn't exist -- it's not an attainable reality, as you will always be giving birth to new desires and goals, and therefore the goal posts will always be moving.

Secondly, it's critical to enjoy the journey towards your goals because the journey is all there really is -- the journey is life itself. This very moment that is happening right now is the only time you get to truly experience life itself in all of its beauty, power and glory.

5. Don't try to force your actions.

There is a big difference between taking inspired action in the flow, and exerting huge amounts of effort to force yourself into action with gritted teeth.

Approach even the smallest of tasks with an attitude of service, love, care and enjoyment, and you will be amazed at how effortlessly things will begin to unfold before your eyes. Better still, at the end of the day you will feel energized, rather than drained.

6. Don't loose sight of the bigger picture.

Have you ever started out on the journey towards a goal, project or dream feeling hugely inspired and excited, only to loose steam and throw in the towel?

It could be because you've forgotten about your big picture reason for taking action -- the vision that you're working towards, and the sweet feelings of joy, fulfillment or accomplishment you will experience in abundance once you've finished.

Keep reminders of your bigger vision close by. When you loose focus, pause to reflect on what it would feel like to have already achieved your goal or dream right now. Try to embody this feeling for a few minutes, and let it spark a new wave of motivation inside of you.

7. Don't hide in shadow work.

Shadow work is the type of work that keeps us feeling really busy, but doesn't really achieve much -- like checking your Inbox incessantly or reading too many posts on social media.

Shadow work is addictive because it feels much safer and easier than facing up to the daunting task of doing the real, powerful, sometimes scary work that will get us closer to our goals and dreams. But if you never take real action, you will never get to experience the changes you desire.

Try scheduling in a block of time to complete your most important, valuable tasks before allowing yourself to have a break with shadow work.

8. Don't feel you have to go it alone.

Humans are naturally social creatures but many of us have been conditioned to avoid situations where we have to expose our true feelings, be open-hearted or ask for help.

It's perfectly okay to reach out to others and ask them for advice, hands-on help or even just moral support -- and the more that you have the courage to do so, the more you will inspire others around you to do the same.

Elyse is a writer and happiness teacher at NotesOnBliss.com and the creater of the Beautiful Life Bootcamp eCourse. For updates and inspiration, sign up now.

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