No matter what you are trying to accomplish in your life: whether it’s get a job, start a healthy lifestyle, or build a business, it is difficult to keep the momentum. Creating a plan of action helps to keep going and obtain our goals.

“Smart Goals” is a tool that is used to get very specific on your goals.

S: Specific – I want to earn $10,000 a month, I want to run for 20 minutes straight no breaks

M: Measurable – There must be a way to know if you’ve accomplished the goal

A: Attainable – Your goal must be within reach

R: Relevant – It has to be something you want and care about

T: Time – Set a date and time for when you’re going to accomplish this goal

Once you set your goal, you want to backtrack a bit. If the goal is something you want to accomplish a year from now, where would you need to be at six months? Then three months? Then in one month?

As you look at the month ahead, ask yourself, “What do I need to get done this week?” You want to keep each task small and attainable.

The “big” goal is what motivates us, but the “little” goals are what we focus on each day.

Set mini-goals along the way because you’re going to need to keep yourself motivated. If you hit the gym five times during this week, you get a manicure or a massage or something else you normally wouldn’t do for yourself.

An important step to meeting goals is scheduling everything. Schedule it and commit to it. If you don’t schedule it, you will push it off.

Evaluate as you go. What is working? What isn’t working? You can easily make changes and adjustments along the way.

Even if you’re not a 100% sure of your ultimate goal, don’t let that stop you from taking action today. Ask yourself, “What do I need to do today to get me closer to the life I want to live?” If you want a different job but don’t know what that job is, then ask yourself, “What do I need to do today to make my current job better and to start discovering what I want in the future?”

Don’t get bogged down by doing too much at once or trying to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life. Take your goals in small steps. Achieve them. Reward yourself. Small steps get us there everyday.