Defining a goal is the first step toward achieving it. However, figuring out exactly what you want to pursue can be challenging:There are a lot of different good ideas out there,and somecan prove more difficult than others toclearly identify.

So what are some good ways to better establish what you want? Below, members ofForbes Coaches Councildiscuss some of the waysleaderscanmore clearly definetheir goals andthenreach them successfully.

Members discuss a few ways people can better define, and then reach, their goals.

1. Envision The Ideal Future

One of the best tools to gain clarity around goal setting is visioning. Investing time at the beginning of the planning process to envision the ideal future, in as much detail as possible, helps solidify goals and create momentum for follow-through. Approaching goal setting from this future vision perspective allows you to first discover where you are going and then solidify how you will get there. It creates your why and can provide motivation during times of challenge or stress. - Cheryl Czach,Cheryl Czach Coaching and Consulting, LLC

2. Map Your Goals

Goals are places to come from, not destinations to go to. They represent significant milestones deriving from your vision. First, develop your vivid vision. Let it be fueled by meaning, purpose and identity appeal. Then reverse engineer your vision to define your milestones. These will become your goals. Finally, map your goals, not just set goals, by answering critical questions that will allow you to script your way to success, such as, What needs to be true about my time allocation? My structural environment? My social environment?etc. - FrdricFunck,CENTER FOR CREATIVE LEADERSHIP

3. Start Journaling Your Progress

It starts with knowing where you are, where you want to go, and seeing the space between the two. One step is to start writing and journaling to see the progress. I do this daily, weekly, monthly and yearly with an incredibly helpful tool called thePassion Planner. - Denise Russo,School of Thoughts

4. Distinguish Between Vision And Goals

Make sure you distinguish between vision and goals. Goals are the milestones one has to achieve in order to reach the vision. Identify your desire or a dream. Then work backward to create milestones that are SMART. Achieving each milestone brings about a sense of success and motivates working toward the vision. - Pritha Dubey,Success Vitamin

5. Assess How You Live Your Values

One way to define goals is to assess how fully a client is livingtheirvalues. What do they care about? What is most important to them, and how are those priorities reflected in their daily actions? If, for example, a client indicates family time is most important, but typically works a 16-hour day, the client will experience dissonance, or a work/life misalignment. Setting goals that help the client realign actions relative to the priorities will move the client toward the life they desire. - Patricia Carl,Highland Performance Solutions, LLC

6. Self Reflect

Substantive self-reflection is a vital first step in understanding our gaps and establishing meaningful and worthwhile goals for improvement. We then need to set intermediate steps that can act as guideposts as we work towards accomplishing larger outcomes. - Jonathan Westover,Human Capital Innovations, LLC

7.Define Your Vision Then Pursue It

Start by asking what vision they want to experience and then help them name the resources necessary to experience that. Then define the specific actions that are required to secure those resources. Finally, establish commitment: Decide what the first step is in taking the needed action, and then write on the calendar when theyll take that step. - Corey Castillo,Truth & Spears

8. Review Your Digital Footprint

Engaging in a yearly objective assessment of both your company's digital footprint and personal digital footprint is key to assess how successful you've been over the past year aligning your personal and professional goals for growth, connections, and reach. Doing so will lead you to think about what kinds of adjustments to make to your digital strategy in order to reach your personal and professional goals. - Julie Fisher,Echo70

9. Keep Asking Why?

Clients can come with goals they think that they "should" or "need" to do as opposed to something they really want to do or feel excited about. Help them dig a little bit deeper and see whats important to them, and then keep asking the followup question And why is that important to you? This process helps clients uncover what their true goal is. Once you tap into that, they'll find genuine motivation. - Denise Csaky,The Firefly Moment LLC

10. Tap Into Emotions

Cultivateexcitement in the end result of adesireddream orvision. Without an emotional and measurable desire for inner dreams to become tangible goals, the journey to success can be quite single minded and harder. Emotions are key to fuel the passion and the earnest desire for success. It adds meaning to the goal success and to a life worth living.Every goal matters when the voice has unshakable heartfelt passion behind it. - Charlotte D. Blignaut,EMOTION IN MOTION

11. Get Started

The single biggest reason why goals aren't achieved is because they are never started. A framework to help leaders and their teams is to answer these six questions: 1. What do you want to do? 2. What is your desired outcome? 3. What specific steps will you take to reach that outcome? 4. What obstacles stand in your way? 5. What is the time frame associated with this goal? 6. How will you measure success? - Shelley Hammell,Sage Alliance, Inc.

See the rest here:
11 Actionable Steps Leaders Can Take To Define And Then Achieve Their Goals - Forbes