Making goals for yourself is one thing; making your goals actually happen is another thing entirely. Many people get frustrated for not being able to hit their goals. Here's one way of making sure you achieve your goals: Take your realistic target and double it.
For example, if you aim to lose 3 kilos in one month, your workout should be designed to help you lose 6 kilos. If you are shooting to jog for 15 minutes, aim to run for half an hour. This may seem to make things more challenging than necessary but the majority of people actually need to overshoot their targets in order for their goals to be realized.
In many cases, the reason why people don't achieve their goals is because they fail to correctly take into consideration the amount of effort needed to reach those goals. Striving for twice the measure of your goals gives you better chances of meeting them. Most goals would really require double the effort that you think you will need to get them done.
Double Your Efforts
It may sound a bit illogical but it would take twice the amount of work you anticipate to be successful at your goal. You need to work twice as hard to be successful in business and even in your relationships. That's double the effort! Success costs a lot and you have to make sure you bring more than enough to the table to ensure you don't fall short of your goal in case your initial calculations are off.
Take athletes for example. Runners competing for a 40 kilometer marathon do not simply run 40 kilometers flat during practice. They go beyond the distance, running as much as 160 kilometers on a weekly program. Football teams practice brutal 2-a-days – that's double practices in a single day – in preparation for important games.
If doubling your efforts can yield better results for sports, it goes to follow that success in other fields, such as work or relationships, can also be achieved by working twice as much as may be expected (or even more). Are you studying for a major exam? If you usually study 3 hours a day, allocate 6 hours to prepare for it. Are you expecting 30 guests at your restaurant? Purchase enough ingredients for 60 dining guests. Does your wife like chocolates? Buy her a box and then take her out for desserts for good measure.
All Worth It
Working with twice the effort is usually rewarded by success. So if what you need to accomplish is worth the hard work, you might as well give it all you've got. Do not settle for results that are just "okay", where you choose only the path of least resistance.
Do you really want to achieve your goals? What is meeting those goals worth for you? Whether it's a house, a car, a better marriage, being top of your class – whatever you want to achieve – face the challenge and take the more difficult road up ahead. Remember: To double your chance at success, you must double your efforts.
