When looking at my 26 goals before I turn 27, sometimes I begin to feel extremely overwhelmed. I start to wonder, what the heck have I gotten myself into? But every day, I wake up and tell myself, “I have control”. I’ll repeat this over and over until I believe it.
As I strive to get my sh*t together, I start every day with a purpose. Whether it’s to apply for more jobs, write a new article, or finish reading a chapter, it’s important to have something to accomplish. I might not be in control of everything that happens in my life, but I am still in control. In order to remain as proactive and productive as possible, I need to remind myself that I am in control. This is the best way to hold myself accountable and reinforce the goals I want to accomplish.
I control whether I apply to jobs, take my Spanish lesson for the day, or even write just a few pages of my novel. It’s not in anyone else’s hands but my own. Sitting around and waiting for it all to just suddenly happen is what got me here in the first place.
As I strive to keep better control of my life, my dreams, and my goals, these are the tricks and secrets to staying on track and focused:
Keeping a Planner
I found that this is one of the best ways to hold myself accountable and remain productive. Instead of saying to myself, “Oh, I should really do that tomorrow,” then forget about it and watch Pretty Woman three times in a row again. When I write it down and look at it every day, it’s more likely I’m actually going to get it done. This way, I’m able to set my goals ahead of time, both daily and weekly. Plus, as a woman who hasn’t been with a man in an incredibly long time, the sensation of crossing a goal off of my todo list is possibly the greatest sensation in the world.
Waking Up Early/Early Morning Routine
I am one of those select, lucky people who are able to just wake up and be completely functional at 11 o’clock in the morning without any alarm clock needed. It’s because of this that I have never been able to get more than two or three things done in a day. Lately, I’ve been forcing myself to be up before 6 am. This gives me time to go to the gym, clean up around my apartment a little, look over my planner, and give me a head start on work. And wouldn’t you believe it? After weeks of getting up before 6 am, it still f*cking blows.
But I’ve also never been more productive in my life so I’m going to be keeping it up, even if I slightly die inside whenever my alarm goes off. Coffee helps.
My Mom is the Best Cheerleader
I’m not afraid to say it–my mom is one of the greatest cheerleaders and I love her for it. Every day, she asks what I have planned, what goals I’ll be accomplishing, and being at times overly ecstatic about my small accomplishments. Having friends and family to hold me accountable is what keeps me going. My best friend Tayler is always there for me, telling me how great my articles are and pushing me to keep going further. 
Who are some of the people you like to go to keep you accountable?
Have a Nightly Pregame
After a long day, it’s really easy to just plop down on the couch with Dakota and watch reruns of Parks and Rec until I fall asleep with a half-empty glass of wine. It takes a lot of effort to push myself to do it but taking an hour or even just a couple minutes out of my night to be productive pays off. I set up my schedule for the next day, look over anything I hadn’t accomplished that day, clean up my apartment if hadn’t gotten to it that morning, catch up on some reading, and plan out new blogs. I’ve learned that nights can be just as productive as mornings and to use them to my advantage.
It’s important for me to not waste my nights because it leads to being more productive the next day. Then, once I have been productive for a bit, I can spend the rest of the night becoming a sloth.
I Need a F*cking Break
Sometimes, I get a little out of hand with my daily or weekly goals. It’s easy for me to think I’ll get more done than I realistically would and I overwhelm myself. When this happens, I don’t get down on myself. If I don’t accomplish something, it’s not the end of the world. I also remember to leave time to just slack off and feel good about the goals I was able to reach. If I don’t allow myself time to not think about goals constantly and be a couch potato every now and then, I will easily burn out and just give up.
Also, Pretty Woman should be watched at least four times a week with tacos and a box of Franzia in hand and that’s a fact. 
By keeping these tricks and tips in mind, I have way more control over my goals than I ever have. It takes effort to gain control over your life and it’s not something that just happens overnight. By keeping a planner, sticking to an early morning schedule, and not wasting my nights, I get closer every day.