We all set goals, but not all of us are able to realise them. From a lack of planning to a general misunderstanding of how to reach our targets, many of our goals remain lofty aspirations too high even for the effort. But that should not be so. A goal, no matter how big, is within reach if you take your time. Here are a few things to consider.

1. Plan

The goal is the grand image of what you want to achieve. Activities, on the hand, are the steps you need to take in order to reach that goal. Your plan should spell out clearly all the steps you need to take in order to reach your destination. If you want to establish a factory that processes passion fruits, you need to consider what processes are involved in seeing the project come to fruition. You will need a business plan. Then you will need to have your business registered and also find a piece of land to site your factory.

All activities in your grand plan include economic, legal, and personal steps you need in order to secure your goal. If you are creating a new e-commerce platform, for example, you need a domain name, a web hosting service, a secure website, products, etc. Without these, any dream of having an e-commerce business is just a thought.

It is not a bad thing to aim high. Big dreams keep you on your toes. And if you take the time to plan your steps, you will be able to break your lofty goals into bite-sized chunks for easy execution.

2. Set Specific Goals

If you can’t write down your goal in a sentence, it’s possible you need more time redefining it before you start the plan to execute it. Consider your goal as a project you are pitching to investors. When a potential investor asks to know what you are planning to do, they do not have the time to go through a whole paragraph to catch your point. They don’t have time for that much work. They want a straight answer. One that is specific. “I am developing a movable bridge architecture to be used during crisis times” cuts to the chase. Think of yourself as the investor because, indeed, you are the one going to invest time and resources to fulfill that goal. If you can’t convince yourself of your dream, chances are you will be slow and sluggish in executing it.

3. Imagine the End

Seeing, they say, is believing. To be able to truly invest your time and effort into achieving a goal, you have to be able to see it in your mind’s eye. You should already imagine what that finished smock will look like when your client wears it. You should see the crease lines and the shirt he’ll wear beneath. If it’s something truly dear to your heart, thinking about the goal should give you pleasant chills. It means you are excited about the project and will do anything to realise that dream.

Be careful not to spend all your time dreaming, however. In life, there are visionaries and there are executors. If you want to see your goal come to life, you should do more execution than dreaming.

4. Identify Procrastinating Tendencies

Procrastination is a thief; it steals time, effort, and, in the long run, robs you of your dreams. Some of the things you do in place of achieving your goal might seem legitimate enough. It might seem right to call your mother while in the middle of a project and speak for hours. It might even sound great to jump on the internet to research a symptom you have been experiencing. To make sure you are not doing these things out of a whim, create a to-do list derived directly from your plan. Then stick to it.

Avoiding procrastination is not easy. Everybody suffers from it at one point in time or other. Understanding that it is a genuine obstacle in achieving your goal is an important step forward. Then, whenever you find yourself watching that funny-cats video instead of reading on your project work, you know you are delaying your efforts at success.

Also, try to cut down possible distractions before you start your activities. Unless you absolutely need it, your smartphone should be far away during execution time. Disconnect your internet modem if you don’t need it.

5. Track Your Progress

Every step you take goes a long way to help you achieve your goal. However, you need to be able to account for what each individual step means for you. What does purchasing a domain name mean for your e-commerce business goals? How long before you actually launch the site now that you have the domain? If you understand that a domain is only available to you for the duration of your subscription, you’ll be quicker to move on to the next stage.

Keeping track of activities keeps you motivated all the time. If you can see what you have achieved vis-a-vis what more you have to do, it makes it easier to see where you are headed. Your goals then appear closer each time an item gets ticked off. It becomes more than a ticking-off activity; it becomes a “25% of work done,” or “4 out of 5 activities finished.” You learn to become accountable to yourself when you keep track of your progress.

6. 52/17 Rule

Interval training is used a lot in sports. In executing your goal, the rule advises a 17-minute break for every 52 minutes of work. The break allows your brain to rest and also gives you time to recuperate for further work.

While pursuing your goal, try to also gift yourself a few perks along the line. It might be one or two clips of your favourite music videos after a long period of no-internet activity or a hot pizza for reaching your productivity goals. Looking forward to a treat can keep you motivated throughout your work sessions.

Do the work. The 52/17 rule only works if you have a productive 50+ minutes. Work is the only antidote to failure. Unless you are willing to put in the work, your new year’s resolutions and other ambitions will forever remain unreachable.

Don’t give up, though! It might seem hard and daunting. Impossible, even. But know that nothing good comes easy, and there is no better feeling than seeing the fruit of many hours of work. It’s exhilarating. It makes you feel like you’re soaring above the world. Makes you want more. And once you taste it, you will never look back. You’ll do it again and again until success becomes a habit.

Good luck!