When it comes to setting goals, sometimes you need a little guidance and support. Because no matter how many times you write it down, that dream to “make it” can just be so elusive.

Let’s break down some of the things you could be doing wrong… and how to set proper brand planning goals that you can finally see coming true!

I know this works because I’ve set goals this way for myself and other people many times. Just recently, my sister started to get overwhelmed by the PhD she’s working on. I sat down with her to set goals towards her 400-page, four year project. Proper goal setting is so powerful that now she knows she can do it and she feels inspired by the outcome.

Why can’t I reach my dreams?

If you haven’t been achieving your goals and you feel like maybe you’re just not cut out to be who you want to be, you’re not alone. But, be assured that you absolutely can reach your best potential with the right brand building strategies. It’s just a matter of rethinking the way you set your goals. 

The most common mistakes people make when they’re setting their goals are not writing them down, making them too ambiguous, and being uninspired by them. 

Slip #1: Not writing your goals down

When you write down your goals, you are making a silent commitment to yourself. You are creating business value. Writing it down means that you’re serious about it. You can’t deny your dream anymore.

For people who retain information visually, this is especially important. Just thinking about it makes it a wish, not a goal. To make it real, you can even post a picture next to your writing.

Along with writing down the goal itself, it’s important to write down the smaller steps towards your goal. And, for proper brand planning, write down your progress as you move closer to realizing your dreams. Because writing things down gives people a feeling of reality and truth. You’ll feel better about your progress if you write that down as well.

Slip #2: Making your goals too ambiguous or unclear

The trick to getting amazing results and creating business value for yourself is being really clear about what you need to do, how much time, effort and money it’s going to take, and when you’ll see the results. A lot of people give up on their dreams because they don’t see it happening fast enough. Or they get overwhelmed with how big their dreams really are.

If that sounds like you, don’t worry. There’s a simple way of making your goals seem closer and more achievable—flesh out the details. That means setting a deadline, defining smaller goals along the way, writing down the numbers (money, hours, dates) involved, and making yourself accountable to those details. We’ll go deeper into this below, just remember that details bridge the gap between expectation and reality. The more details you can write down and commit to, the more likely you’ll reach your dreams.

Slip #3: Setting uninspiring goals

Why do you want to reach your goals? If they don’t get your excited, you could be looking at your goals in the wrong way. Or, even worse, you might be setting the wrong goals for your brand.

When you think about your dreams, remember the great reward you’ll get at the end…focus less on the hard work that’s required. Although you’ll be busy working hard to get there, you can always envision the end result to keep you inspired.

It’s also really important to give yourself brand planning stepping stones along the way. Each time you reach a small milestone, let yourself celebrate. Remind yourself that you’re that much closer to your goal and that you’re on track. This will keep you focused and energized to keep moving towards what you want.

Setting brand building strategies that drive you forward

Setting achievable goals can be tricky business. They’ve got to be realistic, specific, inspiring, and timely to you. 

But, once you know how to set yourself up for success, achieving your goals is exhilarating, inspiring and confidence-boosting. So, let’s go through the step-by-step process that will help you reach your best potential.

Step 1: Choose one to three big goals

Choose one to three improvements you really want for your life. These should be pretty big ideas you feel passionate about and that create business value. But, don’t choose too many. If you overwhelm yourself with huge ideals, you’re very likely to fail. So, pick as many dreams as you’re comfortable with (no more than three). It’s ok if each dream seems a little too big for you right now… we’ll get there.

Step 2: Write down your specific long-term goals

Make your dreams more achievable by writing them down. Be as specific as possible. Make sure you have the timeline (when you will be living your dream) and the details of what your dream looks like (how much money are you making, who is in your dream with you, where do you live?). Write your brand planning goals in the present tense, not the future. That will make them more real to you when you read them. You can also stick a picture next to your dream.

Step 3: Write down related short-term goals

Now, break down your dreams into smaller brand building strategies that you can reach within 4 months. These short-term goals should be even more specific than your long-term ones.

For example, if you’re going to achieve your sky diving certification on November 12, 2014, set a goal to sky dive 10 times and do one air flip in the next four months.

Imagine yourself actually doing the steps it takes to reach your dreams. What are you going to do when? How much will it cost (time and money)? How are you going to get the resources you need?

Then, put your goal somewhere you will see it every day. Stick it on your fridge, on your bathroom mirror, or on your computer. That way, you can’t procrastinate or ignore it. Your dream is real and you can work towards it every day.

Step 4: Set up rewards and celebrate your achievements

To give yourself credit for working towards creating business value, you need to set up a reward structure. It could be a friend you go to lunch with when you get to each mini-milestone. It could be taking a small trip once you’ve worked with 10 new customers. Make sure you’re really looking forward to those rewards and that you don’t take them unless you reach a part of your goal. That will keep you inspired to move forward.

Communities are a powerful motivator. If you have a group of people you can lean on or talk to, use them to help you with your brand planning.

Once you’ve set up your amazing dreams and are ready to reach them, take action right away. If you don’t act now, when will you? Even if you just take half and hour to research something you don’t know about the process, start now.

What’s one dream you’d like to share with the Brand from Within Community? Type it below so you can start realizing your dreams.