Are you grateful for what you currently have in your present moment? Gratitude is the fuel for moving toward what you desire. If we’re not currently grateful for what we have, we aren’t truly embodying the feeling of being grateful for what we wish to have. Like energy attracts like energy. This principle is especially important when following the 5 Step Goal Setting Process, as it lays the foundation for attracting the right circumstances and mindset.

If you want to make changes in your life, be grateful for what you have now and for what is yet to come. Like all dreams and goals, there’s always a starting point, and that starting point is where you currently are right now. Take a moment to look around and get familiar with your present moment on a deeper level. Reality can sometimes be tough to face, but there’s no need to fear. The way forward is to be completely present and accepting of the now. With this awareness, your next steps will become clearer, opening up pathways. Understanding your present moment is essential in the 5 Step Goal Setting Process to create a clearer path toward your dreams.

2. Get Writing

All goals can fall into three categories: be, do, and have. A great journaling exercise is to sit down and write what you would like to have, do, and be. What characteristics would you like to embody? Once you’ve written that down, the next question is: why? How will this benefit your life or those around you?

Finally, jot down any fears that arise when you think about these goals. It’s important to clear that energy. We tend to protect ourselves, and everyone has a defense mechanism that kicks in. It’s like, “Oh, you can’t do that because this might happen.” However, if we clear out the fear, your goal can naturally bubble up to the surface. Maybe one of your blocks is the fear of visibility—perhaps you fear being seen, that others will judge you, or that you’ll lose friends. Write it all down, no matter how outlandish it seems.

3. Time Blocking

Here comes the system! Having a system in place is crucial. You can have all the goals and desires in the world, but if you’re not addressing them daily, they won’t happen. For example, if you want to get your books in order or manage your accounting, but you haven’t hired an accountant or bookkeeper, you need to schedule 20 minutes a day to handle that yourself. No one will do it for you unless you hire them.

Those goals that aren’t getting done? Put them on your calendar. I love Google Calendar—it’s free, accessible anywhere as long as you have internet, and it helps you organize everything. Therefore, schedule your goals and set reminders. If you use Google Calendar, you can set up reminders to notify you 30 minutes before, or even 5, 10, or 15 minutes before. Seeing these notifications will help you take action. At first, you might not do it, but by the second or third day, you’ll start to feel the push to get it done. Taking those small, daily steps with a system in place makes achieving your goals easier and more consistent. Eventually, this momentum will push you forward.

4. Proper Mindset

In today’s fast-paced society, we often want instant results. We may believe that change should come easily—and it can. The key to making it happen easily is to be the instigator of that energy. It might be tough at first, but once it starts, the momentum will take over, and change will flow more easily.

Our resistance to change is what usually blocks it. That’s why mindset is so important. You can take your goals and turn them into affirmations, reframing them in the present moment as though they’re already happening. If you use Trello, for example, you can create a daily board for your tasks and goals, with affirmations attached. This way, you’ll be constantly reminded of what you’re aligning with, what needs to be done, and how to proceed.

Remember, you are the leader of your own journey. So, set up those small steps and reminders to help you stay on track. Impatience or feeling undeserving may cloud your path, but the time you invest in your projects will bring the results you desire.

5. Create a Triggered System

Think about what you do every day without thinking—waking up, brushing your teeth, washing your face, getting dressed. These activities are automatic, so we want to make your goal-related tasks just as seamless—something you do without hesitation. By creating triggers, you can skip procrastination and overwhelm and just get things done.

For example, perhaps your trigger is to sit down after your morning workout or walk and check your schedule for the day. With your time blocks already written out in your calendar, you’ll know exactly what you need to work on at specific times. In my case, I stack my activities in such a way that they flow smoothly before I meet with clients, creating a nice rhythm to my day.

Think about what activities can flow naturally from one to the other. Fill in gaps in your day with goal-related tasks and projects. Keep in mind that goals are constantly evolving, and progress may not always be linear. If you hit a detour, don’t get discouraged. Sometimes, we need to take a roundabout path to figure out how to move forward. The key, however, is keeping your energy focused on the direction you want to go. Without constant reminders, it’s easy to fall into a fog. So, what action steps will you take today to create that supportive system for your goals? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy aligning!

If you’d like to learn more about selling digital products while you sleep, check out this insightful article: How to Sell Digital Products While You Are Sleeping.