10 Simple Rules for Achieving Anything You Want in Life

“And I say unto you, Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” — Luke 11:9

The existence of truly unfettered and unwavering belief that we can achieve anything we want in life is a fundamental tenet to fulfilling our deepest desires and dreams. Belief, faith, or the unconscionable knowledge that we’re destined to attain or achieve something, is one of the most crucial determining factors in our ability to do so.

But how often do we have sheer and utter belief and faith in our abilities? How often do we say, “I know I can. And I will,” as opposed to, “I hope I can. And I might.”

More times than not, we simple doubt ourselves. We live in a state of constant fear, anxiety, stress, and worry, fretting and overthinking every little thing that we do, wondering if it will ever be good enough to fulfill our goals and live the life that we deserve. Needless to say, this is a far more common occurrence in our lives than harboring sheer and utter belief in ourselves.

But then again, we’ve got our reasons for overthinking things and constantly worrying and living in a state of fear, don’t we? How are we supposed to take the big risks associated with reaping big rewards, when there’s so much riding on the line? What happens if we fail? What happens if we can’t support our families, keep a roof over our heads, or put food on our plates?

Yet, that’s just it. Fears can easily manifest themselves. Once the mind gets going, it can head into a tailspin. Many of us know this all too well. The mind is a powerful tool, one that can be used for good, and certainly one that can foster bad. Like attracts like, as the saying goes.

So, if you want to achieve anything you want in your life, you need to hold powerful sway over that extremely complex bundle of tissue and matter in your head — your brain, and that construct that resides within it — your mind.

“A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.” — James Allen

Proverbs 23:7 tells us: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” This knowledge has been passed down for ages, and for good reason. There’s sheer power in those words. We will always gravitate towards that which we wholeheartedly believe in, whatever that might be.

So, here are my 10 best simple tips for achieving anything you want in life .

1. Focus on commitment, not motivation.

Just how committed are you to your goal? How important is it for you, and what are you willing to sacrifice in order to achieve it? If you find yourself fully committed, motivation will follow.

2. Seek knowledge, not results.

If you focus on the excitement of discovery, improving, exploring and experimenting, your motivation will always be fueled. If you focus only on results, your motivation will be like weather—it will die the minute you hit a storm. So the key is to focus on the journey, not the destination. Keep thinking about what you are learning along the way and what you can improve.

3. Make the journey fun.

It’s an awesome game! The minute you make it serious, there’s a big chance it will start carrying a heavy emotional weight and you will lose perspective and become stuck again.

4. Get rid of stagnating thoughts.

Thoughts influence feelings and feelings determine how you view your work. You have a lot of thoughts in your head, and you always have a choice of which ones to focus on: the ones that will make you emotionally stuck (fears, doubts) or the ones that will move you forward (excitement, experimenting, trying new things,
stepping out of your comfort zone ).

5. Use your imagination.

Next step after getting rid of negative thoughts is to use your imagination. When things go well, you are full of positive energy, and when you are experiencing difficulties, you need to be even more energetic. So rename your situation. If you keep repeating I hate my work , guess which feelings those words will evoke? It’s a matter of imagination! You can always find something to learn even from the worst boss in the world at the most boring job. I have a great exercise for you: Just for three days, think and say positive things only. See what happens.

6. Stop being nice to yourself.

Motivation means action and action brings results . Sometimes your actions fail to bring the results you want. So you prefer to be nice to yourself and not put yourself in a difficult situation. You wait for the perfect timing, for an opportunity, while you drive yourself into stagnation and sometimes even into depression. Get out there, challenge yourself, do something that you want to do even if you are afraid.

7. Get rid of distractions .

Meaningless things and distractions will always be in your way, especially those easy, usual things you would rather do instead of focusing on new challenging and meaningful projects. Learn to focus on what is the most important. Write a list of time-wasters and hold yourself accountable to not do them.

8. Don’t rely on others.

You should never expect others to do it for you, not even your partner, friend or boss. They are all busy with their own needs. No one will make you happy or achieve your goals for you. It’s all on you .

9. Plan

Know your three steps forward. You do not need more. Fill out your weekly calendar, noting when you will do what and how . When-what-how is important to schedule. Review how each day went by what you learned and revise what you could improve .

10. Protect yourself from burnout.

It’s easy to burn out when you are very motivated. Observe yourself to recognize any signs of tiredness and take time to rest. Your body and mind rest when you schedule relaxation and fun time into your weekly calendar. Do diverse tasks, keep switching between something creative and logical, something physical and still, working alone and with a team. Switch locations. Meditate, or just take deep breaths, close your eyes, or focus on one thing for five minutes.

You lack motivation not because you are lazy or don’t have a goal. Even the biggest stars, richest businesspeople or the most accomplished athletes get lost sometimes. What makes them motivated is the curiosity about how much better or faster they can get. So above all, be curious, and this will lead you to your goals and success