If you’re like me, you probably have a million ideas and things you want to try out in your business.

But I’ve realized that if I don’t set goals, the chances of me getting ANYTHING DONE are ZERO.

So, if you want to be successful (and get shit done), check out my five simple steps for goal setting.

Reach for the sky.  

While it may make sense to set goals you know you can reach easily, setting goals that are outside your comfort zone is what will help you be successful.

Sometimes, you just need a goal that will make you aim high. Something that will motivate you to do more.

Example goal: booking more clients.

Easy goal: 1 copywriting client

Sky-high goal: 5 copywriting clients

Ask yourself what you have to do to reach 4 more clients. What would you do?

Be realistic.

Okay, so yeah, this step totally seems to contradict the last tip but bear with me. The problem with setting sky-high goals ALL THE TIME, is that you have a high bar that you may never reach.

So, you're dooming yourself to fail over and over again. Eventually, you’re going to give up. And that’s not what you want.

To help balance out your big, “reach for the sky” goals, you also need to set some realistic ones. The easy wins.

Example goal: getting your website up

Sky-high goal: having a website just like your business hero (who happens to have spent serious $$$ on their website)

Realistic goal: having your website done but still looking good

Make a plan.

I learned this strategy the HARD WAY. Having a goal is great, but you also need to know how the steps you need to take to reach your goal. Otherwise you'll end up getting sidetracked with shiny objects that distract you from your goals (oops!).  

Once you set your goals (whether sky high or realistic), make a plan of exactly WHAT you need to do to accomplish it.

Now, here’s the tough part (the part I struggle with):

Once you make your plan, you need to follow through.  

Keep yourself accountable by check your progress often.  This will not only help you make sure you're following your plan, but will also give you an opportunity to course correct if you’re veering off course or if you changed your mind (about your goal).

Tell someone.

Get yourself an accountability buddy.

The path to accomplishing your goal becomes easier when you have someone keeping you on track and encouraging you when you feel low. Accountability buddies will help remind you of what you’re working towards and will push you to keep going!

Suggested tips on finding a buddy:

Pick someone you trust

Pick someone you know will be honest with you if start slacking

Pick someone who will be committed to helping you grow and succeed

Keep your “why” in mind.  

When you’re running the day to day of your business, it's easy to get forget about your goals (guilty!).  That's why it's a great idea to keep visual reminders of what you're working for. Tape up a pictures of your family, the trips you want to take, or things you would like to buy.

These reminders will help keep you motivated to work through the daily grind.  

Remember, goal setting is not just a one day thing. It’s an ongoing effort! Just know that even if you fail, you can learn from your mistakes and try again. :)