#1 — Dream!
Dream of what THERE looks like, feels like, even smells like. Dream of what your life will be like THERE. Dream of how you will use that spare room for your office or hobby room. Dream of how you'll enjoy inviting people in to sit and chat. Dream of how good it feels to know your paperwork is handled. Dream about how you'll spend your time when you're THERE.
#2 — Ask questions
Ask questions of yourself. Ask why, who, when, where, what, and how.
Ask questions of others. Ask others for help, for guidance, for suggestions.
Ask!
#3 — Set a goal
Take one aspect of your dream and make it a goal. Remember to make it a SMARTER goal, not just a SMART goal.
Simple
Motivational
Aligned with who you are and what you value
Resourced with help to achieve your goal
Trackable
Enjoyable
Revisit to see if it's still the right goal for you
The common definition of SMART goals is:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound
Make sure the goal is within your control. I used to set goals for how many books sold or how much income I wanted for the year. But those weren't 100% in my control. I couldn't control someone buying my book, but I could control how and where I marketed it. How I got the word out about my books became my goal. I couldn't control someone hiring me, but I could control how many networking events I went to or what presentation topics I developed. Those actions that were in my control became my goals. The sales and income followed.
#4 — Make a plan
A plan includes milestones and inch pebbles; resources needed and resources available. The plan can be bare bones or fully detailed, but don't get bogged down in the details, the overwhelm or even the fun of planning. Plans are maps to get you from HERE to THERE. Plans are not the journey nor the destination. Move to the next step.
#5 — Take action
Take one small step towards your goal. Take another step tomorrow. And then another after that. Don't focus on making the leap between HERE to THERE. Focus on building the bridge that will get you THERE.
#6 — Check-in
Check-in with your goal and your plan routinely. I'd love to say, I check-in daily but sometimes life happens and I get distracted. However, I definitely take time at least weekly to review where I'm going and look back to evaluate and acknowledge what I've done. I highly recommend finding a goal buddy (aka accountability partner) to check-in with at least monthly.
This keeps you moving forward and your buddy can be a great source of support, encouragement and realistic expectations. Your goal buddy should be someone you trust and who will encourage you with positive feedback as well as realistic questions.
And remember to...