For any entrepreneur, setting and working toward goals is a huge part of accomplishing your dreams and feeling successful. But did you know that mini goals are one of the BEST ways to start actually accomplishing what’s on your list? 

If you’ve ever set a goal only to forget about it, lose motivation, or just give up entirely after a few days or weeks, you’re not alone. Luckily, there’s another (hint hint: much more effective) way. 

Breaking your biggest goals down into smaller, actionable mini goals means it’s so much easier to find success. 

Wait—What Are Mini Goals?

To create mini goals, your goals need to be small and simple! These types of goals will keep you so much more motivated.

Think about it—is there anything more satisfying than feeling like you’re actually accomplishing things? If you’ve ever added something to your to-do list that was already finished just so you could check it off, mini goals are going to work for you—trust me. 

These smaller goals are things that you can accomplish in shorter periods of time, and they’re concrete and actionable. They should also be measurable—you’ll be able to instantly see your progress. 

If you have a huge goal you’re working toward, breaking it down into mini goals actually means you’ll be more likely to achieve that big goal. The more successful we feel (by accomplishing our mini goals), the harder we’ll work and the more confident we’ll be in our ability to achieve bigger things. 

Instead of being paralyzed with overwhelm and fear about a HUGE goal, you know exactly what you need to do and in what order. You can actually take the leap and start working on your goals…and feeling awesome in the meantime. 

How To Set Goals Strategically And Start Accomplishing Your Dreams

Now that we’ve established why mini goals are a good idea, let’s talk about how to break things down the right way. These tips will help you take any big dream and turn it into an achievable action plan! 

Start With The Big Picture

First, come up with a vision for what your photography business will look like in five years. This vision doesn’t have to be overly realistic—this should be all the big-picture visions you’ve been dreaming about. 

Here are some things to think about for your overall vision:

• Who are your dream clients you’d love to work with?
• What’s the lifestyle you want to have?
• Are there any huge changes from where you are now?
• What’s the ideal state of your business?

We’re going to map this vision out for 5 years because it’s much more tangible than a longer period of time. As human beings, we love feeling like we’re growing and making progress, so a five-year overarching vision is the best place to start without getting overwhelmed. 

Start Thinking About Immediate Mini Goals You Can Start Working On To Achieve That Big Vision

From the big picture, we can start to craft mini goals. Do this by considering what you can do right now, in the next few weeks, and over the next few months to move toward that vision. 

I recommend coming up with between 3-5 actionable goals that are tied to each area of your vision. Having more than five can be overwhelming, but having only one or two might not be enough. Keep things manageable!

Once you’ve set your 3-5 yearly goals, it’s time to break them down further. Create mini goals and projects for each quarter. Then, divide those quarterly goals into monthly tasks for you to complete! 

This keeps things actionable and really helps you move the needle in your business consistently. 

Related: How To Set Professional Development Goals

Be Sure To Set SMART Goals

You’ll also want to be sure that all of the mini goals you create are SMART goals. This acronym represents criteria for evaluating your goals. 

To be a S.M.A.R.T. goal, it needs to be: 

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Time-bound

Want to know a secret, though? The most IMPORTANT component of that acronym is the “specific” factor. The more specific your goals are, the more you’ll be able to accomplish them and evaluate your progress. 

Take Time Each Week To Plan The Next Week and Prioritize Tasks For Your Mini Goals

You’ll want to consistently focus on your mini goals in order to start seeing results! 

On Friday, schedule out the following week. As you make your schedule, plan time to work on tasks specifically related to your goals. That way, everything is accounted for…and you won’t feel too busy to work on what matters most to you. 

After all, it’s really easy to get swept up in client work and photography projects. But to achieve your dreams, you need to consistently make your goals a priority. 

How Do Mini Goals Work In Practice? 

One of the best ways to understand mini goals is to see how they work in practice! Let’s say that I want to launch a new food photography course in 2022. 

I’d start off by breaking it down into four projects, one per quarter: 

• Quarter 1: Complete market research, ask my audience for their opinions, and try to figure out the best type of course based on my expertise
• Quarter 2: Research topics for the course and create an outline
• Quarter 3: Create the course itself, flesh out all the content, and record videos
• Quarter 4: Market the course

See? One project breaks down into four categories, and each category will have associated monthly and weekly subtasks. 

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Mini goals really are one of the most effective strategies you can use to start accomplishing your goals. If you’d like some help coming up with your goals and working on turning them into actionable projects, you’ll definitely want to check out this upcoming workshop my friend and business coach Katie Wussow is organizing! I attended last year and I will be participating again this year! Get tickets here and leave a comment if you have any questions!