Have you developed a great set of goals ? Have you written them down ? Great ! Congratulations, youve made a tremendous start. But goals are nothing more than dreams , until you put them into action. That my friend takes planning, and commitment.

What you need to go with your list of Goals, is what I call A Goal Action Plan. In this article were going to teach you how to put this tool together.

1) How do your goals relate to each other ? In making you list you should have already separated your goals into short, medium, and long term goals. If at least some of your short term goals dont feed into medium term goals, and then into your long term goals, you already have a problem. Its only natural that your goals build upon each other. If this were not true long term goals worth having would be way too intimidating ! Maybe youre having trouble developing short term goals that build into your long term ones.. Try this break your long term goals down, into the steps it will take to accomplish them. ( More about this in the next section.) Consider if some of these steps, are not actually goals. If so they belong on your short or mid term list.

2) Break your goals down into the steps required to accomplish them. This may be true with goals from any of the three time frames. You will most likely come up with additional goals as part of this process. The idea here is to get your mind around what it will take to make your goals a reality. This is a good place to start visualizing. As you think about each step that is needed to accomplish a goal, actually imagine your self accomplishing each step. It sound silly, but it works !

3) What do you need to make it happen. Start with one of your easier, shorter term goals. List the goal on a sheet of paper. Then list each step it will take to accomplish that goal. ( Hint: leave lots of room between steps.) Under each step list the things it will take to make it happen for you. Will it take more time ? Will you need more money ? Will you need someone elses help, or cooperation. ? Do this with each goal you have established. Start with the easier, shorter term ones and work your way up to the longer term goals. One reason to do it this way is by the time you get to some of your more complex, longer term goals much of your work should already be done. I call this your Goals Resource List.

4) Taste Success ! Pick one or two goals from your short term list, and get them done ! Nothing motivates like success. After all these short term goals, are your goals. You wanted them anyway.

As youve been going through this process, you should be writing all this down. What ever you do dont shove everything in a drawer somewhere, and forget it. Put it somewhere youll see it. Take it out at least every week and examine your progress. Constantly re-examine the steps to each goal, your changing circumstances, and what you need to get from where you are, to where you want to be. Trust me, it gets easier with practice. After all what worthwhile thing doesnt? What better way to achieve success than to practice it ?