5 Simple Steps to Setting Goals That You Are Guaranteed To Crush

You know how they say “It’s all about the journey, not the destination…?”

While you may feel like this is just another one of those hipster quotes that millennials like throwing around; it’s more than that… This philosophy is actually a cold hard fact, and one that should be the foundation of any type of goal-setting.

Because as important as your ultimate goal is; the journey to reaching it is, in fact, more important.

And yes, I am a millennial… And yes, I am aware of how this sounds… But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.

Whether your goal is to lose 20 pounds, start your own business or improve your emotional intelligence; you need to deduct how you are going to achieve it.

So, if you truly want to take control of your life; and steer towards the positive changes you want to see in it… You will need to set all your goals, personal and business ones alike, according to these 5 Simple Steps.

Before you continue… I love Mother Nature and all the trees she has blessed us with… but I also love writing my goals down on paper – I’m sorry. I, personally, use physical notebooks and planners for my goal-setting; but if you’d rather use a digital notebook or your bedroom wall – who am I to judge? Just make sure that while you are going through the following steps, you put it all in writing.

Step 1 | Get Very Specific

You probably have a general idea of what your most important goal is. That big, fat goal you feel would change your entire life for the better if you actually reached it…

Got it in mind? Good. Now, how badly do you want to crush it?

Because if you are actually serious about making it happen, the first step is to get very specific.

Let’s say, for example, you run an online business as a fitness coach. You take on clients; provide them with personalized workout tutorials and diets; and have regular check-ins with them in exchange for a monthly fee. You are currently earning 5k per month with your business; but your ultimate goal is to get that number up to 10k per month.

And that’s a great goal you’ve got there, coach! But you need to get more specific than that. You obviously want to reach your goal, but you don’t want to spend a decade doing it… ‘Cause ain’t nobody got time for that.

You need to add a timeframe; so you can structurally determine which steps you oughta take and when. After all, your aim is to reach your goal as efficiently, and as soon as (realistically) possible.

So, if you were that online fitness coach, you would specify your ultimate goal as such:

“I am going to earn 10k per month with my online coaching business by February 4th, 2023.”

After you’ve added your timeframe, you want to mark the date in bold and with the brightest colors in your planner; your phone; and the calendar above your crapper.

Because if you follow these 5 Simple Steps it’s bound to be a very good day.

Step 2 | Create A Plan Of Action

Now that you have clearly specified your goal, you can focus on what needs to be done to reach it.

Because simply wanting something to happen is the equivalent of daydreaming… And how often have you daydreamed something into reality?

I’m gonna go ahead and say “Never.”

Which is why you need to identify what steps you need to take to achieve your goal. Self-management is a crucial part of your journey; and it involves outlining all the factors that will impact your chance of success along the way.

So, if you are an online fitness coach who wants to earn 10k per month by February next year; you will obviously need to look into your financial situation, and all the factors that influence it.

For example…

• Which parts of your business are currently making you money and which aren’t?

• Are there any expenses you can cut back on; so you can reinvest the savings into those parts of your business that are, in fact, making you money?

• What do your clients love most about your business right now; and could you offer more of that for a higher fee?

• Are there any additional services your clients would love to pay for if you were to offer them?

• Are there any marketing strategies you haven’t tried that could increase your income?

Then, after thoroughly analyzing every aspect of your business… You might deduce that to reach your ultimate goal, you will need to take the following steps:

• Increase the price of your services; because you can for the high quality that you offer;

• Invest more time into 1-on-1 sessions; because your clients’ feedback shows they love that service the most;

• Add a special V.I.P. Circle to your Members Community for an additional fee; including exclusive tutorials and Live videos that your clients have been asking for;

• Cut back on Facebook Ads and reinvest that budget into Instagram and Pinterest Ads; because that is where your ideal audience spends most of their time;

• Double the overall traffic to your website; which should in turn increase your sales by at least 50%;

You see, pinpointing factors like these, one by one, will not only make your ultimate goal seem more tangible; but it will help with your mindset.

Clarifying these steps and outlining an effective plan of action will help you envision your goal as a reality… Because now you know exactly which steps you need to take to make it happen.

Step 3 | Break It Down (to Mini-Goals)

So far we’ve specified our ultimate goal; set a timeframe for our journey towards it; and outlined the steps that we need to take to crush it within the next 12 months.

Now, you might take a look at all these steps you need to take before making it to the finish line… And find yourself feeling short of breath and a tiny bit (super) overwhelmed.

Keep breathing and don’t panic.

That’s why you are now going to divide those big steps into smaller, more actionable mini-goals that are a lot less daunting.

You can set as many mini-goals as you like, for timeframes as short as you want. I, personally, like to set quarterly goals as well as monthly goals. Then I go on to divide my monthly goals into weekly goals; and my weekly goals into daily To-Do Lists.

You want to work backwards and create the quarterly goals first; then keep dividing those into shorter-term, more actionable goals.

So, if you are an online fitness coach aiming to increase your income from 5k per month to 10k per month within a year… One of your Quarterly Goals would be increasing your income with 25%, every three months. You’d then go on to divide that quarterly goal into more actionable steps:

• Monthly Goals — e.g. invest X amount of money into paid advertising to increase traffic, leads and sales;

• Weekly Goals — e.g. do X amount of 1-on-1 sessions for an increased price;

• Daily Goals — e.g. create and post quality content for the members of your new V.I.P. Circle for an additional fee;

Breaking down your plan of action into mini-goals not only provides you with a clearer overview of the journey ahead; but it makes each goal feel more attainable.

Step 4 | Take Action

You’ve now got a clear overview of the steps necessary to reach your ultimate goal; and your mini-goals scheduled and down in writing.

There’s nothing left to do but to TAKE ACTION, and tick those steps like they’ve never been ticked before!

Not only will completing each mini-goal give you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, but it will create momentum. Because each step you take, no matter how small, is one step closer to your ultimate goal.

Before you know it, you’ll be snowballing towards success like the step-ticking, goal-crushing BOSS that you are.

Step 5 | Take Time To Reflect

Now, as fun as the snowball effect is… Don’t forget to regularly double check that you are, in fact, headed for success and not straight for a tree.

Especially with long-term ultimate goals, it’s very important to stop and reflect.

Personally, I find that the following three reflective strategies are most effective.

1. Schedule Days of Reflection

Based on the timeframe you have given yourself, you can schedule dates in advance on which you plan to reflect upon your progress.

For example, if you’ve set a timeframe of 12 months, you should schedule a day of reflection at the very least every quarter of the year. Ideally, however, you’ll reflect upon your progress a lot more often than that.

Take these days of reflection to celebrate what you’ve accomplished, and analyze if any adjustments need to be made to your mini-goals; bigger steps; or even your ultimate goal.

Things might have changed since you started your journey; including your financial situation, business results and even your own desires… And these changes don’t have to be negative, per se.

Let’s say, for example, that after reflecting upon your first quarter you realize that your income has already increased with 50% to 7.5k per month. Maybe because the new additions you’ve made to your business are wildly successful… Or maybe because your new marketing strategies are absolute fire!

Either way, you’ve learned that what you’ve been doing for the past 3 months works; and you are ahead of schedule. So, you decide to change your ultimate goal from aiming for 10k per month to aiming for 15k per month. Go, you!

Obviously, changes need to be made if your results are not quite where you wanted them to be, too… This doesn’t mean you should give up on your goal; not in the slightest. You just have to look into how you can improve your process of getting there.

And don’t forget to realign your mini-goals according to your adjustments. That way you are 100% sure you are headed in the right direction; and that every step you take is one closer to your ultimate goal.

2. Get An Accountability Partner

Based on great personal experience, I believe one of the absolute best ways to reflect upon progress and ensure success, is by getting an accountability partner.

An accountability partner is someone who has similar goals to yours; and who you check in with either in person or via video-chat, on a weekly basis. During your check-ins you share your ultimate goals and your mini-goals; your progress and your struggles. And most importantly, you hold each other accountable.

You could arrange to check in via email or chat; bi-weekly or less often. But for the best results I highly recommend weekly check-ins, and at least a phone call. Because simply knowing that you have a check-in with your accountability partner every Friday, for example; will push you to keep working on those mini-goals.

It keeps you motivated; because if you don’t achieve your weekly goals, you will have to explain why you didn’t… And your partner sure as hell knows the difference between a legit reason and excuses.

An accountability partner isn’t there to make you feel bad, though… If you don’t achieve your goals, you will feel bad whether you have an accountability partner or not. Because ultimately, you know that your goals are your responsibility.

What an accountability partner does do, however; is support you when things get hard. Because the journey to crushing an ultimate goal is a challenging one -- as it should be.

An accountability partner helps you carry the weight of your struggles, and talks you through moments of doubt. They make sure you don’t give up on your goals; your dreams; or yourself.

An accountability partner is truly invaluable; and I can’t recommend getting one enough. I am sure you can find one among your friends or family. And if you can’t; there’s a world wide web full of friendly strangers ready to kick their goal’s ass, just like you.

There are countless Facebook groups; Instagram pods; Pinterest tribes, etc.; where you will, no doubt, find like-minded people with similar goals and dreams.

So, pair up and crush your goals together!

3. Hire a co-active coach

If you find yourself repeatedly struggling with any of the 5 steps above; whether that is exploring which goal is truly important to you, kicking your procrastinating habits, or securing the accountability you need -- hiring a co-active coach could be the answer to all your problems, prayers & predicaments.

You see, a co-active coach will help you gain awareness into what truly matters to you, and why you might be holding yourself back. They will hold you accountable for your actions (and lack of action), but also celebrate and acknowledge all of the amazing work you have done and are doing.

I still have a few openings for new clients, so if you would be interested in working with me, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Our first session would be a free chemistry session of 40 minutes to get to know each other a little better; to explore your goals and needs; and to find out if there is a good client-coach chemistry.

And last but not least... I'm offering some goodies for those of you that are truly committed to taking action.

If you send me a message with your ultimate goal below, I will send you three beautiful goal-setting templates + an accountability sheet to make it as easy as possible for you to complete all 5 steps above, and get you well on your way to crushing your goal.

So the final question is…

Are you ready to do what it takes to achieve what you want?

P.S. If you are looking for a little more guidance, book a free 30 minute coaching session with me. We will explore your unique needs and goals together, and discover what coaching can do for you.