A study done by the University of Scranton found that only 8% of people who make New Years goals actually achieve them. So why is it that 92% of people fail in executing their goals?
I believe is all comes down to planning and focus; so much goes on a day to day basis which makes your focus change direction often which takes your off alignment of your goals. I’ve put together 7 steps that I personally do when I make a new goal that I must achieve.
Step 1: one thing at a time!
There’s a misconception that to be successful means to act with urgency and do as many things as possible at the same time. Truth is, most successful people are very patient and avoid juggling many things at once. In fact, research says multitasking is a myth and can be damaging to our brains functions. You end up splitting up your focus over many different tasks, losing your focus, lowering the quality of your work and taking longer to achieve your goals. The 8 percent of people who nail down their goals are smart enough to work on several smaller portions to complete a big goal. But they do it by knocking one down then moving on to the next. https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/why-multi-tasking-is-killing-your-brain.html
Step 2: listen to background noise.
Background noise music in particular has been found to be a great way to maintain focus and stay productive for goal-attainment. The key is to experiment first, and find suitable music that helps you focus. A good tool to use is Focus at Will, which uses music scientifically driven to improve your concentration. Background noise has also been proved to sharpen your focus. Try Coffitivity, a tool that emulates the ambient sounds of a cafe to boost your creativity and help you work better to get stuff done. Surprisingly classical music like the piano has been proven to have a calming effect and takes away jitters or nervousness, and helps decrease your anxiety and heart rate. The Mozart Effect relies on listening to classical music while performing a task, which helps to focus on the task at hand and improve memory retention.
Step 3: practice the 52 & 17 rule.
When working toward your daily goal, try 52 minutes of work followed by 17 minutes of rest….which is known as “interval training” in sports. Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness, co-authors of Peak Performance, found that adopting an interval based approach to productivity isn’t just for gifted athletes. One study found that its most productive employees preferred a work routine where they spent, on average, 52 minutes engrossed in their work, took a 17-minute break, and then returned to their work. Retaining the highest level of productivity toward achieving your goals in a day isn’t working longer; it’s working smarter with frequent breaks.