The No-BS Guide to Setting Goals, in 5 Easy Steps

’Tis the season of resolutions, vision boards, and lofty new goals for the year ahead. While setting goals can be a great way to plan for success, they often feel more like wishful thinking than actionable plans toward growth. That’s why Dream Bigger podcast host Siffat Haider recommends pairing your vision board with a concrete manifestation roadmap. Here’s Haider’s tried and true method for setting goals that will drive real results this year.

1. Take stock of where you are now.

You may not be where you want to be (yet!), but this is where that changes. Start by looking at every area of your life—relationships, finance, career, personal growth, fun, and where you live—and consider how you feel about it today. Haider recommends rating your current situation on a scale of 1 to 10. 

“I look at all of these parts of my life, and then I get granular on everything that went well and everything that did not go well in that area,” Haider shares. “For example, if something is a 6 or a 7 out of 10, I will list out everything that went well in that area and the things that didn’t go well.”

2. Think about where you want to be.

Once you have a detailed picture of your current situation, think about what you want and try to envision your dream life. Take it from Haider, who rated her Toronto location a mere 2 out of 10 in 2022. “When I wrote down my ideal scenario, I got really granular about what I wanted it to look like,” Haider explains. “For example, I wanted to live in a certain kind of home, in a specific neighborhood in LA, and even what I wanted my home to look like—just getting into as much detail as I possibly could. And then that became the goal.” 

3. Pick big three goals.

Now look at the three areas you rated lowest. This is a great place to center your big three goals, as they offer the most room for improvement. “For example, let’s say one of the areas that is doing really poorly for you is your health. Maybe you’re eating out a little bit too much or you want to start being more active,” Haider shares.“So from there, try to come up with a specific goal, like committing to working out X number of days a week or losing X amount of body fat, which is something that I’ve done in the past,” Haider continues. “Essentially, that’s a tangible goal. And once you’ve identified your three big goals, then you can come up with a monthly plan to achieve them.”

4. Break out monthly goals.

After honing in on a big overarching goal, it’s time to come up with bite-sized steps every month to work toward it. Haider recommends sticking to a “top five” strategy—something she uses both personally and with her team at Arrae.

“We discuss everyone’s top five for the month, starting with a previous month review,” Haider explains. “At the beginning of every month, I go in and I write down my personal top five for the month ahead. It’s a great way to check in with yourself every single month.”

Just remember that these mini-goals should ladder up to your big three. “The idea is that having these micro goals will just get you closer to achieving the macro goals,” Haider continues. “And then they just seem a lot more achievable and you have a clear roadmap.”

5. Give yourself something to dream about.

While detailed, realistic goals are great, it’s important to leave a little room for those big dreams. “When it came to the location piece, there was not much that I could do from an actionable standpoint, outside of making sure that my visa paperwork was sent in on time,” Haider shares. “This was a top goal of mine, but I gave myself many different goals to work toward while I was waiting.”

While you’re working on your goals and waiting for the big dreams to happen, it’s important to appreciate how far you’ve come. “Before moving to LA, I was always finding ways to be grateful for the position that I was in,” she explains. “And sometimes it also takes complete acceptance of where you are while also being excited for the next step, right?”