Do you know where you’ll be 5 years from now? How do you go about setting a goal? Do you give yourself a timeline to achieve said goal and do you find yourself revisiting timelines often? Do you plan for success to reach your goals? Do you have alternative plans to reach your goals if one plan does not work?

The goal destination is often revisited and it might be hard for you to identify what real goals are.

Many people set a goal with the intention of following through, but they also think of a goal that is something that will happen far into the future. Many get stuck in the cycle of setting goals and not achieving them, forgetting about them or failing to complete them, a goal without an action plan is of no use. So here we are listing out 5 ways you can ensure you reach your goals and set yourself up for success because a goal without a plan is just a wish.

Write down your goals clearly:

Clearly writing down your goals will take you a step closer to achieving it. For each goal, write down what it is that you need and don’t need and what will allow you to achieve that particular goal. It could be anything setting out to get some kind of education, a change in career or simply finding a new skill. You can even write down the smaller goals that you will have to achieve to achieve the bigger goal. It’s important to go through this process as that will help you achieve precise action points to work on. By planning to achieve your goals you set yourself up for success.

Set goals that motivate you:

What does this mean? Simply that you should set a goal that you want to achieve, instead of something that you will value achieving. Some questions you can ask yourself are:
-Is this goal something you truly want?
-Is it important enough to pour hours of time and effort into it?

If a goal doesn’t interest or inspire you, then you’ll have little interest in the outcome. You will not be motivated enough to put in the work to make the goal into a reality. Motivation is the key factor when it comes to achieving a goal. Without a motivating goal a motivating action plan isn’t possible.

Creating SMART goals:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Time-bound

It’s essential to goal smartly to track your progress and know whether you met your goal or not. The more specific you can be with your goal, the better chances of you successfully completing it. A smart goal needs a smart plan for completion.

Make an action plan

An essential part of goal setting, this is often missed out. People decide to work on a goal, but never create an action plan to set out to achieve the goal.  It is important to plan for your goals. Your plan should include the overall process of attaining your goal. Get creative while making the plan. Use colour, crayons and markers. Working on creative ways to make a plan will activate different parts of your brains and cement the goals in your mind. A plan without action, too is just a wish similar to a goal with out a plan is just a wish.

Stick to it

It’s good to remember that a goal is an ongoing activity and not the means to an end. Create reminders to keep yourself on track and make regular time-slots to review your goals. The end destination however is the same, you might find a different way to achieve the goal. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain hig and you stick to it.

Review your progress

You can review your work towards the end of the year, and strike things off a checklist for each goal destination. Jot down the schedule with your action points you will need for the coming year. Be proactive towards working and achieving your goals.

The whole process of setting goals will ensure that you can succeed more efficiently. Fuel your ambition and ensure that you achieve good results. The process of goal setting will help you set goals that are timely and realistic. Additionally, you can watch and understand how successful people work and function when they have a goal to reach. This will help you mold your own goals and action plans and gather inspiration from your favourite role model.