A lot of people plan out their life in the way that they want to see themselves in the future. We write down our hopes, dreams and aspirations in the form of goals so that we are able to better focus ourselves into achieving them. goals are easier attained when we are able to establish a plan of action that will guide our paths and the decisions that we make.

Long-term goals are more complicated and can sometimes become overwhelming for us. To make things more manageable, learn to break down your long-term goals into short-term achievable increments.

How do you break down long-term goals into baby steps?

  • Before you can break down goals into baby steps, you need to recognize what your ultimate goal is. That ultimate goal now becomes your long-term goal. Your long-term goal has to be specific and it has to be something that you can envision or visualize.
  • Your long-term goal is a statement of your hopes and dreams but how you take action into realizing those dreams and the steps you take are what you would now consider as your short-term goals. Your short-term goals are lists of things that you must accomplish in order to achieve that ultimate dream. Your accomplishment of each item on your list becomes your stepping-stone towards reaching your long-term goal.
  • You have set the specific short-term goals leading to your long-term goal. But that is not the end, in fact, that is only the beginning. Next up, you have to work on those short-term goals. You need to exert hard work and dedication, invest time and effort into those goals so that each one is achieved. You cannot just stop at making a list and creating a plan of action. Your plan of action needs to be acted upon. No goals have ever been realized just by simply creating them.
  • In time, when your short-term goals have slowly been ticked off your list, take the time to evaluate each step you have taken. It is good to know where you stand and at the same time reward yourself for a job well done. Rewarding yourself for all your hard work helps to keep you motivated as you move on to achieve your next task.
photo credit: macwagen via photopin cc

photo credit: macwagen via photopin cc

In your quest to achieve your goals, you must remember to maintain a positive attitude. Sometimes, we become frustrated when things do not go as planned. We have broken down your long-term goals into short-term ones so that it becomes easier to achieve and that way, you maintain a positive mindset. A positive attitude is one important component to achieve your goals. If you set your mind to it, believe it, work hard for it, then there is no reason why you are not able to reach it.

Long-term goals that aren’t taken as baby steps can become discouraging for some and this will lead to it being abandoned. However, shorter, achievable increments to your goals are more encouraging to the person.

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