Writing down your goals on a piece of paper is a great start to reach your goals, but more is needed. Reaching your goals is hard if you don’t have an action plan set in place, especially if you plan on making life-changing decisions.

This post will help you to change a passing thought into a solid action plan. Here are 5 steps that I use to reach my goals!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Some links on this page may be affiliate links which means I can earn a commission if they’re used for purchases. The decision to use these links is entirely up to the reader.

Pela Case

1. Finding Inspiration

Inspiration is one that is constantly brought up. To get a goal ignited you need a spark of inspiration. I want you to ask yourself, “why do I want to reach this goal?” and keep asking yourself this until you get down to the raw, real reason why you want this goal.

Disclaimer: If you are intimidated by someone or you are stressing about a comparison to someone, then you are not in a place to let them inspire you, and it’s better for you to look away for a little while until you get that confidence.

Next, ask yourself, “who inspires me?” Look at these people and try to learn from them. You don’t want to BE these people because everyone is different and you want to find the version of success meant for you.

Then ask, “what can I do to remind myself of these inspirations every day?” Some people do journaling, sticky notes on a wall, daily affirmations. I do visions boards. I have a general vision board and I also do monthly vision boards to visualize my goals.

reach your goals with a vision board

2. Build a Foundation of Information

One of the most important steps in reaching a goal is to have a foundation of information. You need a base of information or education to start the intention. You need that foundational base, anything that stands strong needs something to stand on.

Do what you can to learn all that you can about your goal. There are so many free things out there now like blogs, videos, and books.

What book or course recommendations are your inspiration sharing? There are so many free resources out there, you just need to know what you’re looking for!

3. Make a Plan

The modern focus of goal setting is to make a plan. It is not enough to write down your goal; you need to write it down in manageable steps.

In a journal or excel, make a plan of your goal. Make sure to break your goal into smaller monthly or weekly goals so it isn’t overwhelming and is more manageable.

Each week I set a small habit that fits into my projects that help me get ahead in my monthly or weekly goal!

make a plan and reach your goals!

4. Motivation

Motivation is very tough and keeping it is easier said than done. It depends on various reasons, and it comes and goes. Don’t get discouraged! I have a few tips that help me find my motivation again.

    1. Circle back to your inspiration. Give yourself a reminder of why you want to reach a goal.
    2. Get an accountability partner or a positive community. Having a partner or community can give you the chance to open up and speak about your goals.
    3. Take care of yourself! If you are not resting, eating, or doing things you love, you will feel overwhelmed and get discouraged, and you will lose your motivation. Balancing all these things is difficult, but it should be a focus because at the end of the day if you’re not motivated and you push yourself too hard, it will have the opposite effect. You need to know when to push yourself and when to rest.

5. Reflecting, Tracking, and Checking-In

This is the most important part of keeping your pace and getting better. I like to have some kind of milestone or achievements written in a notebook that I can check off when I have completed them. I recommend having a monthly check-in to see what you have achieved even if you feel like you’re behind. Don’t let that drag you down! You may have achieved something without knowing it. And if you didn’t it was probably because it was better for your interest or health not to.

If you are self-sabotaging, this is a chance to recognize it, too. You need to see what works and what doesn’t for the next month so you’re not repeating yourself and keeping yourself stuck in the same place.

reflect to reach your goals

Those are my 5 actionable steps to use to reach your goals and I hope they help! My two most recommended steps to pay attention to are creating a base of information and reflecting. Goals are complicated and at the base of our goals is us.

Are we healthy? Are we okay? We are always going to have roadblocks or obstacles. Don’t feel like you must hustle all the time.

Remember to give yourself grace and to practice forming a healthy lifestyle around goals for yourself. You want to see your life flourish while you reach your goals!

pin to reach your goals