Everyone always talks about their goals and achieving their dreams, but no one ever tells you how to do it or even where to start. While our hopes, dreams, and prayers motivate us every day, it is still our responsibility to take the steps necessary to achieve them. Any dream is attainable when you focus on reaching your goal.

I want you to ask yourself, what’s holding you back? You’re reading this because you’re ready to do whatever it takes. You’re willing to take action and take control of your life. I want you to reach your goal, which is why I’m going to tell you my ultimate goal-setting tip.

The way you’re approaching your goal can hinder your progress.

You need more than a dream; you need a plan. Don’t worry; I’m not just going to drop my goal-setting tip and run. I said I want you to reach your goal, and I mean it! I’m about to give you a step-by-step process for goal-setting that will help you achieve your goals faster and more efficiently.

It won’t be easy, and it won’t happen overnight, but in a few months, you’ll be able to look back at all of your progress. Believe me; success is one of the best feelings in the world. Your life is in your hands, so it’s about time you take control! 

Start Small And Grow

Before you do anything, double check that you are really dedicated to this goal. You’re about to put a ton of time and energy into it, so you need to be completely sure. You have to make the conscious decision every day to stay focused. Once you do that, you will be able to do anything.

The hard part is over, you’ve made your decision. Now, let’s start making that goal a reality.  

The key to reaching your goal is to break it down. When you’re putting together a piece of Ikea furniture, you don’t randomly put pieces together and hope they make the bookshelf in the picture. The bookshelf came with step-by-step instructions on how to create the final product.

That’s how I want you to reach your goal. You know what you need to do to achieve it. I want you to create an instruction manual for yourself where the end product is your goal turned into reality.

After you’re done reading this post, I want you to create two goals using the ideas and techniques you learn.

The first will be your big overreaching ultimate goal, your end result. The second will be the first goal in a long list of smaller ones to help you reach your big one. Figure out what the first step of your journey is and, using what you’re about to learn, turn it into a goal.

Take your big dream in bite-size pieces, and you’ll be at the finish line before you know it. Most of the things you need to do to reach your goal are straightforward and simple tasks. Still, when you only look at the bigger picture, those small tasks are easy to neglect. By creating a plan and taking it one step at a time, you’re preventing yourself from getting overwhelmed. Focus on one thing at a time, and your goal will be much more manageable.

Be SMART

A few decades ago, a man named George Doran created SMART goals. These types of goals were in use for a long time, but he is known for putting the thought to paper and making the SMART acronym. People have been using and modifying it ever since, and now it’s your turn to implement it while reaching your goal.

I find that using the SMART goal method helps me achieve my goals faster while preparing me for the next step. They also help with time management! It would help if you based your final and smaller goals on the SMART formula. SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Specific

General goals aren’t helpful! They’re a nice idea, but you have to be specific when you want to get stuff done. Do your best to nail down what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. You’re the focus of the goal but ask yourself if this goal affects anyone else. Maybe you’re setting these goals to help your family or to improve your career. Let these factors motivate you.

When you include the specifics into your goal, reaching your goal becomes so much easier. Integrate your life’s purpose. When your goal reminds you why you’re working so hard, you won’t lose your focus as quickly.

The most important part is understanding where you will be once you complete this goal. It could be a new frame of mind or a new phase of your career. Either way, you should be able to look back and see your progress.

Measurable

You need to figure out how you will measure success when reaching your goal. If you don’t know how to measure your success, how will you know that you succeeded? Write it into your plan, so you will know exactly when this goal is completed, and then you can celebrate!

Remember also to be specific. If you are going to measure your success by how much money you made, come up with an actual number. When you’re working towards a fitness goal, aim for a certain amount of reps. You need to be able to track your progress.

Achievable

This is a tough one because you have to be completely honest with yourself. You have to figure out what an achievable goal is without limiting yourself or your progress. Your goal should be achievable all by itself and within the parameters of your SMART goal.

For example, running a 5K is a very realistic goal for a lot of people. On the other hand, learning how to run a 5K in less than a month with no prior training is an unrealistic version of that goal. Keeping your goal attainable is super important because if you create an unachievable goal, you run the risk of becoming discouraged or even quitting. That is not what we want!

It’s better to make a more realistic goal and then create a new plan after you’ve accomplished the first one. Then you’ll have a better understanding of your limits and how far you can push yourself. Take what you’ve learned from your last goal into consideration when creating the next one.

If I have learned one thing, it’s to create a goal that only I have control over. For your goal setting to be effective, your goal and the path to achieving it have to be entirely under your control. It shouldn’t rely on anyone else, and you can’t let anyone else hold power over your success.

Relevant

All of the smaller SMART goals you create need to be relevant to your larger purpose. The chances are that your big goal has many different parts to it. The plan you make should be related to your previous achievements and your next goal. While your final goal is your destination, reaching your goal is a journey.

Let’s go back to the example of running a 5K. Once you create your big goal of running the 5K, the first small goal you tackle will be about how far you can run and how you can practice so you can run farther. Once you’ve accomplished this goal, your next goal should be similar to it! Try to run faster or for a longer distance.

You also need new running shoes and shorts to run that 5K. While attaining these items will eventually become a goal, they’re not your current focus. Your primary focus right now is the tough stuff. You need to run and build stamina. Setting a goal to buy running shoes won’t help you build stamina or build upon your current goal, so save it for a later date.

Once you’ve built your stamina and you can run a 5K with no problems, then it’s time to start fresh in a different aspect of your larger goal. It’s time to buy those running shoes! Sometimes it can seem counterintuitive to ignore other parts of your goal. You need those running shoes! But you don’t need them right now.

Keeping it relevant means keeping your energy and focus in the same place. When you’re ready, and you can’t go any farther in one part of your goal, it’s time to start another. Keeping my goals relevant helps me stay focused on the task at hand!

Time-Bound

The final piece to the SMART goal puzzle is to keep your goal time-bound. When you’re planning your goal, what does your timeline look like? How quickly do you want to achieve it, and is that timeline realistic? Use your past experiences with similar achievements to determine a reasonable time frame to complete your SMART goal.

Reaching your goal will take a lot of time management, but it’ll be worth it. I set daily, weekly, monthly, and sometimes yearly deadlines for myself. They push me to stay inspired and focused.

When you’re creating your timeline, consider how much time you are willing to dedicate to achieving this goal. Decide if it’s a daily task or if you’ll only need to work on it once a week. Either way, incorporate it into your goal so you can be accountable. It will keep things in perspective and prevent every daily challenges from hindering your progress.

Shout It From The Rooftops

Once you have your goal, it’s time to make it a part of your everyday life. Write it down and hang it by your desk or stick it in your wallet. Set a daily reminder on your phone about it. Make sure that you will see it every single day. Do everything in your power to make sure you don’t lose sight of this goal.

Then, get your friends and family involved. Use the support system God gave you! Tell them about your goals and how you plan on reaching them. Let them help you in any way they can, even if it’s just a simple reminder in case they see you slipping. Sharing your goals and journey will help you stay accountable.

It’s Time To Start Reaching Your Goal

Remember! This has to be your decision. Before you do anything else, make that vow to yourself that you will see this through. After that, it’s one step at a time. Taking on too much at once will make it easier for you to lose focus.

Start by working on the small goals that will build up to your big one. When I start a goal, my first step is to write it down. I encourage you to start there too! Stick with one at a time. If you have more than one smart goal on your plate, it’s easier to get distracted. Make achieving your goals into a habit the same way I did, by making it a routine!

I find success when I surround myself with like-minded people who push me to be my best self. When I complete a task, I re-evaluate where I started, my progress, and where I am now. Don’t let anyone tell you what your limits are. Your future and success are entirely in your control. Never forget that!

Achieving your goals is one of the best feelings in the world. Don’t believe me? Try it out for yourself. Once you get started, you won’t be able to stop. I started with one goal, and now I have an eight-figure income because of my dedication and achievements.

I want you to have as much success as I have. Tell me your ultimate goals. Leave me a comment and let me know how you have reached them! I can’t wait to see your journey of success.