Now that you have decided what your priorities are and where you want to be in life and have set SMART goals to get you there, it is time to make an overall plan. This plan will be a roadmap with a checklist to help you know what to do at each step of the process.
How do you make this overall plan? You are going to combine all the SMART goals you set for each of your top priorities into one document. This document has one essential component and one optional component.
The optional component is to list each of your priorities or overall goals separately with all their subgoals underneath. This will let you see them all in relation to each overall goal and serve as a checklist. As you finish each subgoal, you can check it off or mark it out and have a visual record of progress towards each of your goals.
The essential component is different because it will not list each subgoal under its overarching goal. Instead, it is going to list them in order of completion. In other words, you are going to list them by their deadlines or when you intend to work on them.
This is important because you can look at this document and see exactly what you should be focusing on right now, what is coming up soon, and what can be safely put off for now. If you have an opportunity that does not apply to the current priority or subgoal, you can decline with a clear conscience because you know what to focus on.
In addition, in those rare instances when you have overlapping goals or early deadlines for another priority, you will not have to switch back and forth from one goal to another to see what is next on your list.
The best tool to use for creating your plan is a spreadsheet. Once you have everything entered, you can easily move around steps and deadlines. You can even find templates online to help you create your plan.
Once you have finished making this document, you will have a step-by-step to-do list to reach your goals. You will know exactly what to focus your time and energy on now and what is coming next. You will no longer have to worry about not knowing what to do or questioning if you are on the right track or not.