Achieve your goals with an action plan

It’s one thing to set a goal, but it’s another to actually achieve it. Many of us get too busy or too distracted and watch helplessly as even the most well-intentioned goals fall by the wayside. It doesn’t have to be that way! Use these tips to create an action plan for achieving goals large and small.

Set SMART goals

By choosing to set goals in the first place, you already smarter than those who do not set them. But your goals should be SMART, too:

Specific: The more specific a goal, the easier it is to achieve and feel satisfied doing so.

Measureable: Everyone loves a little data, right? Choose goals you can track on a consistent basis.

Attainable: In other words, don’t bite off more than you can chew — more on that below.

Relevant: Working toward a goal should be fun, not just another box to check. Choose goals that are in line with your interests and will hold your attention all year long.

Time: Set a deadline for meeting your goal, otherwise it will get lost in the shuffle of day-to-day life.

Allocate resources

Time is the most valuable resource that any of us have, so your action plan should account for how much time your goal will take to achieve. Be realistic here given work and personal commitments.

For example, don’t say that you want to read for an hour a day when you barely have five extra minutes to scrape together. Instead, set a SMART goal of reading 10 pages of a book each night before bed. Once figure out the time component, determine what other resources will be needed to turn your goals into reality. Do you need to save money, or maybe gather support from others? No matter what resource is needed, it will be easier to secure with a plan in place.

Set milestones

Any project manager will tell you that splitting a large project into smaller chunks is the key to making it happen. Personal projects should not be any different. Break your large goals into smaller pieces, and reward yourself when each step is complete. The end of a milestone is also a great time to reflect on what worked well and what can be improved upon for the next increment.

With a little forward thinking and upfront planning, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals in no time!