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Now that you’ve specified your goal and broken it down into smaller components, it’s time to think about the action steps that will move you toward the finish line.
Give your goal some thought, and consider which key activities would create the results you desire. Your answers will depend on the specifics of your goal, the type of goal, and what you need to do to get there.
There are typically two types of action steps. The first kind pertains to planning and preparation.
This would include activities like research and education – laying the groundwork for the bigger action steps you’ll take later. Obviously, if you haven’t done this part yet your focus should be on this type of activity.
A word of warning: don’t let yourself get stuck in the planning and preparation stage! You may feel inclined to do more and more and more research because you don’t feel “ready” to take bolder action. Some people get stuck in this phase for years. Eventually you will have to concede that you’ve researched and planned enough and it’s time to move forward. You will HAVE to move forward if you want to succeed.
If you’ve already laid the groundwork, it’s important to focus on PRODUCTIVE actions; the actions that will carry the most power, the actions that will inspire the greatest results. Additionally, you should identify action steps to be taken daily, weekly, and monthly.
Remember, goal achievement is a process – you can’t take action just once and hope it works.
Most goals will require consistent effort, specific action steps taken day after day, week after week, month after month! Identify the things you can do on a regular basis to keep your plans moving forward.
Daily actions are usually small to moderate in scale but hold the power of duplication and accumulation. The more you do them, the more effective they become.
Weekly actions are usually a bit larger in scale, take a little longer to complete, and involve an element of risk. They are usually the most proactive in the sense that they help you face your fears and push forward determinedly. They would include things like releasing your creations to the public, or increasing your business marketing efforts by attracting attention to your products or services. These bolder actions usually bring about bigger results.
Monthly actions are things you do to keep yourself on track, like evaluate your progress and readjust your plans if necessary. Monthly actions can also include extraneous activities not vital to your goal except in peripheral ways. This can include networking, expanding your market reach, working on your personal development, reading, learning, researching, etc.