You set a big life goal for yourself a while ago and have now finally succeeded. You achieved what you set out to do. Whether it’s losing weight, finishing school, running a marathon or anything in between, there is a huge sense of accomplishment. As that euphoric sense of accomplishment fades, now begins the time you have to stop and think about what is next. Everyone wants to be, or should be, ambitious, but if you are unsure of where to go from here, this list of steps will help.
Set Bigger Goals
This one sounds easy, but the reality is that when you achieve one goal, you should set another one right away. Maybe it’s as easy as telling yourself you want to run a 10K after achieving a goal of running a 5K. The idea is to move the goalpost further out. It really can be anything beyond what you have already achieved. Are you a real estate agent who hit your goal of selling five houses last month? Next time tell yourself you are going to sell seven. The idea is that it’s okay to expand on your original goal.
Yes, it’s true some goals may not have the ability to go any further. If your goal was to run a marathon, that might be the peak of what you wanted to accomplish. That’s okay, but now look to complete another and then another. Keep moving the goalpost until you decide you want to set up a new goal. When that happens, not only will you have another goal to look forward to, but you will also have a true sense of accomplishment for the one you originally set.
Also read:How to Know If You Are Ready to Make a Career Change
Time to Work Harder
Setting bigger goals does not mean you cannot kick back on the weekends and relax. Instead, it means that you should take a little bit of time to enjoy hitting your life goal but then you need to metaphorically get back in the saddle. When you are ready to get moving again, look back on what you learned. What mistakes did you make along the way? What did you do right? Most importantly, what have you learned from those mistakes and how can you not repeat them?
If your goal is now bigger, harder or more difficult to achieve, you will need more motivation and even more confidence to find success. That’s not to say it’s all about hard work. You need to be smart, too. The last thing you want to do is get too comfortable because you were successful once before. Working hard is both physical and mental, no matter the life goal you want to achieve.
Ignore Anyone Who Gets in Your Way
Jealousy runs rampant around people who have hit a major life goal, especially if it’s financial, work-related or even something as wonderful as getting married. Be prepared to ignore negativity, talk that happens behind your back or people who think it should have been them instead of you. There is no reason behind sugar coating it to say that not everyone believes in you or that you could achieve your goal. That’s okay as you hit your goal the first time, and you can do it again.
Spending energy thinking or worrying about people who do not want to see you succeed twice is wasted energy. Not everyone knows just how much you put into achieving a life goal. They have no idea what you may have given up, nor do they know what it might have cost you personally or professionally. The bottom line is, ignore the haters and keep setting that goalpost back.
Help Others Find Their Own Success
This one is big because it will not only make you feel good but will help others find their path to feel the same way you did. Instead of being negative and looking down at those still trying to succeed, help them out. Teach them what you did to find success and how they can do it too. Maybe you do not want to set another goal for yourself immediately and instead want to coach others. That’s just as good as finding success twice. Goals come in all shapes and sizes and hitting life goal No. 1 can feel just as good as finding life goal No. 2.
Stay Down to Earth
This is another big one: stay humble. You achieved a life goal and are incredibly proud of yourself. That’s amazing but also no reason to start bragging to friends and family. What if someone is not in the same situation as you? What if they are struggling to achieve their own life goal right now. Rubbing it in their face or acting arrogant does not help you or them. Better yet, this goes right back to helping others. Recognize the people who helped you, too. You might think you achieved this life goal all by yourself but you likely did not. There were cheerleaders helping you along the way even if they were not physically around. The last thing you want to do is forget about those who helped you get to the top of the life goal hill.
Conclusion
Achieving a major life goal is incredible, exhilarating and absolutely reason to celebrate. It’s also a reason to start thinking about what is next. With every success you are going to ask more of yourself. Can you do more? Achieve more? You are always going to think that you cannot do any better than where you are, and, in many cases, that may be true. Still, there is always another door that can be opened. The question is, are you prepared to walk through it?