There is a big difference between setting goals and achieving them. When it comes to setting goals, many of us continue to rely on hope, but to actually accomplish the goals that we’ve set for ourselves, we need to create a solid plan for success. Here are five simple steps that you can take to achieve any goal you set for yourself.
Step #1 – Make it Smaller
You have to start out big when first envisioning your goal. However, if you want any chance of achieving your goals, you have to transform the big goals, into smaller goals. By setting small goal benchmarks to work toward, the larger goal you’ve set becomes more achievable because you’ve created smaller, more manageable steps.
Step #2 – Make it Reasonable
A good goal should stretch you to the edge of your comfort zone, but not freely cross over into fiction. Everybody would love to make a million dollars this year, but it that number isn’t one that you can truly wrap your brain around, you’ll have to start with a number that stretches you but one that is still believable. Creating smaller, more realistic goals feeds into step one of breaking big ideas into smaller actions.
Step #3 – Make it Known
To achieve your goals, you need to have the right support on the journey. You want to tell those people who are supportive and involved in your success with your goal. They need to have the ability to bolster you when you face challenges. By verbalizing your goal, you also hold yourself more accountable to the goals, helping you reach them.
Step #4 – Make it Trackable
When goals are broken down into smaller benchmarks, it helps to create action plans into smaller events that eventually will have a cumulative effect on the big picture. This is an excellent tactic to help you put some measurements and metrics into the task. Tracking your progress will allow you to see how your overall goal is progressing against each small milestone that you’ve set.
Step #5 – Make it Fun
Figure out a way to celebrate your victories. Make tracking the progress you make toward your goals fun and meaningful. The more fun you have, the more successful you’ll be in achieving your goals.
The purpose of setting goals isn’t merely to achieve them; it’s about what you learn throughout the journey. Learn to enjoy not just the destination but also the process of how you get there.
