How to Develop Goals and Manifest Your Dreams (+ actionable steps to take & how to stick to them)

In today's fast-paced world, it's essential to understand the science behind effective goal setting, so you achieve them. Setting goals and thinking about the vision for your life are crucial.  It lets you identify what you hope to accomplish, making achieving them easier. 

By aligning your thoughts and intentions with your choices and actions, manifestation can become an incredibly powerful tool for attracting what you truly desire. Remember, "Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible- Tony Robins."

In this blog post, we'll explore the powerful principles that can guide you in manifesting your dreams. Additionally, we'll provide actionable steps you can implement today to start seeing results in your personal and professional life.

Get ready to unlock your full potential and make your dreams a reality! 

How to Develop Goals & Manifest Your Dreams

Identify Your Big Picture

Envision where you see yourself in the future – both personally and professionally. Identifying your vision helps give your goals direction and purpose.

Psychology today says, “Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, helps guide focus, and helps sustain momentum.”

Think about and create a clear vision for your life and write down what you want to accomplish (in the next year, 5, 10 years, etc.)?

Break up your goals into Short- and Long-Term Goals

Short-Term Goals

Short-term goals include something to accomplish today, this week, month, or year

Career and Personal Goals might be:

·       Mindset –Anything you want to work on related to your confidence, beliefs, or behaviors. 

·        Health- Any physical or health goals.

·        Relationships- Any relationships you want to focus on, starting a family, be a better parent, etc.

·        Financial goals

o   Get a paycheck- Maybe you just got laid off, so your goal is to find a new job.

o   Promotion (along with a raise)- Negotiate a raise.  This also might be a long-term goal, depending on where you’re at in your career or how long you’ve been in your position.

o   Savings- Build your retirement account or savings.

·        Have Fun-Think of new things you want to do to enjoy life.

·        Learn to speak in public

·        Learn a new language

·        Education, training, or certifications- Earn a new degree, go back to get your MBA, take a course, or earn a certification to help you in your current position or to get more experience.

·        Career

o   Start a path toward your dream job, personal goals for work or career goals- Start an internship, take an entry-level position, make a career pivot, start a side hustle, advance to a leadership position, be a mentor for someone else, become a thought leader, expand your professional network, etc. 

o   Make a Career Change-You might be unsure what to do next and trying to figure out your career.

Long-Term Goals

Identify goals that you aim to achieve in the next few years or even decades. These goals are derived from your life vision and should align with your core values. 

Long-term goals are something to achieve in the future (2-5 years, 5-10 years or longer) 

Career and Personal Goals might be:

·       Gat a raise

·       Get Your Dream Job- Have a job you love what you’re doing. Depending on where you’re at, this could be developing your career experience and expertise, so you have more options. 

·        Land a Management Position- Become a great leader.  

·        Make a big impact in your career- Have a job you can make a larger impact or start your own business.

Clarify your Why

Clarifying your 'why' is crucial in goal setting as it connects your goals to a deeper sense of purpose, fueling motivation. When we understand the underlying reasons behind our objectives, we're more likely to stay committed, persevere through challenges, and maintain focus on what matters most.

The 'why' also serves as a navigational compass, guiding decision-making and helping us align our actions with our values as we pursue our aspirations. 

Knowing your 'why' can foster a sense of fulfillment and success, even when faced with setbacks, as the journey itself becomes imbued with meaning and personal growth. Ultimately helping you stay motivated to keep going.

Prioritize your goals

We can only accomplish so much in a day, month, etc., so you might have to break your goals into smaller, actionable steps.  Set your long-term goals, then a five-year plan of smaller goals you need to complete to reach your lifetime plan. 

 Then create a one-year plan, a six-month plan, and then a one-month plan of smaller goals to help you reach your long-term goals. Each of these should be based on the previous plan. If you’re starting off, don’t overwhelm yourself.  Start with small achievable goals and add more goals as you become comfortable with them. 

Develop a plan of action

Put your actions in motion by creating a daily routine and setting deadlines.  This can include creating a daily to-do list of things to work on to work towards your goals. Establish realistic deadlines for each task, and make sure to hold yourself accountable for meeting them.

Tip: For me personally, I like to write out my goals at the start of the year in my favorite notebook and then monthly make a list of what I need to accomplish in my planner to stay on track.  Also, at the end of every month, I review how my month was and what I need to improve on or add for the following month.

 Find Your Motivation to Keep You on Track

Motivation is important for goal setting because it provides the driving force to achieve your objectives. It fuels your commitment, determination, and focus, enabling you to overcome obstacles and stay on track.

Motivation also contributes to continual improvement, helping you develop a growth mindset that embraces challenges and thrives on progress. In summary, motivation is key in turning your goals into reality.

 Some ways to stay motivated include:

• Have a reward system when you reach different milestones

• Surround yourself with positivity from friends and family

• Prioritize work-life balance and self-care

• Celebrate- Accomplishing a goal, meeting a deadline, or checking off the first step to meeting your long-term goals is a reason to celebrate.  Take the time to celebrate the big and small wins.  

• Continue learning- Take time investing in yourself to continue to grow.  It could be taking a new course, listening to podcasts, reading a new book, etc.  This could set you on the path to better job opportunities, a business idea, or one step closer to your goals.

Track your progress

Routinely review your goals by looking at your current situation, progress towards your goals, and be able to adjust your goals when necessary.  This allows you to stay on track and maintain momentum.

Obstacles might come up that changes your timeline for your goals, or you realize some of your long-term goals don’t align for you anymore. 

Review your goals and ask yourself: 

·        Is the time you’re putting in overshadowing the reward?

·        Am I still on track, or do I need to modify the goal or timeline?

·        Do I no longer find joy in pursuing this goal?

·        Is this goal negatively impacting my personal life?

·        Is this goal still important to me?

Final Thoughts:

Achieving different goals takes time, but you can accomplish everything you set out for with confidence, persistence, hard work, motivation, and self-discipline.

Visualize yourself accomplishing your goals and don’t let limiting beliefs hold you back to take action to make your dreams a reality.

Keep going after your dreams and what you want for your life.

You got this!

- Melody Joy