How to Set Goals and Achieve Your Dreams

When did we stop growing like we used to when we were kids? Remember being young and absorbing knowledge like a sponge? Growing both mentally and physically like anything is possible—believing the future was limitless.

This growth doesn’t have to stop. Our future can still be limitless.

The truth is: we all limit ourselves by our own imagination to some extent. Luckily, there’s a way to break this bad habit!

By setting goals and focusing on them day after day, you’d be surprised how much you can progress year after year.

Here is how to set proper goals in order to achieve your dreams.

Defining End Goals

What’s your end goal?

I’m not referring to the weekly to-do list. It’s hard to be inspired and motivated by a to-do list, so you need to set long-term goals for yourself.

You should have many goals; don’t limit yourself. Set five-year, 10-year, and 20-year goals. It can be anything related to real estate, health, career, relationships, and more.

Visualizing the Result

Once you’ve set your long-term or end goals, visualize them. Imagine and picture how your life looks once these goals are achieved. It could be a beautiful house, a happy family, or your physical wellness. Hopefully you get a sensational feeling that gets you excited and pumped up.

Do this daily and make it a habit. It could be during a casual stroll, shower, or meditation.

The point is to constantly think about your goal. A lot of people write down their goals once and forget about them. Avoid this.

Reevaluate your goals a couple times a year. Maybe you discovered a new passion or goal, so put it on the list!

Surrounding Yourself With Physical Cues

Once you have set and visualized your end goals, it’s time to set physical cues as a reminder. This is a way to emphasize what I mentioned earlier: You want to be constantly thinking about your goals!

Writing your goals on sticky notes and putting them up on your bedroom walls is a great start. Even if you don’t read them every day, you’ll still be thinking about them subconsciously. This is far more effective than writing down your goals in a notebook that’s hidden away.

Surround yourself with pictures and reminders of things, people, or quotes that inspire you. For example, I’m a big fan of Dwayne Johnson and his work ethic, so I hang a poster of Dwayne with one of his motivational quotes on my wall. I also have a picture of the Hudson Yard development project, which is also a great inspiration for me.

Holding Yourself Accountable

After setting up your long-term goals and physical cues, it’s time to take action by keeping yourself accountable. This is when you convert your aspirations and goals to actionable items, such as the weekly to-do list.

Again, I’d suggest using physical cues for your to-do list, as well. Hang a small whiteboard on your wall, and write down actionable items that you need to accomplish in order to reach those goals.

For example, it could be publishing a blog post, underwriting 10 deals, connecting with 10 more investors, etc.—anything that you wish to accomplish in the next week. These are mini-steps that will take you where you want to be. You’ll be amazed how much you’ve accomplished in a year if you just stick to this routine day after day.

Another way to hold yourself accountable is by broadcasting your dreams and goals. Posting on social media and talking to your friends about them are both great ways to force yourself be accountable. You’ll also inevitably establish a strong personal brand.

I hope this article helps you to reach your goals. I’m truly excited for your journey!

Do you have other great strategies for goal-setting?

Comment below with your top goal(s), how you plan on achieving it (or them), and what other strategies you will use to get there.

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.