How many times have you had a grand plan where you were going to do something really innovative and inspiring but the plan never really went anywhere? You came up the idea, and then as soon as you started to work towards it you got overwhelmed, something seemingly more important came up, or you just weren’t sure where to begin. Grand plans don’t have to be complicated. In fact, they shouldn’t be.
The best way to ensure success is to break your goal down into small, achievable pieces. Even building a skyscraper is done one piece at a time. Using this technique helps avoid frustration, shows you the entire path to your goal, increases your confidence in your ability to achieve it, and gives you many successes along the way.
To start, write down the end result you’re going for, making sure it’s measurable and you know exactly what success looks like. If the end isn’t specified, how will you know when you get there? Then ask yourself “what’s the very first thing I need to do?” and write it down. Question yourself as to when it can be done by and, again, make sure it’s measurable so you know when you’ve completed it. Continue asking yourself what the very next, small step is that needs to be taken until you know exactly how to get to the goal. Sometimes the next step may depend on the outcome of the step before. You could need to split the plan into two or three possible paths at that point. If your plan gets too messy, put it on hold and continue where you left off once you’ve completed all of the tasks before it so you know where you’re headed.
When you’re ready to get implementing the plan, setting a timeline and getting buy-in from yourself or someone else that will be doing the task will help make sure it gets done. If you’re doing the task yourself, asking someone to help hold you accountable can help push the assignment to completion, as well.
Big goals don’t have to be complex. Breaking your goal into small, manageable tasks will help you achieve success. If you need assistance completing something, remember that you’re not alone. There are always resources that can help you. Reach out to me – I can help.