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I wrote recently about setting SMART Goals (you can read it HERE!).

But setting goals isn't enough. We need to turn them into actionable plans; roadmaps to follow, step-by-step until we are living the life of our dreams!

When you start thinking about achieving your goals, give thought to the following:

1. Your “Why”

Finish these sentences: “I want this because...”, "When I achieve this goal I will feel...", "When I achieve this goal I will have...". Picture what your life will look like when you achieve this goal. I wrote about finding a powerful "why that makes you cry" HERE.

2. Where you are now

Taking stock and acknowledge where we are right now gives us the opportunity to celebrate and reinforce the things that are working for us, and to identify the things we need to change. I shared a fun yet powerful exercise for assessing where we are at in each area of our lives HERE.

3. The Gap

One of the most important steps in the process of positive change is becoming aware of the gap between where we are now and where we want to be. We can do this for each area of our lives, and for each goal and dream we have set for ourselves. Ask: What changes do you need to make to all of these aspects of your current life to move you closer to your ideal life? I wrote about The Gap HERE and shared a FREE RESOURCE to help you identify the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.

4. Action steps

List all of the steps you will need to take to achieve your goal. When considering actions steps, ask "what do I need to do on a consistent daily basis?" Now make these things your NNDR (that's Non-Negotiable Daily Ritual and I have written about it here!) In my opinion, the most important part of achieving your goals is to make the steps you take to get there automatic. Think about it: People become fit when they exercise daily. People excel in their studies when they put the work in every day... So think about what you can do every day - and make it a Non-Negotiable Daily Ritual! You can read more about NNDR's (and get your FREE PRINTABLE!) HERE.

5. Any obstacles you might need to overcome

It can be incredibly helpful to acknowledge that there there will ALWAYS be obstacles, setbacks and disappointments to trip you up as you work towards your goal! And it makes a lot of sense to take the time to anticipate what might set you back, and then brainstorm....

6. Ways you can get yourself back on track if your progress slows or if you stray off course

Anticipating possible obstacles and strategising how you will respond to different setbacks will make it much more likely that you will persevere when challenges arise and not abandon your goal at the first hurdle.

7. Who you can enlist for help (and the ways in which you can help yourself!)

Sometimes we're just not that good at asking for help. So we don't, and we make things just that little bit harder then we need to. Not everyone will want to help you along the road to achieving your goal, but trust me - most people WILL! So make a list! Who can help you? Who is where you want to be? Who is further along in their journey? Who can connect you with someone who might help you? Make a list, take a deep breath, and ask for help when you need to! It could be something as simple as asking a friend for a pep talk when your spirits are flagging, or a colleague for an introduction. Whatever it is, ask for help along the way!

8. Any skills you need to acquire - or exercise, or dust the cobwebs off

One of the best things about pursuing goals is that it pushes us to better ourselves, and we can benefit not just by the achievement of our goals but also by the skills and experience we gain along the way. Pretty much every big goal is made up of a series of many smaller goals. And in most cases, acquiring or honing skills is part of the journey. So it's worth figuring out what those skills are ahead of time, don't you think?

9. What milestones you can set along the way to help you measure and celebrate your progress

Every big goal is made up of a series of smaller goals, which in turn are powered along by your daily, weekly and monthly action steps. The business of achieving our goals shouldn't be all work. We need to build in milestones which we can celebrate, to keep us energised and motivated - and also because it is just fun to celebrate every now and again!

10. Schedule your consistent Action Steps into your daily, weekly and monthly calendar!

The achievement of big goals (or BHAGs as I love to call them!) is invariably the result of daily, weekly or monthly tasks applied consistently. One of the most crucial things you can do to ensure success in achieving your goals is to break them down into smaller goals, and then break these smaller goals down into the tasks you need to perform consistently. Want to compete in the New York Marathon? You are going to need to train consistently every week, enter local marathons etc etc. Every big goal is comprised of smaller goals which in turn are comprised of action steps you will need to take consistently. So get clear on what you need to do - and then schedule it into your daily, weekly and monthly calendar!

11. Any rewards/celebrations for achieving each milestone you achieve along the way

Like I said, we need to build in milestones which we can celebrate, to keep us energised and motivated - and also because it is just fun to celebrate every now and again!

And most importantly...

12. Your big reward for achieving your goal!

For me, the reward for achievement of most of the big goals I have set for myself has been the achievement of the goal. But I have learned to step back, take some time out, schedule a special dinner with my husband and savour the feeling of satisfaction that comes with achieving a goal you have worked hard for.

So there you have it!

When we do these things our goals become actionable plans and we have a road map we can navigate!

There is still one more important piece of the puzzle. I'll write about it soon.

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