Got big plans for 2015?Oh I know you do.I see you on Instagram...

A photo posted by Raevyn Jones (@raevynjones) on Dec 12, 2014 at 5:58pm PST

A photo posted by Siobhan | Life Coach | Blogger (@befreeproject) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:58am PST

I see you on Twitter...

#fwtwchat 2015 only work on projects that make my soul dance. Learning to say no.— Candice Marie (@Candice_Mari3) December 10, 2014

My goal for 2015 is to be able to turn this part time passion into a full time business. #FWTWChat — Tyshia Shante (@thisbrownqueen) December 10, 2014

Mmmm hmm. Everyone is talkin' BIG game for the new year.Which is amazing! I LOVE it! I've got big goals on deck too! But the questions is......do you know what to do with those big goals? As in, now that you've set your big goals, do you know how to reach them?The #1 key to successfully reaching your biggest, baddest, kinda scariest goals is to break them down into "do-able" steps. But just how do you do that? Glad you asked! I recorded a podcast outlining my 7-step process for breaking down big goals:For the full audio, please check out the podcast on iTunes and Soundcloud[podcast]Podcast Summary:1. Pick a goal, not a wish. A wish is something you waiting to see if it happens. A goal is something you are actively making happen. A wish is something you will do "someday". A goal is something you will reach by a specific date. A wish is something you're interested in. A goal is something you're all in. Make sure you aren't declaring wishes this new year, but GOALS! A goal without commitment and a deadline is just...well, a wish! 2. Believe that it's possible. How defeating is it to set a big goal, break it down, then sabotage your own efforts because deep down, you don't believe your goal is possible??? Sounds crazy but people do it everyday! A trick I like to use is to get myself riled up...a little ticked off even! Why use anger? Because typically, you only feel miffed about not having something when you believe it is your right to have it. If you can take ownership of your goal...you know, get so possessive of it that you feel mildly annoyed every day that goes by where you don't have it, you will find yourself more driven to make it happen. Believe your goal is already yours -- you just have to go out and take it since it rightfully belongs to you!3. Find your rabbit. This is my favorite of all the steps. In the sport of Track & Field, a "rabbit" is a pacesetter; the front runner who is leading the pack and setting the pace for everyone behind her. If you watch any Track race closely, you'll notice that the top runners all cluster together just one step behind the "rabbit". Why? Because they are letting the rabbit do all the work of setting the pace so that in the last few seconds, they can kick it up a notch and speed past the rabbit and win the race!Likewise, you need to find a "rabbit" -- meaning, someone you follow either online or in real-life who has already achieved the goal you want to reach and is "setting the pace." If you watch them closely and research the major steps they took to reach their goal, you can model yourself after them and reach your goal faster. Basically, just from observing this person you will learn how to break down your big goals. Just like in Track & Field, this person will have done all the heavy lifting for you -- they've already paved the way. You just have to fall in line behind them until you've built the foundation of your goal and you can break away.4. Find all the puzzle pieces. Now you'll need to determine all the big "puzzle pieces" to making your dream a reality. Break your big goal down into 5-10 major pieces at first. What 5-10 things -- if they all were in place -- would lead to you reaching your goal? If you want to start a successful business next year, what are the 5-10 major things that need to happen? Write those down.If you don't know what "puzzle pieces" make up your goal, go back and study your "rabbit" to find out. What where the 5-10 major things they did in order to get where they are? Adopt those steps as your own.5. Find out what it takes. Now that you've broken down your big goal into 5-10 "puzzle pieces", you need to determine what it takes to make each puzzle piece happen. If you want to start a business and some of your puzzle pieces are "get a website", "find my first client", and "get featured in a major publication," write down EVERYTHING it's going to take to make each one of those mini-goals a reality. You might create a list like this:

Get a website

• Bookmark websites I like
• Get quotes from several designers
• Save up enough money to pay for website
• Find and hire a great designer

Do this for all of your "puzzle pieces" so you have a complete picture of what it's takes to reach your big goal.6. Choose the most immediate tasks. Now that you've got this enormous list of things to do (see step #5), you need to highlight the tasks you can do right now. Using the example above, you can't hire a designer because you haven't saved up enough money yet, but you can start bookmarking websites you like and getting quotes from several designers. Do this for all the tasks for each of your big goal "puzzle pieces". Out of all the things you need to do to reach your goal, you should now have a sub-list of tasks you can get started on right away.7. Do 1-5 tasks daily. Yes, daily! Don't be fooled into thinking you have all the time in the world because you set your goal for a year. As I'm sure you already know, a year goes by extremely fast! The key to avoid failure this time next year is to start taking action toward your goal, everyday. Adjust your life if you need to, but don't let your head hit the pillow without doing at least one task toward your goal.

Talk to Me:

What's one really big goal you have for this year? Have you broken it down?

photo credit: creepyed