Setting Goals: Divide Your Vision Into Bite-Sized Pieces

Setting goals is the best way to accomplish whatever you want in life. I am a firm believer that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to – as long as you have a clear vision of what it is.

However, it can be very overwhelming if you focus too much on the big picture vs. what you need to do every single day to accomplish your long-term goals.

In her book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, author Anne Lamott explains why she keeps a 1″ x 1″ empty picture frame on her desk. It serves as a visual reminder that she doesn’t have to figure out how to frame and create an entire novel in a single day. Instead, her thinking is that when she mentally holds up that tiny one inch square lens to her overall vision – what she can “see” through it  is a good goal for her to capture in her writing that day.

She does this to keep herself from getting overwhelmed – and to ensure she is moving forward every time she sits down to write.

This concept is an important one to keep in mind when establishing your own content creation and promotional goals. If you get too hung up on the “big picture” – you may forget that TAKING ACTION on a consistent basis is the key ingredient of success in this endeavor. It is easy to get bogged down in all the details and never end up actually doing anything to advance your business forward.

For example, I’ve been working on an action plan for what I want to accomplish in 2010 and beyond. Since I am currently in the early planning stages of this process, I have been taking notes on any and all ideas that come to mind – not just for this site, but for several others, as well.

Sometimes, I get stuck and that nasty inner critic comes out and wonders how I could possibly accomplish all that I want to – and still maintain some semblance of a life at the same time.

When this happens, it helps to review the progress I’ve made in just a couple of months (since the 90-Day Content Marketing Challenge began). More than anything, following this action plan has helped me see that 1.) daily action does make a difference and 2.) even baby steps forward add up faster than you can imagine.

So, don’t be afraid to dream big. Write it all down – get it out there. Then edit and clarify your vision and frame it in a way that motivates you. For example, if  your goals are financial – decide on a specific dollar amount within a certain amount of time (i.e. $5,000/month in passive income within 12 months).

Then, break down your goals into monthly, weekly and daily action steps it will take to get you there (or at least closer to it). Be realistic and be sure to consider all the other demands on your time. Making yourself crazy or miserable is not a good way to accomplish anything – so if you only have 30 minutes a day to devote to your online business – figure out how to maximize that time in a way that advances you toward your goals.

It’s a lot of fun – and very motivating – once you start to see the results of your efforts accumulate!

Til Next Time,

PS Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life has long been one of my favorite writing resource guides. If you would like to learn more about it, check out the full review in the Content Marketing Toolbox.