How to Set Ambitious Goals That You Can Actually Meet

Ambitious people are often told that they should simply set goals in order to achieve their dreams. At the very top of that goal hierarchy is their dream, and below it sit dozens of other aims that should lead them towards their goal. While this advice is useful, setting goals is often not enough – you need to be realistic about how you can work to achieve them. This article is about how to use goal-setting effectively, putting the other ingredients in place in order to cook up your future success.

Research

You shouldn’t set an aim or a deadline for a goal without first doing a little research to see exactly what reasoning that ambition might entail. For instance, if you set the goal to become an Olympian at the age of 45, you might find it instructive to research the average age of an Olympian. Set a goal to create a new unicorn company, and you should be aware of the data that shows just how many startups fail – a figure that’s as high as 95% in some sectors.

Research shouldn’t be off-putting – it should be used to keep your feet firmly on the ground so that you’re not carried away by your dreams. Use research to unpick what’s needed to achieve lofty ambitions and make each small goal achievable in order to get closer to your ultimate goal.

Mindset

Setting a goal when your motivation is at an all-time low can be counterproductive. When you’re feeling demotivated and lethargic, getting out of bed to work on a difficult task can feel difficult, and your failure to tackle it might have a negative impact on your self-esteem and your motivation in the future.

It’s far better to first work on your mindset before you set your ambitious goals. Find ways to motivate yourself, giving yourself more time to focus on your tasks each day. Building Mental Wealth is a long-term process, but the riches that you can uncover by working on yourself and your mindset – with a professional coach if necessary – can do wonders for your ability to work towards ambitious goals in the future.

Your Team

When you’re working to achieve a goal, you might find that you’re lacking in a number of skills that you need to get there. At this point, you’ll have two choices: build the necessary skills yourself, or find them in other people. Instead of getting bogged down in research and learning that can take months to complete, it’s usually better to simply advertise for a job role, to find the skills you need to help you with your project, and ultimately to build a supportive and skilled team to work around you.

Building a team can be incredibly satisfying. With the weight of your dreams on your shoulders, it can be a relief to spread the workload and delegate the tasks that you find most difficult to perform. Use your team to help you set more realistic goals for your project.

There you have it: three essential steps you should take before you can work towards your most ambitious goals – and actually achieve them.