Turning big goals into mini missions
I feel like we all have that one goal that lives quietly in the back of our minds. Sometimes it'll come forward a bit and stir up some excitement in us, only to retreat again when we decide it is too lofty for right now; it needs to become a someday goal instead.
The someday mindset is a comfortable spot for us to place things because it doesn't really feel like we are saying 'no' to whatever we place there. It is more of a 'not yet' which turns into a bit of a subscription service that we end up renewing month after month. And the problem with this is that, before we know it, years pass, and the thing we wanted is still sitting there, waiting to be tried.
But what if that thing we said someday to became something with a solid plan? If we found a way to break it down into more achievable steps that we could start today, if we really wanted to? That is what I will be discussing today, a simple five-step framework that will help you turn your 'someday’ goal into something that is actionable.
Why Big Goals Feel So Far Away
The core idea of the framework is simple. You start with the biggest, most someday version of the goal you want to achieve, and you work backwards from that. Looking at what would the step before that look like and the one before that, until you reach something that feels so small and perhaps even immediate that you could do it today.
This works for big, scary goals because they often feel overwhelming simply because they seem so far away. Like looking up at a mountain you are about to climb and not being able to envision yourself at the top, but eventually, by putting one foot in front of the other, you get there and get to appreciate those amazing views.
I have used a version of this framework when I worked as a coach with young people. Watching their faces light up when a goal that felt completely out of reach suddenly became something they could see a route towards made me want to share it more widely. It works regardless of what your goal is, how big it feels, or how long it has been sitting on your someday list.
So, let's get into it!
Step 1 – The Someday: Name Your Biggest Goal
This is your big goal. This is the goal that lives in the back of your mind, surfacing every now and then to remind you it is still there, and quite often, this will be the thing that you want to achieve so much that it can feel a little scary to say it out loud.
The first thing you are going to want to do for this one is to name it. Write it down somewhere that you can see it often. You might even want to say it out loud to yourself or people around you. Releasing this goal from the confines of your mind allows it to move out of daydream land and into a place of action.
It is important to add here that this goal is allowed to feel big and even a little scary. We are going to work on that here today.
For me, my someday was becoming a qualified barre instructor. I went to my very first barre class a few years ago and left knowing that I wanted to train to teach it. I wrote it on my five-year plan and then let it sit there for nearly two years, half wanting it and half convincing myself it was not quite the right time yet.
So, what is your someday?
Step 2 – The Almost There: Identify Your Biggest Milestone
Once you have named your someday goal and maybe shared what it is with someone in your life, the next step is to identify a significant milestone that sits just before achieving it. This will usually be something that signals to you that you are nearly there.
This step should still feel ambitious right now; it is not a small thing, but it is slightly easier to get a visual of it or to make a plan around it than the someday goal.
For me, in my example, this is completing my final assessment. To qualify as a barre instructor, I have to film and teach a 30-to-50-minute class with a group of participants. That is my almost there, and if I am honest, it is a little terrifying right now, but I can definitely work towards it.
What would almost there look like for you?
Step 3 – The Halfway There: Find Your Proof of Progress
This one is the middle marker. It is the point where you might actually feel yourself flagging a little; your someday might still feel a little out of reach, but you have come too far to give up. This could be the point where you look back and realise, 'wow, I am actually doing this,' but looking forward still feels scary.
This step is important because it gives you a proof of progress moment to aim for. When you are at the beginning of something big, it can feel like you will never get anywhere, but the halfway there reminds you that progress is happening even when it does not feel like you have taken a big leap towards your goal for a while.
For me, this is completing all of the course content and feeling genuinely prepared to teach. The point where the theory I have been absorbing starts to become something I can actually put into practice outside of my own house.
What would the halfway point of your journey look like?
Step 4 – The Time To Think: Reflect Before Your Next Move
This step is a little different to the others, but it is one of my favourite parts of the framework. The time to think is not just another milestone; it is more of an intentional pause.
After your right now step gets the ball rolling and you start to build a little momentum, the time to think is where you stop, reflect on what you have learned so far, and make a more considered decision about what comes next. It is the step that turns this from a rigid plan into an actual living process.
Taking time to reflect is a step in itself. It is where you can give yourself the opportunity to check in with how you feel, notice what is working, notice what needs adjusting, and decide intentionally what your next move should be.
I am in this step right now, and for me, this has looked like pausing after my first few course modules and my return to the studio to think about what I am learning and what I want to prioritise next. It has also been the time when I have become more focused and intentional with my practice, ensuring my technique is improving week after week and absorbing as much related content as I can.
Once the ball is rolling, what does your next intentional move look like?
Step 5 – The Right Now: The Action That Starts Everything
And here we are, arguably the most important step of all.
The right now is the immediate, concrete action you can take this week, or even today. Not next month, not when things calm down and definitely not when you feel more ready (you will rarely feel more ready!)
For me, the right now was clicking purchase my barre instructor course. And everything else in this framework follows from that single moment of actually doing the thing instead of thinking about it.
Your right now does not need to be big; it just needs to be intentional and real. It needs to be something that moves you one inch closer to your someday rather than leaving things exactly as they are.
What is the one thing you could do today to start moving towards your someday?
Your Someday Is Closer Than You Think
The someday goal is not out of reach; it just needs a right now to get it started.
Before you close this post, I want to encourage you to do one thing. Write out the rough outline of your five steps, even if they change later (they probably will around step 4!). Your someday at the top, your right now at the bottom, and your best guess at the three steps in between. You do not need to have it all figured out; you are just looking for where to get started.
Because that is the whole point of this framework. You are not trying to plan every single step of the journey; you are just trying to find the first one.
So, what is your someday? And more importantly, what is your right now?
If you would like some help mapping out your own five steps, that is exactly the kind of work I do. Feel free to get in touch – I would love to help you turn your someday into a plan.