Initiative is the vital ingredient of motivation that you have absolute control over. When you take the initiative you launch yourself into the process of working towards your goal.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.” – William Hutchinson Murray

In order to gain initiative I highly recommend you use these 5 keys:

Simplify. Break your task down into small manageable steps. After that it is just a matter of doing these steps in their order of priority. This way you are not overwhelmed and tempted to procrastinate.

Commit. Make a commitment to see the process through to completion. Be accountable to someone. Tell them what you plan to do and let them hold you accountable to your word. This has done wonders for my initiative and drive. I find that I will do more to keep my word than I would to get materialistic gains. A true commitment gives you option for retreating or quitting.

Step out. Just get started doing what you can to make your dream a reality. Momentum is established with your first step so take that first step as soon as possible. You gain tremendous power from starting. You break the inertia and set your self up to begin getting results. Your results can give you vital feedback that can be used to make the proper adjustments. If you never get started you will not have this information to work with. Your tasks will appear to be bigger than they really are because you are not doing anything.

Have Faith. Believe that you will be successful. Believe everything will turn out OK before you even start. Have faith that your actions will lead to your obtaining what you want. It is easier to take initiative when you do so with faith.

Use Mistakes. Mistakes and failure happen when you are striving to achieve something meaningful. Don’t let mistakes get you down. If you dwell on your missteps long enough you will become scared that you will make another mistake. Fear of failure can stop you dead in your tracks. Learn from your failures and keep moving forward. Use them as a foundation for your success.

Each mistake gives you wisdom and experience that make you more skilled. You become more capable of doing what needs to be done. You will find that your confidence will begin to grow and you are able to take initiative more readily.

Picking the wrong goal. When we choose a goal because everyone else is doing it or because we think it would be something that is nice to have then we set ourselves up for failure before we even start. When the going gets tough we will not continue with the required dedication that is necessary accomplish the goal.

Solution: In order to commit wholeheartedly you must truly want what you are trying to obtain. Start with a goal that you can dedicate all of your efforts to. Give it some thought. Ask yourself, “Does it really matter if I achieve this goal or not?”  Your answer should be a resounding yes! Get the proper start by choosing the ideal goal. Your motivation is determined by what you are inspired to achieve.

Too many targets. When you try to hit too many goals you wind up hitting none. You can stretch yourself too thin when you strive to hit multiple goals at the same time. You will become frustrated. You will also experience minimal success with each goal. Lack of success and confusion will sap your motivation.

Solution: Pick a main goal. Then pick complementary goals that support your main goal. That way every time you have success with your sub goals you make progress with your main goal. You will experience a feeling of accomplishment at the completion of every task which you embark upon. You will have motivation to work because you know your efforts will reward you with continued achievement.

Harboring thoughts of past failures. Dwelling on failure only brings more of it. When you waste your time obsessing over your past failures you will miss present opportunities. Your focus on your failures will drain all of your initiative. You are not motivated to try again when you feel if will result in continued failure.

Solution: Look at your failures in the proper light. Your mistakes can teach you lessons that can form the foundation for your successful approach to solving problems. You gain vital experience from failure if you will use those missteps properly. You need to adopt this motto: “I learn from my mistakes and I move on.”

And when you get successful results give yourself a pat on the back. Counteract the tendency that we all have to dwell on failure and not celebrate success. You want to feel positive more often than you feel negative while you are pursuing your objectives. Resisting the urge to give inordinate amounts your attention to past mistakes will increase your motivation.

Goal setting involves dreaming, planning, and work. When you use these three components of goal setting you lay the foundation for your success.

Dreaming. A big dream can propel you toward huge accomplishments. It is the dream that sets the parameters of your goal. The dream determines what you will have to do and when you will need to do it. You want to have a clear reason for doing the work that you are about to perform. When you know why then it is easier to pay the price to get what you want.

Planning. A good plan takes the guesswork and uncertainty out of your endeavor. When you know what you want and you know how to get it then a good portion of your success has been accomplished. Your clarity and decisive action will overcome many of the pitfalls that cause other people to fail or give up. When you are armed with a solid plan you are able to focus on the tasks that you have laid out with forethought. This way you are not swayed by circumstances. You are able to predetermine the route that you are going to take.

Work. “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” said Samuel Goldwyn. You can make many of your own breaks by simply working hard on a consistent basis. Realize that you don’t succeed in achieving your goals until you actually put in the work. Maintain consistent as well as persistent effort when working your plan. Your success will come as a result of your steady work. You must develop resolve to keep on working when you feel like quitting. You will hit your goal eventually if you continue doing the work that your plan calls for.

IRM – It Really Matters: Rule one is set goals that really matter to you. Your goal should something that you have to have. It should be something that you are compelled to go all out to get done.

BRW – Big Reasons Why: If your reasons for wanting this goal are big then you will be motivated to hit it. Think of all of the reasons why you want your goal. Keep those reasons at the forefront of your mind. Let them drive you to do what it takes to hit your goals. When the going gets tough you will need strong motivation in order to keep pushing yourself to overcome all of the struggles.

AGC – Apply Goal Cards: Use goal cards to focus your mind on what you want. Keep your goal cards with you at all times. Look at your goals throughout the day. It is important that you see your goals as much as possible so that you get them cemented in your mind.

STD – Set Target Date: Make a date certain that you intend to hot your goal. This makes it measurable. You can tell how far you’ve gone and how far you have to go in your progress of hitting your goal. A date also eliminates procrastination because it gives you a deadline to meet.

MSO – Make Specific Objectives: You need specific goals to focus on. You need to have goals that pinpoint exactly what it is that you want. Vague goals don’t get successful results. Specific goals make it easier to channel your focus on getting exactly what you want.

In order to hit your goals you need to sustain your motivation. If your motivation wains then your chances for success lessens. Maintaining motivation requires that you to do five things.

Dream. You need a big dream. When you have a big dream that dream will push you to do what you would not do otherwise. Speaking before an audience, running five miles of a marathon race and relocating to a new city are three examples of tasks that most of us would not do without the inspiration that comes from a dream. If your dream is big enough it will motivate you to take action. Your dream drives your motivation.

Work. The more you work the less time you will spend being paralyzed by fear. Taking the initiative and applying consistent work habits will eliminate procrastination tendencies. If you develop a routine of doing the necessary work on a daily and weekly basis then you come to a point where you actually like the work. A consistent work ethic gives you the results that you want whereas procrastination does not.

Succeed. Nothing succeeds like success. Strive to hit the goals that you set for yourself and you will get successful results. As you experience successful results you will be motivated to take further action. The more correct actions that you take the greater the degree of success that you will experience.

Self-Talk. What you say to yourself matters greatly. If you say you can’t then you can’t. But if you continue talking to yourself as if you can then you eventually will. Positive self talk does wonders for increasing your motivation levels. Encourage yourself to keep going. Continue to remind yourself of all of the benefits that you are going to experience upon obtaining your dream.

Goal setting works when you keep certain pointers in mind. These help you go from entertaining an idea to successfully accomplishing it. There are 5 keys to goal setting.

Dream. It all begins with a desire to be or have more. Be sure you have a strong desire to obtain your goal. The more you want it the easier it will be to pay the price. If your desire is weak then you will not succeed. The dream motivates you and drives you to do what it takes to get what  you want.

Strategy. You need to determine the best way to hit your goal. Make a plan for getting what you want. This give you direction and a way to gauge your progress. Your plan should be so simple that you feel like you are basically connecting the dots as you do the work.

Support. It takes the help of others for us to accomplish our big goals. Pick out someone who can help you with information and ideas. It is beneficial if they have already accomplished the goal that you are striving to hit.

Work Ethic. You have to bring a strong work ethic to your endeavor. You have to be willing to do the work. Make the decision in advance to do whatever it takes. When you set your goal it must be understood that it is your consistent work that is going to bring you success.

Positive Attitude. You need to have a positive outlook for what you plan to do. Have an expectation of success. See yourself hitting the goal that you are about to set.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your free access to my special report “Setting And Hitting Your Goals” by going to http://www.setandhitgoals.com