How to stay committed to your goals

As humans, we have the natural gift of choosing our responses to life situations. In a challenging business scenario, a difficult sports competition or any life struggle, we often have at least two choices: to give up or to keep going.

Giving up on something we believe in can bring sadness, disappointment, shame or anger. Continuing and making progress towards what matters to us can help us feel happier, stronger and more confident about ourselves and our achievements.

Unfortunately, this is often a reflection of a mind that is calm and not under pressure. When stressed, the human brain can react in a very different way, applying instinct and forgetting how to rationalise. As a result, we may experience the desire to succeed, yet at the moment of difficulty this desire can struggle to compete with tiredness and exhaustion. In this moment, we may give up, or try to cheer ourselves up, which may only help as a temporary solution.

We can only keep going for what we believe in if we truly believe in it. Ask yourself: Do I really want this, or is this someone else’s desire? Why do I want it, and why is achieving it so important to me? Who or what am I doing it for? Does it come from a genuine place deep inside me? What will be different when I achieve it, and is it worth working towards?

When you are clear about the meaning or purpose behind this goal, and when this desire becomes truly personal to you, you may begin to feel more empowered.

If you truly want it, know why you want it, consistently want it and work towards achieving it, you give yourself a far greater chance of succeeding. It can become part of you, and part of how you respond when challenges arise.