If you are like me you are thinking about the upcoming new year and all the things you want to accomplish in your business and your personal life.  The clearer you are on where you want to go the easier it is to plan your way to get there. 

I have already two goals for myself for the coming year.  First, I want to add 3 – 5 new clients within the first quarter AND I want to take my extended family on a two week beach vacation in August.  While these are very different goals both of them will take planning and a clear set of steps to make them happen.

Goals are funny things: although they are generally there to help make our lives better, they can soon become overwhelming and things we come to dread. This is why it’s important to think carefully about the goals you set and the way you go about achieving them.

Here are 5 steps to increase your chances of success.

1) Make Them Realistic

When you set goals, they have to be realistic. To help make sure that they are, make goals that are actionable and measurable. For example, instead of saying you will lose weight this year, tell yourself that you will lose x pounds by March, by walking to work every single day. This kind of goal is specific enough to achieve, and is the first step in knowing how to achieve your goals.

2) Make A Plan

Once you know what your goals are, you need a plan to make them happen. The last point touched on this fact: if you can make a solid plan for a goal then you know it’s a realistic one. This may mean breaking down goals into smaller steps you can take every day or every week. For example, if you want to de-clutter, you might target one area of your home a week. This will help to prevent overwhelm.

3) Set A Deadline

If your goal has no deadline then you’ll just keep putting it off. If you want to know how to achieve your goals, you’re going to have to set a date by which you want to meet all of them. We all know things may eventually change, but setting a date in the first place is the best way to make sure you put in some real effort.

4) Take Action

Although it sounds obvious, a goal will never become a reality unless you take action. So many of us make goals every January only to forget them a few weeks later. Don’t let this happen to you! Start working on your goals immediately, even if you’re only taking small steps to make them happen.

5) Keep Track

Now you’ve started taking action, it’s important to keep track of how you’re doing. Keep yourself accountable by taking an honest look at how you’re doing to meet your broken-down steps, and change the way you do things if you think it’ll help. Realize that everyone does slip up from time to time! But measuring your progress can help you to keep going.

Knowing how to achieve your goals is one thing, but it’s up to you to put things into action. Make this your year!