As the new year begins, we are thinking about our dreams and aspirations.
Many of us will likely have a goal that rises above the others.
The one we really want to obtain but aren’t sure it’s possible.
The goal is daunting.
So big we don’t even know where to start.
That is the goal to focus on and prepare.
Below are 6 steps to help you break that goal down into something manageable.
6 Steps to Meeting Your One Big Goal
1. Solidify the Goal
Step one is making sure you are clear on your goal. Some recommend SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Time bound.
For me, three measures are quickly covered. You have a big goal (specific & relevant) and you want to complete it this year (time bound). Ask the question “how will I know if December me has achieved this goal?” Now you have Measurement.
All that’s left is “Actionable”. This is where things tend to fall apart… and why steps 2-6 are needed.
2. Break Down the Year
Next, consider the energy of your year and where the natural breaks or “resets” land.
For some, this is the traditional quarters. For others, it revolves around the kids’ school waves.
In my current phase of life, my year is broken into five segments:
January-March, April – Memorial Day, Memorial Day – Labor Day, Labor Day – November 15, November 16 – December.
This helps you see where it will be easier or more difficult to work toward your goal enabling you to plan accordingly.
3. Set Goals for Segments
Based on your goal, break it into sub goals by segments of the year. This helps you plan just a portion of the goal at a time and make things less daunting. Once the segments goals are in place, shift focus to segment one.
Don’t take the time to plan anything more than the segment in front of you. If you try, you’ll get overwhelmed.
4. Consider the Segment
Next we focus on the first segment and break the time down into “rough” months. What do we need to accomplish each month to meet the segment goal? Document those actions and block them at a high level by month.
5. Create the Actions
Now, we finally get to the detailed planning. We focus on the month in front of us and determine what needs to be done to achieve the monthly goal. You can consider if these actions will happen all at once, be spread across a couple of weeks, or achieved by integrated into your everyday habits.
6. Routines and Scheduling
Finally, the toughest part of the process – doing the work. You need to schedule the activities into your life. For some goals, consider setting aside time once a week. Others could require daily routines. With daily routines, I highly recommend the 15 minutes a day process. You can read a summary of one of my 15-minute annual projects here.
Final Note
Here are some other ideas that might help you on your journey:
- Pick a word or artifact that is a reminder of your goal. Something you can carry with you each day to keep you on track.
- Create a reward for the end of the year and/or each month. Something small, but something that feels special.
- Find an accountability group or someone you need to report into on your progress. This gives a little extra energy to push forward when things seem hard.
Your Turn
Do you have a big goal in mind for the year ahead?
How could you break it into smaller pieces?
Can you find someone to go on the “big project” journey with you?