Big dreams and big goals are incredible, and everyone who aspires to anything should have a goal or two (or 3 or 4) that are so big they’re scary. But here’s the thing: the key to achieving the intermediary goals that’ll get you there is realistic goal-setting.
Now I’m not trying to rain on your parade here. Only to ‘ground’ your vision down here on the practical, physical plane. Because if you want to create a life that’s fulfilling, then it’s a good idea to set some very clear goals.
While lottery winning and other means of (seemingly) miraculous instant manifestations happen, taking practical steps serves an important function: it gets you moving with the flow of your intention.
Practical steps with realistic goals and sub-goals are what you need to propel you along the road to your wildest dreams.
So here are 5 tips to follow for realistic goal-setting
1. Be Accountable
A lot of people like to have an accountability buddy with whom they share their successes and demonstrate their ‘on-task, on-time’ commitment to, on a weekly or monthly basis.
This isn’t a reward or chastisement scheme (although rewards are okay). This is a way to ultimately hold yourself accountable to completing your steps on the road to success.
2. Sharpen your Saw
“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.” Sorry about the creepy association but the truth is, well, it’s true!
You must schedule regular time in your life to put everything down and step away from the work. When you take a break from the big goals to do something that nourishes your spirit, you refresh yourself to get back to the task.
3. Step-by-Step
If the steps along the way to your big goal are huge themselves, when are you going to find the time, energy or gumption to do them?
For example, if you have only 2 hours a week right now to devote to building your dream career, then set a realistic goal of dedicating 2 hours a week to specific tasks toward that end.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when setting goals is that they don’t ‘chunk it down’ into enough clearly defined steps. When this happens, they forget steps, skip steps or start going off on tangents in the wrong direction.
Write out your step-by-step guide to success. When you know the steps you’ll need to take, it makes it a whole lot easier to keep moving in the right direction.
4. Go Backward
Some of the most seemingly miraculous achievements come about when people start with the end result in mind and write their steps backward. Yep, they ‘back-engineer’ their own success. It’s kind of like doing a maze backward – a lot easier than figuring it out from start to finish.
What goal do you plan to apply these realistic goal-setting tips to? Leave us a comment and let us know.
