Setting goals and completing them are two very different things.
Just nine percent of people say they were successful in completing their 2016 New Years resolutions, a recent online survey of about 1,100 people by Statista shows. There are a number of reasons why people fail to achieve success, including the fear of failure itself, research shows. But there are also plenty of easy ways to keep yourself on track.
Tony Robbins, bestselling author and entrepreneur, says that success is 80 percent psychological and 20 percent strategic. In a recent blog post, Robbins shares a 4-step plan he says can help you achieve any goal:
1. Don't just think about your goals, write them down
"Write your goals down – not on a computer, but on paper, or in a journal," Robbins says. "There's something that happens when we write something down."
Think about why you want to make that specific change. By doing so, you become more aware of what you're dissatisfied with in your life and how you truly want to change it.
Writing your career goals down helps you map out your future, separate your fears from reality and can even help you land your next job.
2. Write down the details of why it's important
Robbins suggests you write down the answers to the questions, "What would that mean to you?" and "How will it change your life?"
"By getting absolutely clear as to why you must achieve your goal," he writes, "you will find your purpose."
Journaling has been linked with higher levels of happiness. A study published in The Journal of Psychology suggests that keeping a daily journal of moments or events of things you're grateful for is linked to increased happiness.
3. Get into the right mindset
"The reason why most people don't follow through is because their psychology is messed up," Robbins tells CNBC's Kathryn Dill. "How do you change your psychology? I don't mean be positive, I mean be smart."
No matter how difficult it seems, be determined to follow through. To boost his own willpower, Robbins does a series of daily physical exercises and follows certain habits that increase his focus and gratitude.
"Frame your goals with absolute certainty – that no matter what, you will find a way to make it happen," he writes. "Even if it seems impossible to you now, you know in your core that you can pull it off."
4. Repeat
"Repetition is the mother of skill," Robbins writes.
Research, in fact, has found that the highest achievers in any given field aren't necessarily the most talented, but those who practice the most. Breaking down your goals into small, repetitive tasks, experts say, greatly improves your chances of success.
"If you want to master anything," Robbins says, "you have to ingrain it into your system."
Check out Tony Robbins' tips for being more mentally strong
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