How do you go about achieving your dreams? Do you wake up each morning with a blank slate and think about your targets for the day? How directed are those daily targets towards your end goal? How productive has it proven to be, working on this day-by-day basis?
First of all, we need to understand the difference between a goal and a dream. Simply dreaming every day about achieving something is not going to direct you towards your end goal. You have to be certain about what you want in the long run in order to set intermediate targets for shorter time frames.
Once you have defined a long-term goal for yourself, you need to start writing down those little steps that you have to take in order to reach that destination. Start doing this today onwards by breaking up the goal into manageable pieces, so that it does not feel overwhelming. Most goals are attainable if you have the will to succeed and tackle one sub-task at a time.
Your goals, large or small, long-term or for the day, should follow “SMART” framework.
If you don’t know what a “SMART” goal is, it is one that meets each of these criteria:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound
If your goal, when written down, meets all of these aspects, it will be a clearer and easier goal to achieve, and to communicate to anyone else.
Below are some more tips to help you to help make a plan that will take you towards your end goal.
- Think hard about what you really want, and what is purely optional or “nice to have”
- Start goal-setting as early as possible
- Translate your dream into specific goals
- Your dream is achievable only if your team is supportive of achieving it. Hence, before setting goals, share the dream with your team.
- Be realistic and follow the SMART framework mentioned above.
- Think strategically
- Your strategy needs to involve both long term and short term concerns.
- Don’t forget to set a realistic budget that will help you get there.
- You also need to do your homework right and evaluate the progress of work.
The most important tip of all is, WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING! When you write things down, it sticks longer in your brain and carries greater weight; try writing down your goals today, it will help you define them better and work towards them.