Dream big: Tips for going after what you want

Having big dreams to strive toward can keep us motivated and inspired, whether that dream is becoming a successful artist, starting a business, reaching a certain position, or anything else that is meaningful to you. Whatever dream you’re chasing, there are many ways to work towards your personal goals. In this article, we’ll focus on a few tips for going after what you want: cultivating self-confidence, strengthening communication skills, reducing stress, and practicing positive thinking.

Four tips for achieving your goals

As you go after what you desire, you can consider some of the following tips: 

1. Cultivate self-confidence

Developing self-confidence can be a vital part of achieving your goals.

There are many ways to work on self-confidence, and you can experiment with different approaches to find what works well for you. Some ideas include stepping outside of your comfort zone, celebrating your successes, journaling, meeting small goals you set for yourself, practicing gratitude, talking with a therapist, and connecting with mentors in your field of interest. 

2. Strengthen communication skills 

Regardless of your specific goal, being able to communicate clearly and effectively is often a very important component for achieving it. Communication skills are often essential for both our personal and professional goals, and enhancing these abilities can help us strengthen our connections with others, express our perspective, collaborate with others, build community, and advocate for ourselves. A few ways to strengthen communication skills include reading and writing, developing empathy, reflecting on past conversations to identify ways to improve, and practicing with people you trust.  

3. Reduce stress

As you go after your goals and try to juggle the many different aspects of life, it can be common to become stressed sometimes. Stress is a part of life for most people, but finding ways to reduce your stress levels can help you stay focused, hopeful, and energized as you pursue your dreams. A few ways to reduce stress can include meditating, practicing mindfulness, exercising, eating a balanced diet, journaling, getting adequate sleep, and working with a therapist to address unhealthy levels of stress.

4. Practice positive thinking 

Finally, a positive mindset can be another key to achieving what you desire. Thinking positively about yourself, your abilities, your accomplishments, and the opportunities ahead of you can help give you the strength, stamina, optimism, and perspective you need to reach your goals. A simple way to try to practice positive thinking can involve using positive affirmations, which you can repeat to yourself, meditate on, or say aloud. 

You can also try different visualization techniques to envision yourself overcoming barriers and accomplishing your goals. In addition, you may also try to practice positive thinking about the world around you, such as trying to reduce judgments of others and instead giving both yourself and those around you added grace and compassion. 

Get help along the way 

For additional support, as you try to achieve your goals, you can also connect with a therapist. Whether you’re looking to build self-confidence, strengthen communication skills, reduce stress, or cultivate a more positive outlook, a therapist can help with these and other concerns. 

For instance, research has found that online therapy can be an effective way to reduce stress. As one research study concluded, a relatively short internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention “is indicated to be effective in reducing stress-related symptoms.”   

And, if you’re busy trying to accomplish all of your goals while juggling the many other responsibilities of life, you may find that online therapy feels easier to schedule, as you can do it from wherever you have an internet connection, eliminating the need for an extra commute.