“Have you ever gone on the “holiday of a lifetime” and when you got back home you had the drive and desire to do something amazing like learn a new language?“

When I started my entrepreneurial journey I wanted to know how to be successful.

I wanted to be given the secret road map and insider tips to success. I wanted to be told the “How Tos.”

Because that was the key to success right?

But again and again I heard the same message. “First of all you have to develop the right mindset.”

As far as I was concerned this was “business, shyster mumbo jumbo” talk. Simply a scam to get people to part with their money for “snake oil, airy fairy” rubbish courses on “mind set stuff”.

But years later I realize that they were absolutely right.

As you get older you start to notice things about yourself and how certain factors affect your ability to take action.

Have you ever been on the best holiday ever and when you got back home you had the drive and desire to do something amazing like learn a language?

Or wanted to lose those extra pounds that have been clinging to your midriff for far too long?

You may even have got seriously motivated and then you enrolled onto a Spanish course and attended a few classes. But the winter months set in and you stopped going.

Or you got gym membership and religiously went three times a week.

But eventually the thought of being out of breath and hobbling down the stairs because of screaming thigh pain was too much and eventually you settled in front of the television instead?

Yes? Well that’s what the business gurus mean about having the right mindset to achieve a goal.

And initially when you got off the plane from Barcelona you had the right mindset that made you enrol on the Spanish course and go to the classes for a while but at some point you lost it and gave up.

You are not alone. So many times have I bought online courses, been fired up, got half way through and lost momentum and they just sat there half finished.

And I had to ask myself why? How can I keep up that momentum?

Here are 7 steps to keep you on the path to success and achieving your goals.

1. Set a clear goal

Set a clear goal for yourself and what the successful outcome of reaching that goal will be. It might be making enough money in your side hustle to be able to work part-time.

Which means that you might need to make £20,000 per year. Write it down and keep it on-hand so that you can refer back to it when you feel like you are losing your way.

Make it meaningful. Think about how that time off work will benefit you and your loved ones. Also think about what will happen if you don’t reach your goal, then write that down.

Then promise your self that you will dedicate x amount of time each week to achieving your goal.

2. Plan your mini steps to success

Once you have a clear goal then write down the steps that you will need to take in order to get there.

“Successful people mostly focus on processes and progress not the final goal.“

Most of us cannot make huge changes over night. When you start a new exercise regime and have never set foot in a gym but immediately start going 4 times a week you will more than likely give up.

Lasting change happens gradually by having mini wins.

This helps you to reach your goal in a more manageable and less painful way.

These small successes will help you to build confidence and overcome fear.

If you think about getting straight from the ground to the top of the mountain it looks impossible and you may not even bother.

But instead if you focus on getting 10 feet off the ground you are more likely to start to climb the mountain and reach your first milestone.

Now you are 10 feet further up the mountain and closer to the top.

So if your end goal is to earn £20,000 per year from your cosmetics business you may need to follow these steps…….

1. Learn how to make great cosmetics safely
2. Get a CPSR
3. Get packaging
4. Write out the ingredients, including allergens and make labels
5. Decide on pricing
6. Work out how many sales you will need per month to achieve your £20,000 goal
7. Get a website
8. Implement an SEO strategy
9. Start email marketing
10. Get on social media
11. Apply for craft fairs
12. Keep records and accounts

See much easier when you break it down and you can see more clearly what needs to be done.

3. Accept some pain – even just a little bit

Accept that you will not always feel like doing an action even if that action is going to help you reach your goal. You are human and many things will affect your mood, your mind and your body.

But you can learn how to get an over-view of yourself so that you can understand why you are losing momentum, when it’s happening and what you can do about it.

When you know you should do something but don’t want to do it. Is it because……..?

You’re just tired?

Take a nap or a break, go for a walk and commit to coming back to the action at a later date.

You’re not sure how to do it so you put it off until later?

Stop and think about what you don’t know and commit to finding out that missing piece of information.

You don’t like doing it?

Try to create an environment where the action is less unpleasant. Do it in a place you find comfortable.

Leave it until you are in a better mood.

Break it down into chunks and do it bit-by-bit.

Are you scared of something?

“Fear is a powerful obstacle when it comes to reaching our goals so do not discount the hold it can have on you.”

Are you?…………..

1. Afraid of failure

2. Afraid of ridicule

3. Afraid of success

4. Afraid of being exposed as a fraud (imposter syndrome) even when you are not a fraud this fear is very real

5. Afraid of the effort it will take to learn something new

It is okay to be afraid. Just recognize it, accept it and just think about it for a moment. Is it real? What is the evidence for this fear?

More often than not you will realize that it is mostly unfounded and your brain is simply resisting change.

Even if some of your fears are founded there are often simple solutions to overcoming those fears that are within your power.

4. Get help when you need it

We accept that for children to learn they need guidance which often comes in the form of a teacher. This is no different for adults.

Good coaches and mentors can be invaluable for your success. They often have the knowledge that you need or can help you find it.

Sometimes it is even as simple as someone holding your hand while you travel on your journey. It is okay to need and ask for support.

So do not hesitate to get help especially if you meet a barrier that is hard to get past.

5. Be patient.

Lasting change does not happen over night.

You have to give new actions and projects a real chance to work in order to see some progress. So give it time.

6. Be positive.

That sounds so cliched but it’s vital to help you achieve your goal. Even if you have a set back think of it as a learning experience.

At least you now know what doesn’t work for you.

Take a breath, assess what happened, regroup and come up with a new plan of action and then implement it.

Everyone fails and I mean everyone.

“The difference between those who are successful and those who are not is how you think about the failure and then how you act.“

7. Be diligent and focused.

If you keep doing something for long enough you WILL get some where.

It can take years to achieve a goal which sounds daunting but imagine where you would be if you never started?

You would be exactly in the same place years later.

At least if you start the journey now you will have achieved your goal or be closer to it years from now.

Stick with it and don’t give up!