6 Tips on How to Set Goals and Achieve Them

You may have a great idea for a start-up business or a product, but if you don’t take action it will always be just a thought in the back of your head. If you want to realize your dreams, you have to actually start making steps towards achieving them. The best way to start is by setting goals and then working through them at a realistic pace.

Here are 6 steps that will help you to tackle you larger, seemingly impossible goals.

Write Your Goals Down

I’m a big believer in the Law of Attraction, think what you want into existence. Writing your goals down and leaving them somewhere nearby will help to remind you of them every day. Try multiple methods to see what works best for you. Some good places to write down your goals could be in a small notebook, a white board, a cork board, or maybe even an online note taking application like Evernote.

Break Them Down

Brainstorming and setting goals can be fun in the initial stages, but your plans can often fall to the wayside if you don’t have a clear action plan to  follow. Break down your larger goals into smaller steps. Write down every step necessary to complete the goal in question. The larger goals can seem far away and unobtainable, but if you break them down into small steps that you can add to your to-do list, they will start to seem much more achievable.

Set a Date

Once you have your action plan written out, set a date that you’d like to see each step completed by. Try not to plan out too far in advance, it’s hard to know exactly how long something will take until you actually do it, and if you start to get too far ‘behind’ on your goals, it can be easy to just give up entirely.

Take Action

Sometimes the hardest step is just to get started. Once you have your plan written out try to get started RIGHT AWAY. Don’t wait for tomorrow. Find a couple of small, easily accomplish-able tasks and get into the habit of following your plan now.

Find Someone to Help you Feel Accountable

Find someone to share your goals with, tell them what you’re trying to accomplish. Having someone to cheer you on can mean the world. Knowing that you’re not only letting yourself down in private, but in front of a friend can be that additional push you need to not fall too far from your plan.

Reward Yourself

If you accomplish a big goal be sure to celebrate a little! That little bit of positive reinforcement could help you through your next goal.