Managing Your Goals – Chunking it Down to Get it Done

Most of us have goals we want to achieve. In fact, we’ve talked about many of those goals here. But setting a goal and wanting to work towards it isn’t enough. Simply having a dream doesn’t make it a reality. In order to move closer to your goals, you need to take action.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Sadly, we often put off doing something important – either because we don’t have the time OR the information we need to move forward. We end up putting off our goals and waiting until we’re ready. But the truth is that we never feel 100% ready and we may never be prepared on what to do in a new situation. As a result, our dreams seem daunting, making it easier for fears to creep into our thoughts.

My words of encouragement? Here’s what you DON’T do – Don’t fall into that trap. Don’t become stagnant. Here’s where you DO – There is always something you can do to move ahead. It may be a tiny step, but it is nonetheless a step “in the right direction.” The truth is, the perfect time to act is today. And you can start by simply asking yourself, “What can I start right now?”

Let’s start by chunking the huge into the manageable.

“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs”
― Henry Ford

How can you actually take that next step? How can you set yourself up for success to start that one thing? It helps to think about “chunking” things into manageable-sized pieces and actions. Need to write or update a strategic or business plan in the first quarter, including research, feasibility studies, key services and strategies, resource needs and budget forecasting? And, do that on top of all the important day to day work and family commitments and obligations? Phew! I’m tired just thinking about it and I may have lost you at “first quarter” but stay with me here.

First, take a step back and chunk it down into the “big rocks” the milestones you must achieve within the next three months to accomplish your objective or goal.  Then, chunk those down even smaller, into monthly and weekly targets. You don’t need to get into the weeds on every detail. But you do need to paint a picture for yourself of the path you need to travel. Once that’s done, some of the stress and unknowns of what lies ahead will be alleviated. And, you’ll be able to see whether what you’ve set out to do is achievable within the timeframe you set.

Take these eight steps to set yourself up for success.

1. Look at your goals and objectives. Then list your “big ticket items” that need to get done over the next three months. These are likely your objectives or short-term goals. They are bigger than tasks.
2. For each of the “big ticket items”, determine what the milestones are, the markers of progress and significant changes in development, and list them next to the objective. Once you know your milestones, add a date by which you will reach it (e.g., month 1, 2 or 3).
3. After you have the entire quarter mapped out, review and adjust dates as needed to accommodate existing commitments (look at family, work, and personal commitments). Make adjustments where needed. Then, proceed to the chunk your quarterly work into monthly and weekly work.
4. Each month pull the primary achievements into the table (left column).
5. At the beginning of each week, make commitments for what you will get done that week. This is beyond your day-to-day work and specifically covers the work to accomplish your objectives and milestones. (You will need a new sheet each week.)
6. As you complete the action commitments, note the status.
7. At the end of each week, review your progress for any items left undone, assess the reason why and adjust going forward.
8. Acknowledge your wins and keep on going!

I’ve created a tool (you can download it for free here) to help you think about chunking your quarterly and monthly goals into weekly and daily work leading you with little steps towards your success.

But, don’t just stop there. Too often we get it written out and leave it on the desk or file it in a drawer. Instead, keep the list with you. When you’re stuck and don’t know what step to take next, or you find you have some extra time, take action on your “small things”. That forward momentum will propel you to tackle more on your list each day. This process is important because it highlights what you have control over right now and helps to “chunk” down the huge, making it manageable.

Start today. Start anywhere but start. Because your dreams are worth it. You might not be able to accomplish them in full by next month or next quarter. But you can do the next thing.

It’s hard to get going on your goals when you haven’t been doing anything about them for a while. However, once you start setting your plans into motion, it gets easier, I assure you. So, take a small step in the right direction today.

You might be surprised at where you end up in a year from now, or maybe even a few weeks! There’s only one more worksheet in our FREE Success Series – stay tuned to get the final tool next week!

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Don’t forget to download your free “Chunking it Down” worksheet to help you bring your big, beautiful dreams into small, actionable steps.
If this is the first time you’ve heard about the free worksheets we’re sharing this month, and you want to know more, click HERE to sign up for the entire FREE series.