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Have a Big Goal and Want the Best Plan to Achieve it?

  • personal995
  • Mar 5
  • 5 min read



“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Abraham Lincoln




Achieving Big Goals: A Framework for Setting Yourself Up for Success


Big goals can feel overwhelming, but with a clear plan and the right approach, anything is achievable. The key is preparation, breaking down your goal into manageable pieces, mapping out a path to success, and staying disciplined in execution. You don’t need to know everything upfront; just commit to the first step.


Below are 7 actionable steps for you to start now.




1. Clarify Your Big Goal


The first step to achieving any big goal is clarity. Ensure your goal is well-defined and deeply meaningful, so it becomes your guiding star, even when challenges arise.


Ask yourself: What will this goal bring you in terms of growth, fulfillment, or impact? Without this clarity, your motivation will lack direction, and your efforts may feel scattered.


Exercise: Why does this goal matter?


  • Write down your big goal in one clear, concise sentence.

  • Then, break it down into the “why” behind it. What is it that you truly want to achieve, and why does it matter to you?




2. Prepare Your Body & Mind (Energy Management, Nutrition, Movement)


The energy you bring to your big goal is just as important as the strategy behind it. Your body and mind must be in peak condition to stay focused, resilient, and consistent. Prioritize energy management through proper nutrition, regular movement, and mental practices to fuel your progress.


Exercise: Review and Improve Your Body & Mind


  • Energy Management: Optimise energy and avoiding stress fatigue for repair and growth.

  • Nutrition: The raw ingredients and fuel for your body and mind to optimally perform.

  • Movement: Move your body so it serves you, as you require, for longer.



3. Strengthen Your Potential (Emotions, Focus, Strength)


To achieve any big goal, you need to master your internal state. That means emotional resilience, laser-like focus, and the drive to keep going when it gets tough. Without these, even the best plans will falter.


Exercise: Review and Improve Your Potential


  • Emotions: Understand and effectively manage your emotions or they will manage you.

  • Focus: Understand and effectively manage your focus or be swayed by the focus of others.

  • Strength: Understand and effectively manage your strength to ensure you are prepared for opportunities and risks.



4. Sharpen Your Mental Toolkit


Your ability to make decisions and solve problems will be crucial. The more mental models you have, the better you can navigate obstacles, evaluate opportunities, and pivot when necessary. Cultivate a mental toolkit that spans multiple disciplines to bring diverse perspectives to each challenge.


Exercise:


  • Pick 2-3 core mental models that resonate with your goal.

    • Review: Mental Models & Tools

    • For example:

      • First Principles Thinking: Break down complex problems into basic truths to understand them better.

      • Opportunity Cost: Evaluate decisions by considering the hidden costs of any action or inaction.

      • Inversion: Think about the opposite of what you want to achieve and figure out what to avoid to prevent failure.

  • As practice for incorporating them into your processes - run them over your strategy, planning and thinking to find any potential opportunities and risks you should action.




5. Strengthen Your Decision-Making and Judgment


Big goals require constant decision-making, and the quality of those decisions will define your path. Sharpening your judgment allows you to weigh options better, recognize patterns, and make more informed, aligned decisions.


Exercise:




6. Build Alignment, Support Systems & Accountability


Achieving a big goal is not a solo endeavor. Surround yourself with a network of mentors, peers, and supporters who can offer advice, accountability, and encouragement when you need it most. This network provides the resources, feedback, and inspiration to push through tough times.


Exercise: Build your team.


  • Ensure your loved ones are onboard and understanding your Goals - what it means to you, what it means for them and ensure there is alignment.

  • Identify 3-5 key people who can support you in achieving your goal. This could be a mentor, colleague, or accountability partner.

  • Schedule regular check-ins with your mentors and loved ones to review progress, discuss challenges, and adjust your approach.




7. Master Planning & Execution (Turn Strategy into Action)


A big goal without a solid plan remains a dream, and a plan without execution leads to frustration. Success comes from balancing strategic planning (thinking ahead, anticipating obstacles, breaking goals into steps) with disciplined execution (taking consistent action, adapting when needed, and staying accountable).


Exercise: Get to work.


  • Planning Mastery: Break your goal into milestones, then into clear, time-bound action steps. Use tools like time blocking, project management frameworks, or simple checklists to keep everything structured. Review and adjust your plan weekly.

  • Execution Discipline: Set daily and weekly execution targets, focusing on high-leverage actions. Create accountability mechanisms (journals, progress tracking, mentors, or deadlines) to ensure you stay consistent.

  • Adaptability: No plan survives reality unchanged. Regularly assess what's working, adjust as needed, and refine your approach based on results and feedback.

  • Enjoy your journey: and the meaning and purpose it provides you.





We'd love to hear about your progress, so please feel free to contact us if you would like to share your story with us.


All the best and take care of yourself and others.




Key Aspects to Reference


​All steps are ultimately inter-related to each other to create your experience. However, these are those most closely related to this instance:



Useful Articles








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