How To Use Short-Term Goals To Achieve Your Big Dreams

Have you ever had a dream or goal so important, so huge that you don’t even know where to start?Maybe it’s launching your own business, writing a book, or traveling the world. A dream so big that it is very exciting and also seriously overwhelming at the same time? Whenever this happens, know that you can learn how to use short-term goals to achieve your big dreams.

That’s where short-term goals come in. Think of them as mini-milestones that help you build momentum, stay motivated, and actually make progress (instead of just daydreaming).

In this post, we’re talking about how break down big dreams into smaller, actionable steps that can make all the difference. You will discover how short-term goals can help you achieve your long-term ambitions in simple steps.

What is a short-term goal
SMART goals
FAST goals
Using short-term goals to reach long-term goals

What is a short-term goal?

how to use short-terms goals to achieve your big dreams.

A short-term goal may be something you want to do for its own sake. With intention, you will master how to use short-term goals to achieve your big dreams. For example, you may want to clean out your closet, read that book that’s been collecting dust on your nightstand, save the money you need to go on a long-overdue vacation, or finally run a 10K.

Or, short-term goals can also be things that you want to do in the process of accomplishing longer-term ambitions and goals. You may want to earn a professional certification so that you can broaden your career prospects, get a good grade on the next test so that you go to your first-choice college, or save money for a down payment on your first home so that you can build intergenerational wealth.

How To Use Short-Term Goals To Achieve Your Big Dreams: SMART Goals

A good short-term goal may be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (Macleod, 2012). Why not start a manifestation journal to capture your thoughts and progress on your goals?

Specific – You may have more success with goals that are precisely defined. The goal to “do well in biology” is not specific. A specific version of this goal might be “score at least 90% on the next three biology quizzes”.
Measurable – How will you know whether you have successfully achieved the goal? Goals with clear criteria for success may be more effective than goals with ambiguous outcomes. “Learn cellular metabolism” may be a commendable goal, but is difficult to measure. In contrast “Be able to diagram the Krebs Cycle” is much more measurable.
Achievable – Is this goal realistically within your reach? If you currently have a B-average in biology it may not be realistic to strive for a perfect grade. However, you may be able to work towards an A.
Relevant – Why is this goal relevant to your long-term goals, plans, or desires? Why are you trying to achieve this goal? You may find yourself much more motivated to work towards your short-term goal if you can connect that goal to a longer-term goal. For example, you may want to connect your short-term goal of doing well in biology to your longer-term goal of attending medical school and becoming a physician.
Time-bound – When should this goal be completed? You may be more motivated to act if you have a specific date by which you plan to have accomplished your goal.

How To Use Short-Term Goals To Achieve Your Big Dreams: FAST Goals

Short-term goals, especially work goals, may be most successful when they adhere to the acronym FAST (Sull & Sull, 2018):

F – Frequently discussed and revised as needed. Regular feedback on how things are progressing may lead to improved outcomes. Moreover, in dynamic workplaces, goals may need to be changed, reprioritized, or even eliminated.
A – Ambitious. The most successful companies don’t limit their workforce to setting goals where success is guaranteed.
S – Specific metrics and milestones. Goals should not be vague and should be paired with quantifiable metrics of success whenever possible.
T – Transparent for everyone in the organization to see. Goal transparency has many benefits including eliminating redundant or unaligned work across teams, increasing accountability, and helping all employees see how their contributions fit into the organization’s broader goals.

The FAST metrics may be applied to a variety of specific work goals. For example, a marketing manager of a startup may be tasked with increasing awareness of the brand. An ambitious, specific, and transparent short-term goal that serves this longer-term objective may be to gain 100,000 followers on the organization’s Facebook page. And as new social media platforms come to prominence, this goal may need to be revised.

How To Use Short-Term Goals To Achieve Your Big Dreams

Basically, long-term goals are the goals and ambitions that express your beliefs, core values, and worldviews, and short-term goals are the day-to-day actions that reflect these long-term beliefs (Doran, 1981). So, working toward your goals with intention is how to use short-term goals to achieve your big dreams.

Short-term goals may be more satisfying and fulfilling if they serve long-term goals. For example, if your long-term goal is to feel a stronger sense of community and connection within the world, you may want to choose specific short-term goals to reflect these values. Setting yourself a short-term goal of spending at least 10 hours a month in acts of service may help you work towards your long-term goal of increased connection and community. So, when manifesting, make sure you align your core values with your short-term goals to be successful.

Bottom Line

So, when you’re setting your big goals and dreams, there are two key questions to ask: Are they SMART? Are they FAST? Once you’ve figured that out, the next step is to make sure your big dreams actually align with your short-term goals.

Why does that matter? Because your big dreams say a lot about who you are – they reflect your values, what you care about, and where you want your life to go. And while dreaming big is awesome (and totally necessary), it’s the small, everyday actions that move you forward.

That’s why it’s so important to connect those daily goals to your bigger purpose. When you do, everything feels more meaningful. You’re not just crossing things off a to-do list – you’re creating a life that matters, one step at a time.

I hope this post helps you take those steps with purpose and joy. Now it’s your turn to share in the comments below: what big dream are you working towards?

References

Doran, G. T. (1981). There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives. Management Review, 70(11), 35–36.
Macleod, L. (2012). Making SMART goals smarter. Physician Executive, 38(2), 68-72.
Sull, D., & Sull, C. (2018). With Goals, FAST Beats SMART. MIT Sloan Management Review, 59(4), 1-11.