Now that you’ve spent some time envisioning your best possible self, let’s develop a concrete plan to get you there. We’ll start with some subgoals that will serve as the specific steps you take to reach your larger goal, while you live out your values along the way. Creating subgoals allows you to provide structure to pursuit of the goals and provides opportunities to check on your progress. People who planned steps to accomplishing the larger goal were more likely to accomplish their goal than those who focused only on the larger goal. So, be sure to break down your goal into steps you can work on in your efforts to accomplish your larger goal.
When we talk about short-term goals, we mean very short-term. Your first step is to set a goal that will get you closer to your Best Possible self in the next 24 hours. We know that people who accomplish very short-term goals respond positively to these small steps and stay motivated over time. These short-term goals also help provide a clear pathway to living your values. You are more likely to have a sense of purpose because your goals and daily actions are grounded in your values.
Then, build on that progress by setting goals in the next few days and weeks, and then the next few weeks and months. Here is your homework:
Set some specific goals for each of those time periods, and then check in with those goals to make sure you are making progress. If you are feeling stuck, we’ll be giving you some more tools in the next post to help you make progress and stay grounded in what you value. We’d love to hear how this process is working for you, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment or ask us any questions you may have.