When working on your goals …

 1. Stop fantasising: Those with too rosy a picture of the future tend to put less effort into reaching their goals. Instead, it’s better to be open to some things going wrong. It will help you see the obstacles - and think through beating them. 

 2. Visualise process NOT outcome: If you can think through all the steps you will forge a better plan … and it will also help to reduce anxiety. 

 3. Beware of the “what-the-hell effect”: Too many just give up when they stumble or fall down. It’s better to get up – and to see it as a journey. 

 4. Attack procrastination: It’s easy to procrastinate when things start getting tough. Make a start, keep your head down, and set yourself some deadlines. Once you start you’ll feel much better and the road won’t seem so hard. 

 5. Switch out of robot mode: A lot of behaviour is robotic and habitual. We copy other people or we do the same old things. Take stock … and change those patterns … if they don’t lead to your goals. 

 6. Know when enough is enough: Sometimes we need to know when there’s no point in going on. We’re flogging a dead horse and thing are never going to change. Perhaps it’s time to make that break, and to work on something else.