You may not find it easy to achieve your goals, and you may not achieve them as quickly as you want, but if you still really want that goal, it's worth persevering over.

That just means you'll have to find ways to stay motivated. And here are some ways in which you can do that.

1. Keep focused on your aim

You need to know what you want to achieve if you are to stay motivated and working at it. It has to be something that you really want. You should think carefully about your aim so that you know it is a good one and that it will make you happy.

2. Make your aim realistic

Make sure you know that you are capable of achieving that goal, even if it means that you have to learn a few new things along the way.

That may be all part of fun, so long as you are prepared for this and you have a plan for acquiring the skills that you need.

3. Get the balance right

Your aim is important, but it's not the sum total of all that you are.

Don't let one aim take over your life. Keep yourself a rounded, happy person who is good to know and fun to be with, by keeping your goal in perspective with the rest of your life.

Even when things go wrong and you hit an obstacle with your plans, bear in mind that not everything in your life has gone wrong.

4. Look for the positives in your life

Try writing down the following things:

- one thing you enjoyed doing today (which can be a big thing or a small thing)
- a time when putting some effort into something gained you a reward
- something you've done that you're proud of
- something you like about yourself

That ought to get you to see the bigger picture of your life and give you confidence to move forward again. Once you're moving forward again, you'll re-discover your motivation.

5. Imagine yourself as successful

See yourself in your mind's eye as having achieved your aim.

How different would your life be? What could you have that you don't have now? It doesn't have to be material things; it can be more time with your family, greater choice of who you work for, being your own boss, being healthier etc.

If you could wake up tomorrow having magically achieved your aim, how would you know you'd achieved it? What would feel different?

Write those differences down and try to get at least ten of them.

6. Give yourself a break

Being focused on your aim every day doesn't have to mean working towards it every second of the day. Do something completely different for a few hours or so.

You've earned the break if you've done something today toward achieving your aim and you'll be amazed how much more productive you'll be when you come back to work.

7. Celebrate your success

Take some time to remind yourself how far you've come.

So, to sum up, then, keep motivated every single day, focused on the same target which may take a while to achieve, make sure the aim is a good one for you to achieve and that you have the skills to achieve it. Make sure you're clear about your aim and how you're going to set about achieving it.

Give yourself some breaks in all the hard work and remember to give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. You know you're doing the right thing for you and you know you can do it: so go for it!

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: stay motivated http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/blog/