Top Tips For Turning Ideas Into Reality – Achieving Clear, Actionable Goals

Goal setting might be one of the most underrated and overset “things” a business owner (or anyone!) does. Many will add these wild and imaginative ideas to their vision board or goal list, but do they actually ever get actualized? Sadly, probably not.

As I’m writing this post for you, I keep thinking about all the oh so famous terms of “measurable” and “bigger” and “specific” that seems to always be followed by “productivity” and “automation” … But, to quote the brilliant Brene Brown, “If we want to cultivate hopefulness, we have to be willing to be flexible and demonstrate perseverance. Not every goal will look and feel the same. Tolerance for disappointment, determination, and a belief in self are the heart of hope”. And of course, with courage and sheer vulnerability.

Let’s start with a shocking fact … Did you know that almost 90% of people don’t regularly finish their daily to-do lists?

Setting these massive goals, while optimistic and great for long-term planning, can actually overwhelm the brain when looking at the end result, as many of us don’t have the type of brain that sees the path to the destination — it just envisions the final result.

Goal setting is a skill. It’s an art if you will and it needs to be learned, practiced, and revamped when there’s a fork in the road. Because (in most cases) there’s always a fork in the road. And likely also a spoon and knife following suit. Luckily for you, we’ve been studying goal setting and practicing a few methods of it, which we will share – along with some tips to help you navigate your own goal-setting journey.

Tip #1: Think big – then bigger. Many of us limit ourselves by setting goals that are too easy. In turn, we wind up procrastinating on these goals because they’re easy enough to acknowledge with an “oh I can do that next week” mentality. When you’re setting your big goals, take them to the next step by continuously asking yourself “and then?” or “what’s next?”. When you can no longer answer those questions, you’ve got your big goals.

Tip #2: Set goals in increments of 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, etc. You’ll want at least 2 on your 6-month list to give yourself some short-term “wins” and you’ll want your largest goals to be further down the list to give yourself enough time to realistically achieve them.

Tip #3: Revisit your goals often to ensure they’re still aligned with your business. Just because you set a goal for 5 years from now doesn’t mean it has to stay on your goal list – if it truly doesn’t reflect you and/or your business as you get closer to it, replace it with something else that is relevant. They aren’t set in stone and should be revisited at least quarterly to keep them top of mind and your shorter goals on track.

Tip #4: Once you have your largest goals set, sort through them one by one and break them into mini goals. There might be a few steps to achieving your large goal, or there might be a dozen. There’s no limit and it’s up to each individual to decide how they break up their goals. We do suggest not breaking them up TOO small, or they’ll turn into those procrastination goals that never come off the list.

Tip #5: Celebrate all your wins. Yes! This really is as simple as it sounds. Whether you share it on social media or treat yourself to a spa day – heck, even your favourite coffee from a local coffee shop, take a moment to reflect on the work it took to achieve your goal. Your focus, dedication, and perseverance are not to be diminished!

Tip #6: Schedule at least one block of “focus time” per week to work on a goal. Also referred to as time-blocking, this is dedicated time to focus on one specific task at a time with zero distractions. We recommend deciding on this task at the beginning of the week so that you can plan ahead, and also schedule this time no later than Thursday morning; don’t save your best work for the time of the week when you’re most exhausted!

Tip #7: While the method of goal setting isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, you’ll need to try a few ways to figure out what works for you. Whether it’s a vision board, a Trello or Asana board, or a journal – there’s something out there for everyone and it may take a few tries to find your sweet spot. But when you find it – you’re in for a whirlwind of a trip and we couldn’t be more excited for you!