Breaking Goals Down Into Actionable Steps

When it comes to getting what we want out of life, it usually helps if we first know what it is we desire. On top of just knowing or having a clear idea of what we’d like to obtain or achieve and just as important is knowing the various smaller steps you’ll need to take in order to bring yourself or your business closer to that goal.

It then becomes a simple matter of achieving those smaller, more attainable steps on a consistent basis until you finally manage to accomplish what you set out to do. (At which point you’ll likely promptly set yourself another equally impressive goal to achieve I’m sure.)

Looking at the big picture is useful if it isn’t what you focus on. It’s more of the executive view of the goal, rather than the employee or worker view of the same issue. You might want to try working towards the goal during the week, and setting an hour or so aside on Fridays to go over your progress, and determine whether or not the steps you’re taking during your weeks are moving you closer to the goal in a quick and efficient manner.

Let’s go ahead and use an example that the majority of us can relate to. Making money online, or starting a business that does it for us.

Now the goal might be to create an internet based business that brings in $2000.00 per month, and since we always use S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Bound) goals we’ll set this goal to be achieved within 6 months’ time.

Our steps needed might be:

Primary Goal: Online business creating $2000.00 per month

Components to achieve goal:

1. Creating a product
2. Launching a blog
3. Creating an opt in offer
4. Designing a squeeze page, and adding opt ins to blog
5. Building a list to promote product to
6. Setting up the infrastructure to deliver the product

Now each of these would be broken down into even smaller steps, creating a product would have items like create the outline, record (or write) the content, organize & edit, etc. The goal here is to get each step small enough to be accomplished in a single work session and preferably not an all-day blitz attack either.

It’s important to be able to look at a task, and see it as something that is within your grasp, if the thought of editing a ninety page eBook seems daunting, it helps to break that down into perhaps editing the first chapter, then the second, and so on. You’ll consistently feel like you’re moving forward, rather than seeing this huge undertaking that you know is going to take you the next day or two.

Occasionally you will encounter obstacles even among these smaller steps. Perhaps you lack the technical ability to create a squeeze page, or install WordPress. It’s important to list out these objections so that you can address them and find solutions to them. There is nothing worse than sitting down in front of the computer and not knowing what to do next, or how to do it.